Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, "WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1889. LAND AND IMMIGRATION.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVI, Issue 5630, 27 November 1889, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING GISBORNE, "WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1889. LAND AND IMMIGRATION.

Mi; Rees would at the present time find great scope for his talents in Australia. On tho other side there is an enormous land question to determine — nothing less than a million square miles, or between nine and ten times the total area of New Zealand. When at Home Messrs Rees and Wi Pere informed English audiences that there were several millions of acres of Native lands in the North Island which could be rendered available for settlement. Wi Pore, as a Maori of some importance, vouched for the readiness of his fellowcountrymen to sell. The Government and settlers of New Zealand, it should be needless to say, had grave misgivings in the matter. There was the word of Messrs Rues and Wi Pevo against the people on the spot, who believed that a bigger calamity could not have happened to the East Coast than the landing of a few thousands, or even hundreds, of immigrants who were to take their chances of being located on Native lauds. However, as nothing came of the mission there is no occasion just now to pursue the subject any further. Mr Rees did not succeed in fearfully depressing the labor market in the Bay or imposing heavy burdens in the shape of charitable aid. There are no native claims to land in West Australia. All is plain sailing there in regard to the tenure. The question is whether the Imperial or Colonial Government shall have control of the lands in that colony. A strong section of the House of Connnons,supported by the leading organs of public opinion, claim that the enormous territory of West Australia is the heritage of the whole British race, aud not of the handful of people now in the colony. There is a good deal of force in the contention, but there is not a leading man in the whole of Australasia who .supports tho Home claim to the territory. The reason of the opposition is that the " iierce Australian democracy" are determined to prevent any part of the island continent being made the dumping ground for the stiirvod-out population of the Old Country. That may be a selfish policy, but it is justifiable on the grounds of self-pre-servation. Mr Rees said on Friday night that to carry out a large immigration scheme, it only required some one in authority to approach the English Government. Well, the Home Government of late years did not wait to be approached, but made advances to the Colonial Government on the subject. These advances; were received with the gravest suspicion. The Australian authorities are resolved to have nothing to do with State-aided imniigratio.i .schemes. Lord Derby, in a speech the other day. expressed an opinion that if the Mother Country persisted in flying in the face of Australian sentiment, the upshot would be separation. Mr Rees would find a big field in Australia for the promulgation of his views, and he should take himself oft' and endeavor to convince the authorities and leaders of public opinion in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane that they are pursuing an insane aud backward policy in not encouraging a stream of immigration from the Old World. The people of Australia have more regard to the character than the n umber of immigrants. The colonies are comparatively thinly populated, and there is no doubt that they are the most prosperous communities in the world. Matters should be allowed to take their natural course. The development of the waste lands of these colonies is a most important matter, but it is a mischievous error to suppose that the persons who would make the best settlers would have anything to do with State-aided immigration schemes ; and the colonies want none but the best. The maintenance of the sturdy and independent character of our present population should be one of the principal aims of the Government. The majority of men in all countries must live by toil, and the higher the degree of comfort amongst the working classes, tho more advanced the nation. If Mr Rees' schemes were carried into effect there would be such severe competition in the labor market that the majority of our people would be forced to struggle for a bare existence.

Mr Arthur addresses the electors at Macfarlane's Hall this evening, when no doubt there will be a large attendance. The Mayor will preside. We are requested to state that the gallery will be open to ladies.

Messrs Graham, Pitt, and Bennett sold this morning 211 acies of land at Ormond, which was bought by the mortgagee at £100.

The Secretary to the Hospital Trustees desires to acknowledge the receipt of £2 15s from Mr YV. V. Steplienson, being proceeds of v. <luuog held at Matawhero on behalf of the hospital funds.

The selection of a crew to represent Napier against Gisborne in the annual rowing match has evidently not given satisfaction to rowing men, as the writer of rowing notes in the Herald says he hears that two crews intend challenging the selected crew.

Thr steam launch Noko had a rather trying time of it last night whilst towing out the schooner Gisborne. After clearing the cml of the pier two of the steamer's tubes burst. However, beyond extinguishing the fires and emitting a volume of steam and ashes, no damage was done.

