DEBTS DUE TO FRIENDLY NATIVES.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 15, Issue 797, 20 June 1870, Page 3

DEBTS DUE TO FRIENDLY NATIVES.

("VVanganui Chronicle, 2nd June.] Late on Tuesday night a policeman was seen down amongst the natives at Putiki, looking for Kemp, Topia, and Mete Kingi. He (the policeman) was the bearer of a telegram for each of the aforementioned Maoris from Mr Fox, telling them that James Woon, Esq., at the Customs, was authorised to pay them £SOO on account of pay due to them. At this, both Topia and Kemp were indignant, and refuse I to accept less than Uie whole amount due—something like £15,000. They left by the s.s. Wanganisi yesterday morning to see Mr Fox about the matter. Topia is angry, and is not likely to be so easily talked over as Kemp, and notwithstanding all that has been said about the loyalty of this chief, the fact of the Government not being in a position to keep faith with him, may turn him again; for after all there is no doubt but tbao his friendship is dictated by mercenary considerations. This is really a very

curious state of affairs. M> Fox himself .engaged those men, and agreed to pay them a certain wage for doing certain wprk. It is quite true they have not done much good, but for all chat a bargain is a bargain, and they are legally entitled, to the wages for which they stipulated, It is quite evident that, there is a., screw loose somewhere in connection with the finance of the General Government, despite all Mr Fox's talk at Dunedia and Christchurch. He told the people there how veiy economical the Government had been in their Defence expenditure and what a lot of money they had saved, but it is a significant commentary upon this that the Government should be a defaulter in reference to the payment of those natives.