THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 1882.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XIX, Issue 6362, 8 April 1882, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald. AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. SATURDAY, APRIL 8, 1882.

It can hardly bo wondered at that we should look forward with some anxiety, as well as exultation, to the change ■which seems at hand in the. position of this part of the colony. To all appearance the country which has remained shut so long against Europeans is about to be opened. It is true that the statements of Tawhiao and itewi to our reporter point to an anxiety on their part to maintain the I present Kingite territory as a reserve ) for the Maoris, but amongst the people ! generally there is a conviction that the j country will be opened ; they are pre- ! paring each to secure his land in the j scramble ; and the influences that are ! at work cannot much longer be re- ' sisted, if indeed then; are any large ' number who wish to resist. What the opening of the country means is ap- ! parent at a glance. Several millions of j acres, a large proportion of which ' is of first-class country, is about j to be joined Lo the province—to be joined to the district whose port j of import and export, and whose j market, must b<! Auckland. Most of ! the people for the settlement of that j country, and the materials for bringing it into cultivation, must come through here. liesides, it would seem now certain that the Tuhua mountains arc auriferous. Although the natives have been careful to prevent anything like prospecting, .specimens have undoubtedly been procured from that locality, and as soon as possible, there will be a rush to it. To the ordinary progress of settlement will be added the feverish excitement of searching after gold, and the thousands whom that excitement stirs. In ordinary circumstances, the prospect of a large addition to tin; area of settlement might not greatly disturb our equanimity, for agricultural settlement is a comparatively slow process, and the "heroic work" of colonisation would be extended over several years. But in this case the .settlement of the country will more resemble the. sudden rush to a new goldfield than anything else. Population and capital' both usually slow of movement towards a colony, are. ready, in the present case, to How in like a flood, having been • dammed up for so many years. Koads, i and even railways, are at the borders ■ of the new land, and what would other- ■ wise have occupied ten years will be ; accomplished in two. There is every <■ reason to think that if the country is opened, a railway through its most

fertile; portion will bo commoiiccd at once. Considering all these circumstances, therefore, it is no wonder that the. npproachiiu,' events in connection with the King country must occupy all minds.

ILow the opening is to be brough about we scarcely yot know. Ho fa. as can bo seen there are only tw< methods —by some agreement betweej t-lits natives and tin; Government, (> by the natives breaking up the Kingiti organisation, and applying to tin; Nα tivi! Land Court to have their title.-; de termined, and so acquiring the, powe to Hell according to our laws. J udg ing by recent circumstances, it seem: more, probable that the latter i.S tin course which will result. If SO, w< think that some, additional legislatioi will b<i necessary, so that the evil: which have been before our eyes fo; years shall beaverted. The usual cour.si of purchases under the Native Lands Ac may be very briefly described. Severa knots of speculators enter the lieh for a promising block of land. Tlhm lake the advice of certain experts a: to who are likely to prove, to b< the owners. Each expert advise, them to deal with the natives wlion he knows best, and from whose obtain ing the money he himself will recuivi the most advantage. Political econo mists tell us that competition raise: the price of any article. Perhaps i does so even in this case; at al events, competition does not increas* the price which the owners obtain, bu rather the reverse. A great dea more money is wasted. Each " mob ! or " ring" of speculators (these are tin words used) engages several interprc ters, pakeha-Maoris, and hangers-on o all kinds. If any loafer about " tin fringes of civilisation" is not engagec in the transaction by some party, In at once repairs to one of the specula tors, tells him that he has irimicnw iniluenco with Te Somebody, who is ; large owner, and that unle.ss ho is feed and kept in pay, he will poisot the mind of his friend, and get him t< refuse his signature, or to sign over t< some of the other competing parties Several of such Europeans are detailed to look after certain natives, to kee] them from falling into the bauds of tin opposite parties, to get thoir signatures and so on. The way in which work to effect this is by keeping th< natives pretty constantly suppliec with drink. For the last ten years every native who has land, and i known to be willing to sell it, i, chased by severa! Europeans, and : rum bottle constantly held at hi mouth. All this waste comes out o the land, and the general result is that after the natives have attendee the Court at which the cases an settled, they are without land anc without money, or have just cnougl left for a concluding " spree," whicl of course is celebrated with the usua result. This is a true picture, and ; very sad one. It is a great pity tha Home one; acquainted with the whole o the Patetere negotiations would no write a history of the whole transactions, showing what was paid to tin natives, and how it was paid, wha imounts were expended in feeing in terprcters, and pakeha Maoris, aim agents, and lawyers. Xot that Pate ten: in these particulars would be. founc worse than other transactions of the same kind, probably it is much betti-r. But we would b<- content to ;ake it ;\f \ specimen. The money which tin natives, tlu: owners of the land, obtained, would b< , shown to be le.ss than what was absorbed by others, and n Eurther sensation would be created it it were shown how much of the prior, which was paid to tin , natives really mine to them in the shape of drink, iiow much of the cash they handled went for liquor. Considering what las taken place before their i-yes, we ]o not wonder at the King natiw.s jeing somewhat shy of the present method of passing lnnd into tin; iiands of Europeans. It is probable, indeed, that with a better sys:em w<; should before this have induced .he Kingites to come in, and that many )f them will make resistance till they ;<•(; something better than at present jfTers. We should, indeed, like to >ee tried the system that has several ,imes been proposed, of the title being iettled in the simplest possible manner, md of each block being subdivided and )ut up for sale by the Government, rhe natives getting the entire money •ealised, less the costs. Then care loulcl be taken that the money was not nisused as at present. At all events , , ,he King country will be opened, in ill likelihood within a short period, md it will lie with the representatives if Auckland constituencies to see that ,he colony fulfils its obligations in rcipect to public works, to aid in the lettlement.