The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1891.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 6144, 9 May 1891, Page 2

The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, MAY 9, 1891.

In Thursday's issue we published from the Poverty Bay Herald an article condemning Messrs Nelson Bros', proposal to the sheepfarmore of that district to enter upon a five-years' agreement to supply cheep for that firm's freezing works. It is only fair now to give the other side of the question as told in the Gisborne Standard. The Standard says:—"As an example of the unblushing style in which our conternpornry has set about its attempt to lead or mislead the farmers in this matter, the figures selected for comparison may be pointed out. Quotations are made from the cheapest meat freezing company in New Zealand, but no mention is made of the different circumstances. The company alluded to can work the cheapest because its machinery is kept going for about eleven months in the year, while in this district the works have to stand idle for about five months in the year, though during that time the expensive staff cannot be disorganised. If the sheepfarmers here would parcel out their drafts of sheep to keep the works going in the same way it would be possible to make considerable reductions in the freezing charges. But that is only one item. The j difference in the price of coal at Gisborne and at Christchurch is about 12s a ton, and . when from six to seven tons a day are being used, it amounts to at least £3 12s a day. That little sum would soon tot up to a nice '. little bill, of which farmers can judge for themselves. The terms now offered by j Nelson Bros, are exactly the same as those offered in Hawke's Bay. Iv that district there is opposition in the North British Company, and there is also easy communication with Wellington from the \ southern end of the province. How- , ever, with all these advantages, or opportunities of making a choice, the j farmers of Hawke's Bay, who have 1 eight years' experience to guide them in the matter, are so satisfied with the terms £ offered —which we have already pointed , out are the same as offered in Gisborne— s that they are readily signing the guarantee. £ Indeed the terms have already been signed by persons representing an annual freezing power of 240,000 sheep. We do not for a moment suggest that the sheep- ' farmers hero should sign the guarantee c without careful consideration, but we think c they are entitled to have the subject put 1 fairly before them by those who deal with I it. We should be sorry to see them place themselves in a false position by one-eided j. accounts written in the interest of certain <; people who have other strings to <i thoir bow than love for the farmer." y. So much lor tho Gisborne Standard, and we shall vow say a few words on our own j account. In this age of scientific progress and research, we should think it a mistake for any sheep farmer to bind himself down for a period of five years to supply sheep C for freezing on terms based on present prices, and on existing expenses attached to c refrigeration. In the same way we have ° opposed every proposal that has been s made to light the borough of Napier by J electricity on a guarantee system extending a over a period of yoan>. Tho electric lamp ti ib still on its trial, and science may yet £ startle tho world by giving us a bettor and & a cheaper light. There is, therefore, no c: hurry to abandon a light that has served us a remarkably well in the past, and whioh can P be thoroughly relied on for the future, f< Some day it is certain that we shall have a better, probably a cheaper, light than that supplied by gas, but at present it is not ft to bo found, combined with reliability a in electricity. Andao wo say thosiune with a regard to the frozen meat industry. Tho 1 exiting refrigerating process we know is tl costly, and men of scimico, interesting ?,■ themselves in the mutter, are engaged in au effort to discover a cheaper method. Any p day we may hear oi : tho discovery, and wo l. uo not expect that wo shall have to wait nj live years for it. There is already a new pr o - i -.ess, tho machinery for whioh is being erected r t ior tho Meat Export Company, at Wellington, and it will be closely watohed. I his will be vastly cheaper, and equally as A tfi'ective, as the process in general use ; and, w therefore, it is that wo think the sheop- s -- "armors should pause beforo binding them- '!' selves down by itggreemetit for livo "years \] 'ounded on an existing state of things which , nay be totally within twelve AJ nontiip. k

iMHOUOH the Government are professing o ascertain the opinions of the Maoris in dew of fresh legislation in respect of native and, it seems tole-ably clear that those lame opinionH will be totally ignored in 'raining the Bills. The pretentious Native uommiseion trotting round the country, and upon whose report it has been said the new law is to be founded, is, apparently, only a mostly excuse. From all accounts, the Bills ire already in course of preparation, and when they are made public they will probably prove of less value than the paper they are printed on. Mr Ballance's former tinkering with the native land law is a very distinct recollection. He profesced to have embodied in his measure the wishes of the Maori people, and on the strength of such an assertion neither ridicuie nor friendly warnings of those who re illy were aware of those wishes, could turn Parliament from passing the Bill. We shall most likely have the same solemn farce enacted next session ; and the southern members, who know as much about Maori affairs as they do of those of the lied Indians, will aseist the Government to carry a measure which will be a dead-letter from the day it curnee in force We gather ali this from a recent teiegram which states that the Bill, now being prepared, will prevent the native! from selling their land, and will only allois them to lease through Government. I: that is to be the aim of the measure, we cai safely assert that there will be no lane transactions. A correspondent writing to a contemporary remarks that ver; few intelligent natives wish the presen system altogether abolished, but they cer tainly do require the repeal of many of th land laws in toio —not the Laud Court Act excepting a few amendments to simplif the working. In the present instance few of the natives, with their members who are under the glamour of the specious representations made to them, certainly concur in the projected legislation, to suit their own individual ends. But when the time comes for them to relinquish the right to deal with their lands, then, and net till then, will they find the power they have given into the hands of any unscrupulous Ministry that may be governing the country —turned against their own interests and coercing them to fulfil a policy that any intelligent honorable man would shrink from carrying out. Why can they not be allowed to do as they choose with their own property as soon as the title has been ascertained P There has been a cry at times for several years past the natives should be treated exactly in the same manner as the Europeans, and why not indeed. Each day that passes proves incontestibly that the Maoris are endowed with no ordinary amount of intellect, and without doubt are capable of managing their own affairs. If the late retrenchments are to be any criterion and guarantee of the good faith of the honor and integrity of the Government toward their own people, no better example could be exhibited to the Maorie of the justice they may expect, when even the Europeans are subjected to the caprices, fads, and political tyranny of persons most unfortnnately placed in position of power by the suffrages of an over sanguine, but most egregiously disappointed population. It is greatly to be feared that the intended legislation, instead of promoting settlement upon anything like advantageous terms, will more likely retard progress, or pur a stop altogether to any efforts that may be made by «m industrial population to enhance the property of the colony.