THE MAORIS AND THE ROTORUA RAILWAY. More Obstruction.

Waikato Times, Volume XXV, Issue 2042, 8 August 1885, Page 2

THE MAORIS AND THE ROTORUA RAILWAY. More Obstruction.

! In our is-sue of the 28th nit it was stated I that the natives had warned the contractor for tho Rotorna railway, Mr 1) Fallon, th.it they would intoipnse to jiro\ out tho laying <>f the iiernianont way over the Waitoa River unless the company agreed to settle their cl.nriw. The statement was a httlo prematuie, lnasiuuch as at that tmio no warning had been rcct-ived by Mr Fallon ; but a few days aftct wards Fenetito, Graham and Tv Whenua, chiefs or old men of the Ngatihaua tube, accompanied by a half caste inteiprotoi named (n'orge Tyiell, waited on Mi Fallon at the Walton station on the line, eleven mile', fiom Mornnsville, and asked him not to go ovor the Waitoa bridge, and on t<> the land owned by them. They stated that it was their intention to stop the woik unless they received i.'.">oo compensation. Mi Fallon ende.ivomed to leason with the natives, pointing out that in canying out their tin eats they would bring themselves into collision with the law, but they expressed themselves as being quite picpared to take the consequences of the act. Mr Fallon again in god them to consider the matter well befoie going to extremes, hut finding them still obstinate he informed them that no threat or menace would deter him from prosecuting his woik. Under the terms of his contract ho w.n bound to go on. The natives repeated their warnings and left. Nothing more of any moment transpired until Thursday ovening, whon Mr F.dlou (who was in his camp, *even miles from Morunsville) was informed by some natives whom lit' had in his employment that they had received a letter from Fenetito and tho others, telling them not to go to the Waitoa budge next day, as there would likely be trouble; blows would probably be struck, and they (tho native vvoikmen) would of cotu-.e Lome in for ,i shaie of the lough tieatment piomised. Notwithstanding all tins, Mr Fallon and his stall pioceeded to the Waitoa bridge (which is ab^ut 12 miles fioin Morunsville), on Thuisday morning, to commence the woik of platelaying over the structuie. On miival, they di^coveied ■i number oi native men sitting on the budge, at about . i chain f i oni the Moirmsville end, a pole eirrying a >vhite Hag standing up in the middle of the gioup. Nothing was said on either side until the tails were laid up to tho spot where the Hag was stationed. Mr Fallon then quietly requested the natives., who numbered al>out 4 10. to movoont of the way. They lefused, saying that tho land was theirs. Mt Fallon then tin nod to his men and told them to #> on laying the sleepers. Thereupon the natives sei/ed tho sleepers as fust as they weie put down and Hung them over into tho liver. This species of ■unuseinent was indulged in foi some time, but when it began to get monotonous the contractor caused the rail trolly to be urn up to the end of the rails already laid, and bringing forward a number of men instructed them tv lift off the rails and lay them down. The supply of Hleopoi- having been exhausted, tho Maoris tinned their attention to the new toy so thoughtfully piovided for them, and cndeavouied to send tho iron •iftei the titubci. This howevei was too much even foi a man of Mi Kallon'- equable temperau.cnt, and he told his men that tho rails must be pieserved. This was the signal tor a rough and tumble, but .it then employer's urgent lcqnest the men abstained from lesoiting to violence, though not, it must be admitted, without .i little show of reluctance. They were told to "carry" the natives off the bridge, ft task by no moans easy of accomplishment. Meantime a new element was introduced into the dispute. The women of the tribe, numbenng about a> many as the men, who Hp to this tune had unnamed on the other .side of the nvei, n >w came on tho budge with iopo>, which they passed thiough the lisli-bolt holes in the l ails, and tned t'-> pull them otf. Mi F.illon, at considerable risk, litcr.illj walked over the Maori n en, and cut the ropes which the Amazons had fastened to tho rails, but when he called for assistance the natives tesi-ted tho workmen to such purpose that Mr Fallon was obliged to retiie also, nanowly escaping ,i f.ite similar to that which had befallen the sleeper*. But the contractoi, though checked, was not woisted. On the narrow budge it was not possible to bring the whole, or even a majouty of his men into action at