OUR EAST COAST LETTER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume VIII, Issue 1326, 20 May 1881, Page 2

OUR EAST COAST LETTER.

[From our Special Correspondent.]

Work is going on steadily at the Rotukautuku Oil Springs, and those employed there who are competent to form an opinion are sanguine as to the result, i.e., payable oil being obtained indue time, a consummation most devoutly to be wished by all well-wishers of tlus district.

Major Ropata takes great interest in the Oil Springs, having the good sense to foresee that if the oil is discovered in payable quantities it must benefit the .Native owners of the soil. The Major is also busy supervising the workmen employed in carving figures on his proposed new carved house, which will not be commenced until after all the carvings are finished ; these latter were commenced over two yeare ago, and will not be finished for the next two years. Major Ropata intends his proposed carved house to be one of the best of its kind in the Colony, and if one may judge by the carvings it will be. It is to be built at Wai-o-raatatini, and all the Natives of these parts are talking even now of the grand feasting there is to be at the opening of the new house ; the muster of Maories from all parts is to be larger than there has been for some years, and the feast is to eclipse every other there has been in the district, ever since the carvings were commenced.

The Natives of nearly all the different kaiangas within 30 miles of Wai-o-mata* tini have been in the habit of taking largejsupplies of food at irregular, but frequent intervals for the workmen engaged. Only last week the Natives of Tokomaru, which is 25 miles from Wai-o-matatini, took a large quantity of preserved pigeons, which they had been many weeks out in the bush shooting and preserving ; they also took several kits of dried fish at the same time, and ■ a quantity of pork, preserved fresh in /. its own fat. * //

There are no less than thirty-two •( cases set down for hewing at the Resi- j dent Magistrate's Court Tolago Bay, I but owing to the absence of our worthy 1 Magistrate, the Court was adjourned to | the 23rd inst. The Court at Awanui I has frequently beeu formally opened and \ adjourned for the same reason. The \ fact is, Captain Preece is overworked, \ he cannot possibly be here, there, and '\ everywhere at one and the same time. ' There can be no doubt whatever that theso frequent adjournments of our local Courts cause great public inconvenience and loss, inasmuch as litigants and witnesses in petty cases often have to leave their avocations and travel long distances which costs money, only to fin the Court adjournd. They have to travel back again, their loss of time and the unnecessary expense they are put to goes for nothing. In my humble opinion, this state of things (admittedly undesirable) could easily be remedied by the appointment of local Justices of the Peace. For instance there is I / believe only one gentleman who is a \ J.P. in Tolago .JE»y ; surely it would \ not be hard to find another among the \ settlers of that place who would be both able and willing to perform the duties. From Tolago Bay northwards for many miles there is a vast track of country inhabited by a large number of people, and in which orime frequently goes unpunished (such crimes as hone Btealing &c.,) there is notaßingle J.P. I do not think any other part of the Colony containing a similar number of inhabitants is thus situated. If two gentlemen resident in the Waiapu district were appointed Justices of the Peace, I fully believe it would be a benefit conferred on all the settlers of the East Coast, for surely they would be able to decide the local and very often exceedingly petty cases which creep up from time to time in an equitable and intelligent manner, and generally would give satisfaction to their fellow settlers, lam of opinion that all the settlers on the East Coast should sign a petition requesting the Government to appoint an additional J.P. at Tolago Bay, and two others. in the Waiapu district, and I have no doubt A. McDonald, Esq., M.H.R. for the East Coast, would support it ; also Captain Preece, as it would be a great help to him, as he is bo often pressed for time. No doubt abler pens than mine could give better reason in support of such a petition than those I have given above, and I hope they will.'