HAWKE'S BAY.

Otago Witness, Issue 986, 22 October 1870, Page 17

HAWKE'S BAY.

TO THK BDITOB.

Sir — I came to this province some little time Bince for the benefit of the climate, with the intention, if sufficient inducement offered, of permanently settling. I have of course, travelled about & good deal, and purpose in this letter giving your readers the benefit of some of my observations.

The opinion almost universally held here is, that the present peace is only temporary. 1 am inclined to that opinion myself. Te Kooti is still at large. The last we heard of Ida whereabouts is that'he was at Waikaremoana, where he is still supposed to be. From this position there is nothing to prevent his making a raid on any of our coast settlements. He can do so at his own convenience, commit a few murders, and retire again to his Btronghold before anything can be done to cut him off. ' It is not very long, as you know, since he visited a friendly native settlement at Tologa Bay, murdered a few natives, and as usual got away unscathed. At this time even the settlers at Te Wairoa (a place about 50 miles to the north of Napier), retire every night to their redoubts. This is a speaking fact. It is only natural to suppose that they are the best judges of their own safety. It appears to mo that there never can be permanent peace, so long as the Maori King reigns in an almost inaccessible country, ready to give protection to any murdering scoundrel who may happen to require it. Speaking of Waikaremoana, it will be remembered that nearly the first act of the present Ministry was to withdraw the forces under Colonel Herrick, just as they had prepared to cross the Lake and drive the enemy from their position on the other Bide. Months of labour were expended in making roads, building boats, &o. at a cost of some L 15,000 to the country, And the money was consequently thrown away. The natives have always looked upon this place as all but impregnable, and the aotion of the Government was certainly calculated to confirm them in that opinion. This proceeding appears to me to have been one of the most foolish of the naany foolish things done by Governments and their agents since the commencement of the series of wars with whioh this country has been cursed. I am at a losb to find a reason for it, unless it be that one Government must act differently from its predecessors. I have mentioned this faot because the safety of all the northern settlements of this province depends upon the occupation of this

position, or the non-existence of a Te Kooti. No doubt, those who have the direotion of affairs are perfectly aware that more disturb, ances are imminent, but they are placed in such a position from want of men and money that they are glad to have a temporary peace at any price. Bat it is clear that the settlement of this island it put back for just so long a period as that peace may happen to last.

Strong feelings are expressed by some here with regard to the wish of the Middle Island Bottlers to have separation from the North. To me it appears only natural ; they have been told so often by those in power that '• the present grant would in all probability be the last asked for war purposes," that they naturally begin to believe that the last will never come. More attention has been paid to the native difficulty, as a political agent, than has been either good or wholesome ; »Dd again, the men who offered to take the direction of aftairs, and to do the work cheapest, have always met with most favour from the Southern members,

Mr Vogel's scheme of making roads through the island is perhaps the most effectual way of getting rid of this bugbear ; but I am afraid the European war will prevent the money being forthcoming. I have no great faith in the railway scheme. The sum proposed to be borrowed would go a very little way towards carrying it out ; and to borrow a sufficient sum, even allowing the possibility, would, to say the least, not be judicious.

As to immigration, so far as this province is concerned, there is plenty of labour. I don't mean to say that there is as muoh as is necessary to develope the resources of the country, but there is as much as there is money to pay for. Immigration, unless capital and labour are both included in the term, would rather add to than lessen our difficulties. Most of the settlers have taken up more land than they have been able to pay for, borrowing the balance at a ruinous rate of interest j this, with the depreciation in the value of stock, has brought the majority of them to the lowest finanoial ebb. This^ mistake, however, has been pretty well illustrated in your own province.

There is one thing whioh has struck me as remarkable : I allude to the fact that twothirdß of the flour and grain ÜBed here is imported from Otago. I can only look upon this aB a disgrace to the settlers of this province. They have as fine grain-producing land as any in New Zealand, yet ihey allow money to go out of the province to pay for that of which they ought to be large exporters. This is truly a splendid climate, but I am afraid the Anglo-Saxon loses his energy here ; there is more of that characteristic virtue in one man down South than can be found here in half a dozen. I have only seen three or four stations in the province, the condition of which would entitle the proprietors to have the term energetic applied to them. One little settlement cafled Waipukurau, is an example worthy of imitation by all, showing as it does, what great things may be accomplished by the enterprise and energy of one man. There are several flax mills at work ; Meßsrs Wilson produce the best Bample ; they have taken out a patent for an improved machine. I have seen some of the flax turned out by this process ; it is certainly freer from' gum, and a better colour than any sample I have yet seen j it appears, however, to be a little framed. There can be little doubt that this industry is only in its infancy, improvements in machinery will eventually produce an article capable of being applied to many other uses than at present.

A sitting of the Native Lands Court has been held here lately. A good deal of land has been passed through ; the most important business, however, has been the passing through of the 70 mils bush. The Government have been trying to get this land dealt with for years, but unsuccessfully. The purchase has now been effected for them by Mr Locke, to whom great credit is due _ for the patient and able manner in which he has conducted the treaty. This bush is situated, some portion in this province, and some between its boundary and Wairarapa in the Wellington Province. It contains splendid timber, which, however, will be practically useless for some time to come ; or at any rate, till agood road is made to some Port. The Natives are getting rid of their land very fast. The day is not far distant, when there will not be an acre of land owned by them, excepting suoh blocks as have been made inalienable by the Court ; there is, however, a sufficient quantity of this to enable them to live comfortably, if they will only work, which is very doubtful. The Bystem has come into practice within the last year or so, of giving open mortgages to the storekeepers, that is to say for the sum then owing, and for any debt that may be contracted thereafter ; this oan but be looked upon as a pernicious system ; it is well known to the storekeepers that so long as a native can procure European luxuries, for which he has acquired tho taste and now feels to be a neoessity, he will, never look forward to the ultimate consequences of his indulgence ; a great deal of their, land has passed away from them in this manner. If a Native desires anything he will sign almost any .document put before him, if so doing will have the effeot of gratifying that desire. This, however, is of little consequence, as the Natives are sure to denude themselves of all the land the Act has left them the power to deal with, the proceeds of which they will drink or squander away with little or no benefit to themselves or anybody else but the publican or storekeeper with whom they deal. They nearly all drive buggies in imitation of the Pakeha— there

are not, However, many here who have the mesna of setting them the example. Some are of opinion that when the Natives have Bold all th"ir land they will become troublesome. This is very probable, but they will be easily put down. Their contact with Europeans has very much deteriorated them. They are muob more inclined now to spend their time in the bars of public _ houses than in the tented field. There is an Act in existence which prohibits the sale of spirits to the Natives ; this, however, is paid no attention to either by the publicans or authorities. | On the whole, I am well pleased with this province ; its resources are not very great, and their development has been greatly retarded by its always having been more or less the seat of ' war. Once quieten the natives, and it will go ahead. The northern portion, owing to the constant disturbances during the last few years, and its exposed petition, is very thinly populated, and what population there is, has heen so long dependent upon the Government employment, or what is much the same thing, Government expenditure, that they are wanting in that self-reliance and energy whioh are so necessary in the pioneers of & country. There are large tracts of country unoccupied, and, as a natural sequence, unproductive. A good deal of the land is in the hands of the Europeans, who have I bought it as a speculation ; but their investments are for the moat part unproductive of anything at present, and are not likely to be productive at all until entire confidence is established.— l am, &c, Robert Stuart.