The Daily Telegraph SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1882.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3522, 21 October 1882, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph SATURDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1882.

If it can be shown to the British philanthropist that the conversion of tbe heathen can be coupled with trade and large profits he will a 9 a rule enter heartily into any scheme that promises in that way to mutually benefit the " whole human race." The sale of moral pockethandkerchiefs to tbe South Sea Islanders, and of flannel to the Hottentots, has always been associated with the conversion of those " lying in darkness," and doubtless the philanthropist or his friends have reaped a reward commensurate with the spiritual and bodily comfort their goodness has bestowed on the savages. If a scheme for the conversion of the heathen cannot be happily blended with commerce, it may so happen a lukewarmness arises which shows itself in a deficiency of laborers for the vine-yard. On the other hand plenty of men are willing to sacrifice themselves when ivory, palm oil, gold dust, and such like trifles can be obtained in exchange for the more homely articles of flannel goods and hosiery. The natives of New Zealand have passed through the earlier stages of their conversion to the ways of civilisation, but tbey still offer in their warlike habits and possession of land a rich field for the philanthropist. A scheme has therefore been placed before the British public to which we—no doubt in common with every other newspaper in the colony— have been invited (o lend our assistance. There is a moral tone about the scheme that must commend it&elf to all who like to increase their incomes by means of benevolence. The " Scheme is for the pacification of the Aboriginal people of New Zealand by dealing with their Lands on just principles, for the lasting benefit of both European and Native races." The advantages of the scheme to English shareholders are stated to be: — " That they would enjoy the satisfaction of solving, to the lasting benefit of both races, a political difficulty which has long overshadowed our relations with tbe natives, and on several occasions has left its dark traces in blood, and, humanly speaking, arrest the decay, or at least mitigate the sufferings connected with the decline of a noble race. That, by means of a relatively small capital paidup, say £200,000, and by the exercise of borrowing powers as may be required, they would realise after the first year or two of their operations a ten per cent, dividend for a period of years, then receive back a sum equal to their paid- up capital, and finally share equally with the notice certificate-holders in a sum of about £12,000,000 sterling. To show that this is by no means an unreasonable anticipation, it may be stated that tbe average sales of waste lands effected by tbe Government for five years up to 1880 inclusive has been 435,841 acres per annum, and that an average price of £1 14b lOd cash has been realised, but as the i

association would sell for part cash and part on deferred payments, subject to interest, with security over the land sold, an increased average price of at least 10s per acre might fairly be anticipated. The profits of the association would not depend upon the sale of country lands only, but on the sale of township sites and suburban lands, the upset price of the former not being less than £30 per acre, and of the latter not lessthan£3per acre." What between solving apolitical difficulty that has left its dark traces in blood, and the acquisition of land on such just principles that the Maori shall turn his sword into a ploughshare, and the English shareholder double his invested capital, there is a prospect for the scheme that puts the palm oil trade and the naked nigger into the back ground. Lords of high degree and Bishops have lent their names to this grand scheme, and the London paDerß have published leading articles upon it in tbe style of a cheap advertisement. For the English Press will alwayß assist a good cause, and the goodness of a cause depends very much on the prospect it has of paying a dividend. .Without entering minutely into the scheme, it may suffice to say that it is very much of the character of Mr W. L. Rees' idea that was partially adopted by the East Coast Native Lands Settlement Company. The " Scheme" looks very well on paper, and is quite good enough "to draw" in London, but as to the solution of the political difficulty and its traces of blood we cannot speak with certainty.