Mr Edward Burch writes as follows from the Hospital : — " Sir, — Some misapprehension appears to exist as to the cause of my recent accident :it the breakwater, and blame has bf-en attributed to the fellowirorkman with whom I was sky-larking. 1 should like, through your columns, to again state that lie is quite blameless in the matter, and that 1 was very much surprised to hear that the police were likely to take

At a meeting of the County Council to-day Mr .I'ohn Clark was re-elected Cliainnan.

The Poututu ease was before tho Native Land Court again to-day uiid was adjourned until Friday when Judge Barton will give lii.s decision.

A Napier paper says : — The South Pacific Company have not yet struck oil, but they have approximated to it — they have struck .1 call.

The gross proceeds of the six performances of "lolanthc" by the Napier Amateur Operatic Society amounted to L'Jlu 2s. The expenses totalled L'2o3.

Our readers are reminded that on Friday next the payment of the Property Tax is due. Ten per cent, will bo added to all sums not paid on that date.

Thus the Observer : — Napier is trying to beat Auckland in the matter of hospital scandals. It is neck-and-neck — a strangled Chinaman against a vivisected white woman —slight advantage to Auckland.

The Star of England arrived at Napiei yesterday. She will load about 20,000 carcasses of mutton from Messrs Nelson Bros. ' works at Tonioana, and then come on here and pick up the carcases on board the Prince of Wales.

The date of Mr Arthur addressing the electors at Patutahi has been altered tv Tuesday, 3rd Dec. The lining of the date for the '2nd was an oversight, there being no intention on his part of clashing with h >liday makers, besides Mr Arthur desire* to give country people, every opportunity of hearing his vie\\-3 on political questions.

The closing meeting for the year of the Mutual Improvement .Society was held last ight, and to the form the Society has found most popular for these breaking.s-up. The m eting was held in the Good Templars' Hall, and the members and their friends assembled and indulged in various indoor amusements and pastime until 10 o'clock.

Members of the Gisborne Rowing Club who intend taking part in the next trial fours arc reminded that entries close next Saturday evening. Mr A. C. Arthur has given four cups to be competed for in this match. The Committee have also received anothei cup from a gentleman, to be called tinPresident's Cup. The winner of the single sculls will become the owner of this cup, for which entries are now open.

In reply to the cablegram sent to the directors of tho South Pacific Petroleum Company in Sydney, a message was received to-iluv directing the local board to take what stops they thought advisable. Mr Weaver is now having made the necessary tools foi torpedoing tho well with dynamite, and expects to be at the works again on Monday. The hopes of oil or no oil in that well should thus be set at rest in the early part of the week.

The programme of the annual Hospital concert, published elsewhere, promises a rare musical treat and cannot fail to draw a full house for so deserving a cause. Tinmusic selected is of a high order, and, placed in such able hands as the ladies and goutlomen who have consented to sing, cannot fail to please the most fastidious. We are very pleased to welcome two new fresh lady singers amongst us.

A correspondent wiites on the question of the importation of Dunedin beer, by whioh he states £3000 per annum is lost to locil industry. No doubt it would be highly advisable to keep the money in the pl.tco, but the conduct of a tradesman carrying on his business, so long as no fraud is practised on the public, is a subject not open for criticism in the press.

The Napier Telegraph thus commences a leader on Mr Rees' candidature for the EastCoast .-—"The address of Mr \V. L. Rees is a production eminently characteristic of that gentleman. He has forgotten nothing of the old programme of po itical putter that used to evoke the plaudits of the crowd ten years ago ; and though the world lias beon moving on Mr P.ees has been standing still. The old adage, ' once bitten twice shy, r apparently, did not occur to Mr Roes when penning his address to the electors, otherwise he would surely have changed his tune in accord with public opinion of ISS9. Tinfair words which, after a dozen years' experience, have !>een found to lutve buttered no parsnips, count for nothing nowadays. Humbug has lost its power. Was it not Mr Rers, when he was going to make everybody's fortune who took shares in the East Coast Native Land and Settl ment Company, who uspd to talk of a railway from Gisborne toOpotiki? And did not that railway fall through because it would have to lie taken under ground ? We see by his address that lie has abandoned the railway, and is going in for roads,"