ALEXANDRA.

New Zealand Herald, Volume VII, Issue 1901, 18 February 1870, Page 5

ALEXANDRA.

(FBOJI OUR OWN COEEEBPONDEST.) February 15. ;I am happy to inform you that To Koofci ■has left the Waikato district, having again evaded his pursuers. Strange that fourteen hundred .men. couUJ not surround and give a good account of him; but bo it is, and so it will be to the end of the chapter. Until the Government take another system than they are at present adopting they had belter give up chasing Te Kooti and save the colony a larj»e expenditure, to say nothing of the valuable lives we are continually losing, by falling into ambuecados, &c. Let the Govern • • ment adopt the plan consistently advocated, by by the Hebaid for years past; let them form a chain of redoubts from the East to the West-Coast, and make a good trunk roacl between those given points; keep a body of Constabulary on the frontier line to garrison those posts, and assist at roadmaking; keep a mounted patrol moving between the different stations, and there would never be any more fear for the Waibato. At the same time, let the Government issue a proclamation to the effect that they intended entirely to act on the defensive, and that anynatives who liked to live peaceably'and on friendly terms within our lines could do'so, but that we intended to have no nonsense with them; no kupapas—half king, I half frisndly —and that all, .suspicious characters would be arrested and tried by our laws, and acquitted or otherwise according to the- crime and evidence brought against the prisoner, and if isolation pleased the Kingites, let them have it to. their heart's content. Stop them from getting, any European supplies at all —particularly', powder and firearms. Make it a hanging.'matter for any Europeen caught trading', in . those articles with them, and I venture fq ; say th'at within i twelve months a wonderful, change for the better would be worked amongst thoHauhajis. The young men would .firiditnot a paying game to loso the benefit to be derived from dealing with the Europeans . for goods, &c, and if those young men were to,tell the .old chisfs that they were determined, not to be debarred from trading with the Europeans, i the old men would soon find out .that; they would have to give in to the rising, generation. Gradually these old chiefs are dying off, and none to replace them, i.e., in their i ideas. The young men, as a body, have been i disgusted with this Hauhauism for a long time, knowing that it was only gammon, but out of respect to their aged parents they quietly submitted. Should the contemplated railway to the Waikato be carried out, it will be invaluable to the Government, as they will be able then to aead men up, in case of need, in a few hours, where now it takes three days. Tlie little steamer Waipa made a great effort to reach here yesterday, and actually accomplished it under the able guidance of Messrs. Campbell and Goser. I hear that we are going to have two or three new settlers here, and that a farm in its natural state has just- changed hands at a very good figure, any land about here commands a good price. The land in this district, as a whole, is not !o be equalled by any other part of Waikato, and if we had another class of steamer, she could travel when the water of the Waipa was at its lowest. If the Government were to assist the Road Boards here in building a new bridge or two, it would add largely to the comfort of both residents and travellers. Wo have a Sunday school here which is largely attended, nnd well conducted by men who have had large experience, I believe, in that work. There is also a day school, conducted by a lady, which is also well attended. It; if a great pity we cannot have a real good school and n well paid teacher, I think it is only want of unanimity amongst the settlers.

It appears the majority of the settlere do uot think a public pound necessary as yet, so I think tlio promoters -will find it has died a natural death.

Waikato militia, doing duty at this post, were relieved last Friday by eighteen of the Armed Constabulary, under Captain Kenny.

We are haying tplendid harvest weather and the settlers are busy securing the undes' troyed portion of their crops.