The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published Every Tuesday, Thursday, AND Saturday Morning. Thursday, January 16, 1890.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 404, 16 January 1890, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published Every Tuesday, Thursday, AND Saturday Morning.

Thursday, January 16, 1890.

Be Just and tear not; Let all the ends thou aim'st at be thy country's, Thy God's, and truth’s.

THE NATIVE DEPARTMENT. The Wanganui Herald has a strong article on the above subject, and as the points are set forth so plainly we republish the article without thinking it necessary to comment upon the subject. The Native Department (says the Herald) has been practically abandoned, though salaries continue to be drawn. As Colone Trimble’s salary is hung up by the Audit Department, it is very doubtful if there wil’ be a Minister to defend his appointment next session. This appointment now occupies the'position of Mahomet’s coffin. The gentleman continues to take lessons at Turakina from Judge Ward, while the salary, if voted at ail, must come from unauthorised expenditure. The appointment was made in defiance of the Civil Service Reform Act, which requires the officer to be an expert, and as no one can aver that the Colonel is an expert in any sense, the Audit absolutely refuses to pay his salary. The Ministerial organ at Wellington explained that the appointment had been made under the Native Land Court Act. The Audit, holding the purse strings, takes no notice of this, and refers the question to Parliament. The attitude of the Auditor is the strongest condemnation of the Government. The appointee had no claim beyond political service, and, as the job is now placed beyond doubt, both Parliament and the Country will be called’upon to pronounce judgment. The Native Minister himself, beyond multiplying unnecessary appointments, takes hardly any interest in the administration of the department. The Under-Secretary, pulling the strings, tried to obtain a statutory appointment last session as administrator of the Native Land Court. Defeated in this, he literally abandoned the functions of the permanent head, and threw himself boldly into the work of land purchase agent, and became

the actual negotiator, with results of the most pernicious character. The Rotorua purchase scandal is an instance of his activity. The work of the department in Wellington has been left to run itself, and is at present in the hands of a few clerks who, without a head, have nothing to do, i and perforin the work successfully. The | administration of the Land Court is now ; entirely in the hands of the Chief Judge, J who is himself only in his novitiate, and ■ the other judges are tumbling over each t other, unable to perform any solid or t useful work. A sitting of the Court, for | instance, is fixed for Wanganui on the ' 15th instant, and the most important ; cases have been omitted in the Gizelte. I One half the Judges cou ! d do more work j. than the whole are doing now, while the t cost of the department will startle the ; colony when it becomes known. The f department seems to exist only to provide the salaries of a few men who are cutting out work for themselves of the Rotorua type. It was only discovered the other day that the Awarua block was subject to restrictions placed upon it by the new legislation, and that the Government are unable to purchase an acre of it. Other blocks are in the same position which ought to be acquired for settlement. Even were there no restrictions, the Awarua block would be excluded from operations, for out of 437 owners about one half are minors. The only thing to be done is to attempt the subdivision, but in consequence of the demoralisation of the Court that seems outside the region of the practical. No land is being brought into the Court, and no land is being purchased, though the money was freely voted last session for the purpose of acquiring a railway estate. We have said the Native Department has been virtually abandoned, but we desire to point out the fact that the salaries continue to be drawn, and that the activity of the officials in side operation is as mischievous as in the worst days of the secret expenditure. If the colony stands this, it will stand anything. Will it stand it ? No! the administration is so glaringly scandalous, corrupt, and incapable that the whole machine will be smashed to atoms at the next election.