FIFTY YEARS AGO

Evening Post, Volume CIX, Issue 144, 21 June 1930, Page 17

FIFTY YEARS AGO

ITEMS FROM "THE POST I"

ROASTING A MAORI ,

In the ''Evening Post" of Hohdj ,y, 14th June, 1880, a cable records. the¥ietory of the Australian cricketers o| rer Yorkshire. Yorkshire batted first, and were dismissed for 55. Spofforth, tid Palmer each-took five wickets, "t^ho Australians replied with; 65. The Ho me team in their .second innings , secured iOO./Spofiorth took, six wickets.- \ihe Australians, requiring 91\to/win, J got the-requiredruris with the loss of.| five' .wickets. ■ Macdonnell, in the, . se4| jond innings; of■ the, Australians, made* the ■iighest =sc6re,v47, and was caught 5 out. ": In an • editqrialf on "The .A^ ;enti General,'/. ■ in. the same issue,. '| 'The: Post, states:—lt is 'tolerably f well understood; that the reports in reference to; the-alleged resignation:of f; Sir : Julius 'Vogel' of • ; the Agency, ,G*-neral for this colony were skilfully, '• circularised by ah enterprising"spe ,cial' ', •who even induced a ;mc'jiber- to; ask a question in Parliament on the stt ibject; As a-matter: of fact.the;relatic»-nB. between Sir Julius, Vogel and: this /.colony are as much 'the. same as thtf £ i;.a.re •well known; to have .been ;: f orj: ■ some time past.' The :present Government some time ago distinctly offers ed ; Sir Julius Vogel:his choice of two i alternatives—either tq■;sever; his: offitf ial ;conSiectipn with ■■ certain. TindertaJ tijigs" of which, he,!,,was a:> prominent "..fj rqmoter, or else, to ''resign: tho Agency-General, on which : Sir Julius is said '.-• to have 'aocepted -the latter, alternative,, .'retaining his 'official position until ]■ the Gov-ernment;;;should-have complet^ i the; ar- : jangements ■ consequent: on M is; retirement, it is,understood thai; in ench case he would act .as agent' for this colony, in floating and Converting futureiloans, receiving-a-com(nissipn:of one-twelfth-:'per 'cent. ,(i.e., .!Is Bd. per £100) on', the transaction. 'Nothing,' however, is yet finally, settled :; Assum-"ihg-^hat;Sir Julius';y6gelret| res; .from the: Agency-General,- an ' ezdellerit. snfl^ timely opportunity is afford^ d) of, mak:: ing1' sweeping. reductions in.i ■ that department. iv^.This ,A;coloriy;j'ao; longer eiiher needs'orcan afford \af a,ambassadorial establishment of su< ih ; magnitude,, the. .head feceiying 4/ Premier's salary and .his secretary ;srioo a year.Now; that the Government' 4 mmigration has "ceased, and tho imp ortation : of railway.; material so greatly] diminished, a very modest agency ''yrt >uld • suffice for all our. real requira inents..-/We have:.:not the slightest dqiubt, that a thoroughly competent offioi er : could be found to take x charge of ; the department at a salary of £50CX or £600 a year,.instead of having oiae ,at' £1500' a year ia'nd another iai £BOO'as a^ pr«»sent,- A few clerks won 1! d do all tho • rest .'|qf-the work, and.'.th'e'i horde of ;lec-' turersi' agents,' sub-agei its, etc., etc,,' should ;b'e -swfept away.'al||together.!, We: hope.tb hear' of prompt -V steps , being .' takeV; t»; -effect this, v cfhangey; which would bo Tery well: received : .by the wholff^bffth^cplony^ ,'^!\!V:v{':'->;- • ...,

