CATTLE ON THE PLAINS.

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume II, Issue 150, 21 September 1881, Page 4

CATTLE ON THE PLAINS.

TO THE EDITOR OP THE STAB.

Sib,— l notice the letter of "Tuwhukaruru," in your issue of the 14th in»t. With the first part of his communication I agree, but in respect to the latter end of his letter, I differ entirely. The 170 head of cattle driven on to the reserve were taken there by agreement with the natives, and " Tuwhakaruru" was a consenting party, in that he signed the deed for another Maori who was not able to write. " Tuwhakaruru" knows perfectly well that the natives of his tribe have an interest in the 170 head of cattle mentioned, and he is simply acting a double part in advocating the removal of all cattle but the 170, "so that he may be able to impound those." He knows perfectly well that after the date he mentions, the 20th of September, harm may possibly happen to the cattle remaining on the Plains, and he wishes to ingratiate himself in the goodwill of the settlers by saying that it is this 170 he wishes to remove. I myself impounded two head of cattle from the Plains, simply because I wished that Europeons should know that it is necessary to remove their cattle before worse than impounding comes of it. If any cattle have a right to graze on the continuous reserve, they are the 170 spoken of by •*« Tuwhakaruru." — I am, &c, E. S. THOMESO3T.

TO THE EDITOR OF THE STAR.

Sir, — I cannot tell you how surprised I was to read a letter, which appeared in your paper on the 14th met., touching on sheep and cattle which are at present running on the Waimate Plains reserve. The sheep, he says, were claimed by D'Alton and his wife, Takiora. These sheep, sir, are ours, and were placed on a portion of the reserve which was pointed out to us for that purpose by the principal natives interested. As to the poison being laid, we were at that time at Patea. I believed he poisoned them himself. I did not, nor did any one connected with me. " Katene" is well known : take, for instance, the position he took-during the war : ask any of the old settlers as to his character; he is well known by them. In regard to the cattle, I will not say more than I was the negotiator and he the chief instigator, he doing all in his power to forward the matter, and to urge on the natives who were .at first unwilling to agree, showing them, at the same time, the benefit they would derive by entering into such an agreement. If it comes to a matter of actual right, I assure you this man ("Tuwhakaruru"), according to native custom, has not sufficient ground to bury himself on the continuous reserve. Why, therefore, should the wishes of all the principal native land owners be set aside ? If this person ("Tuwhakaruru") wishes to meet me, and to discuss matters as to the accuracy of the above statements, I shall be only too happy to him. — I am, &c., T. E. D'Alton. \Th\9 correspondence must now •close. — Ed. Star.]