one point, so he changed his tactic-, and with a detriment, fouled the uvei ,v quartei i>f a mile lnghci up, with Hie intention of taking tho enemy in the re,u. But the women grafted the situation instantly, and ciouding on to the southern end of the budge founed a stiong b.uner between the bolligeient-. They ueie l equated to come otf, but they iefti-ed, and fiotn being excited beeatno almost frantic, gesticulating wildly, and filling the an with the most awful yell-,. Mi Fallou cogitated foi a moment, and then told his men to lomove tho women quietly, wheioupou tho latter lemovi'd so much of their clothing as to levve little to be torn off then backs in tho tiub-ejuent htiugglc. Aftei.igie.it deilof tumble, the women woie eventually earned off iint: .it a time, kicking, plunging, hcicaiu ing, and indulging m language w Inch was foi tun.itely unintelligible to then captois. Mr Fallo'n's men then formed a gnaid on the .southern end of the budgo, but the women plunged into the stream, and many of them endeavouiod to climb up the piers. By this tune tho Europeans weie reinfoiced, and the opeiation of oai'ymg oh" the obstiuetioni-ts was applied to the male poition, with the icsiilt that tho budge was speedily chsaied. The natives then, finding that Mv Fallon was king of the top of the bndgi", got undeiiieith, and aimed with axes commenced to chip aw. ly at the piles, and to lemovu such of the non-work as was within leach. The peimauent way in the meantime was laid down more than half way acioss tho budge, when woik was ended foi the day, the contiactoi having curied his point. In the afternoon Mi Fallon returned to Moiinisvtllo, where he met tin engincoi of the compiuy, Mi James Stewmt, and in company with that gentleman drove into Hamilton in the even ing for the pm pose of putting the iiiattoi in the hands of the police. Altei consulting with Heigt.-Major McGovoui and Mi W. M. Hay, Mr Fallen last night laid .m in foi m.ition for wilful and lnaliciou* d.uinge to property against half-a-dozen of tho nng leaders in tho obstruction. The bridge, which was the scone of tho occurrence we have attempted to dexciibe above, has a span of 320 feet, and ciosses the Wiuto.i liver about 12 miles fiom Moiiinsville. The land on tho southern side is the piopeity of tho Ng.itihaua. It is leased to Mr 0. J. Firth, and forms part of tho 1">,000 acre block lecently passed through the coiut, half of tho fteehold going to Mi Futh. Wo do not know whethei thciuisa rescue at this paittculai point, though we behove the Maoiis claim that theie is. Howevei that may be, tho natives made no objection to tho formation going through, nor indeed did they make any claim at all until they dem.uided £500 fiom Mr Fallon. About two years ago, when the .survey was* pioceeding, they objected that tho line should go through an anciout burying gi ound, and as is their wont indulged in a miscellaneous abutment of tin eats ; but Mr James Stewart acquiesed m their demands, and alteied about two miles of tho survey. .Since then the Kotoma Railway Company has received no communication fiom the natives whatever. The land f(H the i.ulway was taken in the usual way under tho provisions of tho Public Woiks Act, after nil that was neccssaiy hid been done as laid down in the Distuct Railways Act, and the only propoi and legal coui-e open to the natives was to send m a claim for compensation to tho company. This is what all the European landowners have done, and this also was tho couiso followed by the native owners of tho first block thiough which tho line passes, namely, To Au-o-W.ukato. In then case tho claims havo been made out, and the money will be paid as Hoon as the transfer is ready. With a peiveisoness which c.in h.udly bo accounted foi, the Niratih.iua have enteicd upon a course of action winch is likely to land the moie pioiniuont of their number in gaol. Tho penalty piovided by the Malicious Injuiy to Piopeity Act is pietty h.usli, and it is difficult to sco how it can be avoided. We undei. stand that the obstructionists w ill bo anosted to day.

Mr W S Kvan*;, piano tuner to his Kxccllcncy, nat present in W.tikato Orders may I*-'' l ""h Mr Ditkinion, Cambridge, and Air Jossop, Hamilton. We draw special attention to Messrs W. J Hurit and Co's new adxertiioincnt in another column, te their new shipment ol seeds manures &c. A mooting- of member* and persons wishing to join the Waikato Liberal Association will be held at the Hamilton II ill on luckday evening next, the 11th .it 7 o'clock.