Evening Post. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1894. HOW WE ARE MISGOVERNED.

Evening Post, Volume XLVII, Issue 86, 12 April 1894, Page 2

Evening Post. THURSDAY, APRIL 12, 1894. HOW WE ARE MISGOVERNED.

What a splendid commentary Judge Bibton has afforded- on the Premier's gasconading tonr amongst tho natives ! Mr. Seddon, as Native Minister, was to inaugurate an entirely new system of native administration. • Everything was to bo put right, and nil native difficulties were to disappear. He i has now been for several weeks going ronnd making foolish speeches to tho nativos, and exposing himself to tho ridicule of both races, and while he has been so engaged the ordinary administration of native affairs, inoluding oven -provision for oarrying out the law, has been entirely negleoted. The Native Department has been suffered to drift into chaos. It is not allowed to do anything without Mr. Seddon's personal approval, and that he is not here to give. The Validation of Titles Aot was passed last session with a. great flourish of trumpets as a measure urgently demanded, and the effect of whioh would be to end long - existing icandals in connection with native lands. Mr. Babton was quickly appointed Judge, and we hopo his salary was duly provided for. There tho Minister has stopped short. As Judgo Babton pointed out yesterday at Gisborne, his oft-repeated representations as to what is necessary to be done to set him to work under the Act have been left unattended to — no clerk, no interpreter, no assossor, no books, and no courthouse have been provided. Judge Barton, like Colonel Fox, is not permitted to do anything but draw falarv for doing nothing. Mr. Siddo.-j controls and personally administers both departments. Meanwhile titles involving property to the value of tens of thousands of pounds await, as they havo waited for years, investigation aud settlement. Had Jndge Barton been set to work when ho was first appointod, his report on many titles might h*vo been ready for presentation to Parliament next s°esion. This will probably now be impossible, and as the report when made has to be approved by Parliament beforo being given effect to, a year will 'have been lost. Even the ordinary Native Land Court in many parts of the colony has been brought to a standstill by Mr. Skpdon's neglect of Ministerial dnties while wandering and banqueting all over the colony. No Buocessor has been appointod to Mr. Skth Smith as Chief Judge, and them is no ono authorised to exercise tho statutory powers of Chief Judge as to fixing dates of Court sittings and otbor similar matters. Consequently several of the Judges of the Native Land Court are compnlsorily idle, and muoh-needed investigations of title cannot be proceeded with. This involves great loss and injury to many

people. Mr. Skddon's neglect of the duiiea ho hat, ignorantl> assumed is simply Beandalous.