': '■'■ OTAKI LOClf^V^^^^^ ; A paragraph,-. reprinted from /the "Foxtoii Herald'? veriijs the;groat in-: aignation • felt • among; jthe.Settlers at: Otati *at; tfiei abominalße/c'ondition of. the loci-iip in 'that ,pl£>e'. v ?The ''f Her-' aid" Bays:^—The room* an1 is about l°ft -*>y ipb'^ft /the •■: f«*i»itnr® consist? of one well-W' &m blanket, one ring fastened;in,. 'thej 'centre 6f the floor; and one dog cJ lain with whi«t . to /faMeti!': prisoners." w ho are likely: to attempt to escape. TAe latter article. has been absolutely ; necessary, and' still is, to, prevent ,-. the i escape of; prisoners, as. it is a 6« rmparatiyely easy matter: for ; a : man to .' fcick put a conple of; boards;, and1 effect £. an escape. : Adjoining the cell is a disused room, which ■ emits a most ■ disgust sing .odour. , It is certainly enough, to.chill one's blood to think of some poor.;,drunken wretch; chained to the bare t floor, with one thin'blanket to eovp.tr him on a.freez- :- ing night. The' D.»atter ■-. has : been brought under the, notice, of Mr. Ward,' B.M;, and it is:hope fl that the -scandal' . wiH be removed, vi - ..'-.■.; :-"\".;,/■.X;. .','., v-; EOASEtNG':;jA.;MAbBI;:: .• :■/ >. v . A telegram from 15 Tapier, published 'on Tuesday, 15th June, j 1880, gives an account of: the trial of-a. Maori named 'Herika.for roasting Heriona,,another ' Maori; ;.iThe . message ,:state3.-— This trial provoked mutjh; amusement. , His Honour, in his eh arge to- :the grand . jury, treated the:'i »ffence very lightly, and expressed doiit j% whether the.Grown Prosecutor should present the indict- : ment. T?he jury, ■ however, brought in ■a' true bilL ".:■ Whei-» Dr. Hutchings. was under' e'xaminatioi f the prisoner, asked him how, if af it X , he■-; had prescribed for the patient 1 ie was locked up m . gaol,; couldi he coatinue to treat him? •'The doctor : said ■;'he supposed :he.rnnst a <fbrothi'er .professional" care-: i fuliy^and : dcclii ied, to "say. v:Hereka's ■ \ defence was to t.Jio • effect that he was -treating the man7/to' drive but a devil and cure him with blindness, and he Mr. c;blenso's letter -to the "Herald" as pr< lying that he had1 following the prefer - Maori1 surgical practice. He s(«ld that all his worldly possessions had (been" confiscated by , the-Natives.- E-ften his wife had.been. given to anotheTr. man.', His concluding salutation was, j" May you live long, fribnds of my s iieestors. I have done no crime.'Vlf a man is sick they send; for a'doctor. '.The -Courts of New Zealand act as,'Tareha (a weU-known chief) does, thfey are Hauhau Courts. • l-have done.":/': The jury returned. a of guilty. His Honour said thathe did not. think the prisoner had ■acted 'with wrung intention, and inflicted a sentence of -one. month s imprisonment ■■• w Ith ; hard labour. The ;: Maoris in theh ; evidence showed; strong ■"''. feeling ' again et the prisoner,: and taunted him.w-Jth'cowardice in roasting any old, blind,; infirm, and weak man,. ,-'■ when there we ire plenty of strpnjg ones to operate on, . . ■■ '. THEJPjIJBIiIC); SEEViqii. Sweeping 'recommendations:; .were made in.the report of the Eoyal Commission appointed to investigate the Public Servic ip. The report, which was presented to on . Friday, 18th June, IUBO, stated, inter alia:—- ---■ The great principle to be observed in reforming th D Public Service is : the : same as thai; on which mercantile establishments • are conducted. : Men : should be so»;ight for the work,required, and not plac ies sought for men, trained to expect t" kern. It has been .tacitly understood 'I this would .necessarily -come,in regular, course of time, irrespective. of .merit or efficiency. This , should: cease j utterly, and,=promotion be .by merit .; alone". Dep;|rtments and: ■ heads .of-D 'ppartments have multiplied until the heads have grown out' of all proportions j to their bodies, and •'■ the cost of the) service has been made.excesßive .by ,' paying high, salaries to officers Wh.p contribute nothing to ;the ' ofSciency -of the service. . .No' mere auto matie reductions in salaries i areireconu bended, but: a total reorganisation. . .'.Economy "isvimpora- . tive, the r#urden on so small a population '•■ being exa, essive. Civil servants' salaries rose :'in prosperous.times,, and must ,v:iaU in a itime.of depression, .- j '.-