FIFTY YEARS AGO.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIX, Issue 21114, 23 February 1932, Page 6

FIFTY YEARS AGO.

EXTRACTS FROM THE HERALD. AMERICAN DUTY ON WOOL. < The following are extracts from the New Zealand Herald of February 23, 1882: It is announced that Sir Henry Parkes, Premier of New South Wales, who is now in Washington, is convinced that an alteration in the United States tariff, to admit Australian and New Zealand wools at a low or nominal duty, is at present impossible. He is hopeful that the American Government will, however, grant a subsidy to the Pacific mail service. A conference took place a£ Kihikiln last evening between the Native Minister, Mr. Bryce, and Rewi Maniapoto. It is necessary that a mode of living should ,be found between th e Maoris under King Tawhiao and the Europeans in the North Island. Mr. Bryce has been frank and straightforward, while Rewi has dealt with the facts of the situation. Both men are agreed that this country is too small for the existence of more than one sovereign power, and Mr. Bryce has given Rewi good advice on how to deal with his land.

The Government has frequently been asked to take care that the hot springs and geysers of the Rotorua district should not fall into the hands of private speculators. Different administrations have acted on this desire. The Government has proclaimed areas, of 700,000 acres in all, at Rotorua, and in the counties of Tauranga and East Taupo. That the Government should acquire land sufficient for a national park, possessing the most remarkable springs, has been universally agreed to, but it cannot deal with 700,000 y acres. The Government ought to have obtained land at Rotorua, the springs at Tikitere and Whakarewarewa, while at Tarawera a large area might have been acquired, including Tarawera Mountain, the White and Pink Terraces, and Rotomahana. But there the Government should have stopped and not tied up an immense district.