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New Zealand Herald, Volume XXVI, Issue 9323, 28 March 1889, Page 4

A meeting of natives was commenced at Orakei yesterday, and in another column we give a report of the proceedings. Such meetings might be useful both to the Maoris and ourselves if the natives would honestly set their minds to anything practical. If, to begin with, they would endeavour to devise means to improve their own social condition, they might be certain to obtain every possible assistance both from the Europeans and from the Government. The colonists are also quite willing and even anxious to obtain any suggestion from them for the improvement of the working of the Native Land Court. But after a long experience of native meetings, the conclusion is, that nothing of a useful character can be expected from them. The Maoris do not seem to know what they want themselves. There is no leading mind amongst them with any clear ideas. Every attempt to adopt suggestions made by natives for the better dealing with native lands has been a failure. We really do not know why this should be so, but it is the fact. The Maoris never seem able to realise the position of their race, They usually at such gatherings hark back upon old grievances, which are all past and done with, or they lose themselves in vague generalities. Yesterday the burden of each speech was, that they would uphold the Treaty or Waitangi ; their speeches on that subject, and the resolution they came to, being quite superfluous. The only thing at the present meeting at which we expect the Maoris will be distinct, specific, and practical will be in resistance to the dog tax. They cannot see that they should be interfered with if they choose to maintain at each settlement a pack of hungry curs, which destroy numbers of the sheep of the European settlers in the neighbourhood. However, only the first day of this Orakei meeting has passed, and perhaps something better may emerge in the subsequent discussion. The Native Minister will attend on one day before it is concluded. Sydney Taiwhanga is still to come with his category of grievances for redress. Only a small proportion of the natives, we should think, take an interest in what is talked about at such meetings. The Maoris have always been in the habit of having gatherings. That was part of their social life in the old days, Living in small and secluded settlements during the greater part of the year, meetings were necessary for the young people, and to give variety to life. They found opportunity for such assemblages at peace-makings after a war, at gatherings of kindred tribes to hold tangis on the death of a chief, at digging up the bones of buried relatives, and so on. They cannot now do without their meetings, and" so they assemble at intervals to discuss the Treaty of Waitangi and their grievances. But what real causes of complaint they have they J never deal practically with, and they devote a large amount of talk to grievances which are purely imaginary. j

Whatever may be the future of New Zealand there seems no doubt that within the last year or two she has been successfully carving out no mean poS toon for herself as a dairy producer T<could hardly be otherwise. The genial climate experienced in all portions of the colony, especially in the norr' 3 ,. m part, and with abundance of moistura at all seasons, ensures an abundant? supply of the richest pasture for the dairy cows. This yields rich milk and is no doubt the foundation of the 'fame winch has been coming to her of late • but the methods of manufacture have doubtless much to do with the su perionty of the article that can be turned out. At the Melbourne Exhibition, when competing against the whole of Australasia, two of Auckland's butter-makers carried off the first and second prizes, and now We are informed by the report sent by il r Meadows to the Minister of Lands that Auckland produced butter capable of ranking at the top of all the markets in the world. Such praise, coming from such an authority as Mr. Meadowshould stimulate all our settlers em'a"ed in the dairy business to extern! the creamery system to all parts of the province, so that a uniformly high class of manufacture can be successfully carried out. Mr. Meadows also informs the Minister of Lands that the be t butter made in Auckland is prepared upon strictly scientific principle* and that here only in the colon? 'a™ to be found the full appliances can able of successfully dealing with tna manufacture of this article of' focwi under all conditions. With the ex« cise of ceaseless care in the prena" ration of butter and cheese, and the un" stinted praise which Mr. -Meadows and others have bestowed upon some of tho Auckland butter, there should he no difficulty ln-commandinor a hicrh price in the London market when once the brands of successful manufacturers oome to be known. There is ample encouragement, therefore, for our settlers to increase _ and improve their pasture lands, to improve their breed of milch cows, for as the supply of milk becomes available it may be expected that the creamery and factory svstetn of butter-making will be extended to all parts of the province to the great profit of settler and merchant alike.