TELEGRAMS.

Evening Post, Volume LXXX, Issue 5, 6 July 1910, Page 3

TELEGRAMS.

WHAT IS THE OBJECT? LOCKED-UP NATIVE LAND. POSITION IN HOKIANGA. [BX TELEGRAPH — SPECIAL TO THE POST.]

AUCKLAND, This Day. The Hokianga correspondent of the Herald writes as follows on the native land question : — In Hokianga, he says., there are 53,000 acres handed over to the board and awaiting survey, and some of these lands have been awaiting survey for over seven years. Probably there are areas of similar extent hung up in the same stupid manner in the Bay of Islands and in the Mangonui counties. In the meantime some of the owners are going about begging their bread. What is the object? Who gains by this unaccountable delay? It is evident that we as a people are losing very heavily, and it seems to be equally evident that the fault of the protracted delay lies at the door of the Native Department. Of course this is only one phase of the so-called native land difficulty, but when one comes across evidences of mismanagement such as this it is easy to conjecture what we in tho country districts know very well : that we can look for no alleviation from the intolerable burden that we suffer under from tho present Department of Native Affairs. Lawyers tell us that the new Native Land Act- is a well-drawn one; but when there iB no appointment of courts or of surveyors, the very means of putting the machinery of the law into working order is wanting, and the native "owner and the man who wants to settle on the land find that, as before, their desires are sot at naught. Theoretically, the native land laws as they stand are good, but practically they are of little varae for settlement purposes, and as an evidence I may point out that 70,000 acres of native land are reserved in Hokianga to be leased to natives only, but a Maori has not the money to pay the first halfyear's rent, and few of them have the steady determination to turn the wilderness into a garden. However that may be, it is a fact that 20 years ago there were 230,000 acres of native land in Hokianga unoccupied, and to-day there are 225,000 acres. Great progress, truly, considering the devotion that Mr. Carroll is credited with giving to the betterment of the native race and to the leasing of their lands in their interests. ALLEGED CRUELTY AT A COURSING MEETING. [BT TEtEGBAME — SPECIAL TO THE POST.] CHRISTCHURCH, This Day. In his report to the Canterbury Society for the Prevention -of Cruelty to Animals, Mr. W. H. Louch said that he had been informed that at the last coursing meeting held in Christchurch some of the competing dogs had been most cruelly subjected to "doping." Dogs were made to win or lose, at the caprice of those most interested, by the' administration of preparations calculated to have the desired effect. He had also heard of other cruelties in connection with coursing, but always too late to take action, and until those who made a practice of attending and supporting the meetings felt it incumbent to make such practices fully and quickly known to the society, it would not be a very easy matter to work up cases. He understood that the Gisborne Society intended to take proceedings against a Northern coursing club for alleged cruelty at a recent meeting. CONDITION OF RANGITOTO CHANNEL. REPORT ON SWEEPING PROCESS. [BX TELEGJBAPH — SPECIAL TO THE POST.] AUCKLAND, This Day. The sweeping of the Rangitoto Channel, which was undertaken by the Auckland Harbour Board, as a result of the grounding of the steamer Kaipara in the channel in January last, has been completed. In making this announcement at a meeting of the -.Harbour Board yesterday, the chairman (Mr. A. J. Entrican) said that practically no obstruction had been found in the channel other than those already reported. So far as the surveyor was aware, everything was now clear, and it was hoped to have a written report on the subject at the next meeting of the board. The captain of the Matatua had reported the existence of a shoal near the Rangitoto beacon, but all efforts to discover it had proved futile. The locality was then swept, and it was shown that there was no shoal there. The only thing found was what was apparently a small rocky patch outside of the channel, but this might bs only an old anchor. This would be attended to by a diver at the first opportunity. A full report would then be forwarded to the Marine Department, with a request to correct the chart accordingly. In reply to Mr. J. H. Gunson, the chairman said that where some of the shallow patches were shown on the chart there was a good depth of water. AROUND FEILDING. - DISTRICT NOTES. fBT TELEGBAPH — SPBCIAL TO THB POST.] TfEILDING, This Day. Apiti, which is about at the highest civilised point in our back country, is up to date. It has just formed a ladies' hockey club. Mangarimu, which is away baek-of-beyond, snuggled in what looks like a forgotten valley, about 32 miles from Feilding, has a flourishing gun club. Waituna West, where Mr. Short bred the romnoy sheep which took the world's championship at the Argentine show, reports that feed is abundant throughout the district and stock are' looking remarkably well,particujarly sheep, which are very forward with th-air wool. There should be a record clip both, in quantity and quality. The season for dairying promises to be a good ono, several new suppliers intend commencing to supply the local creamery, and some of the old ones intend milking larger herds. WAIKATO WINTER SHOW. [BS TELEGEAPH— SPECIAL TO THE POST.] HAMILTON, This Day. The fourth Waikato Winter Show opened in fine weather, but towards evening heavy rain began to fall, xhn attendance was good, although there were not so many visitors from outside districts as last year. The entries were one thousand in excess of last year's. Th« Hon. Thos. Mackenzie telegraphed regretting his inability to attend, owing to Parliamentary work. In root crops, particularly swedes and mangolds, the snow excels any in the Dominion. Pihama (Taranaki) Co-operative Dairy Company secured first prize in each of the two oxport butter classes, with 934 an d 94 points respectively. Bunnythorpe Dairy Company was second in one class, and Cambridge Dairy, Company, second' in . another^ ~~