Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XVIII, Issue 6145, 18 August 1891, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING.

GISBORNE, TUESDAY, AUGUST 18, IS9I. NATIVE LAND PROPOSALS. In voting power the Ballance Government {.s the strongest we have had sinco Sir Julius Vogel carried the country with him in his Publio Works policy. If Ministers made up their minds to proceed with the Native Land Bill, there is no doubt that it would be placed on the statute book. But strong Governments are jusfc as apt to tako things easy as weak ones. Tho Native land proposals do nofc involve a party issue, and consequently there is no strong pressure behind to force Ministers to action. The question has so long waited for solution, that much harm cannot result from keeping ib over a whilo longer. Thab is the comfortable view j which occupants of lho Treasury Benches are apt to take. This remark does not apply lo the pvosonfc Government moro than to any of its predecessors. Parliament has been tinkering afc Native legislation for many yoars past, till affairs have gob into a greater muddle. Several of Mr Cadman's predecessors during a recess had shown that they had a fair grip of the subject ; but they showed a vory feeble grip when they submitted their proposals to Parliament. Mr Cadman talked very little aboufc what he was going to do for the settlement of this great public question ; bufc when tho proper time arrived he proved that he had mastered the subject. Tho Government has got a good grip of the Nativo question, and ifc will be an unfortunate thing for the country if that grip is relaxed until tho Ministerial Bill becomes law. Wo suppose that Ministers are determined j to pass a workable measure sooner or later. Experienco should teach them that their end will not bo served by delay. Tho subject has been well threshed oufc in all its aspects. The Government will nofc be a bit wiser twelve months hence than now, bub probably more disheartened if tho present session be allowed to pass without anything being done. The new broom in this caso is more likely to sweep clean than when it becomes older. There is clanger of the spirit of taihoa afflicting the Government aa well as tho Natives. The colony cannot now afford a waiting polioy on tho Nativo land question. Mr Ballance has frequently pointed oub tbat of the Crown estato there are only aboub bwo million acres left fit for profitable occupation in moderate-sized holdings. There are eleven million acros or thereabouts still in Native hands, at least one-half of which is good country, tf settlement is to advance in this island those lands must bo dealt with. Tho Native Bill if passed into law will have the eftect of rendering that vast territory available for occupation. Tho proposals are of an enlightened and just character. There is no attempt directly or indirectly to despoil tho Maori of his heritago. Provision is made for the protection of th© rights of every individual of fche race who owns a foot of soil. Every precaution is to be taken thab tho Maoris shall nofc becomo a landless people. In pasb times the mass of the British people were treated in quite a different way. The Natives have suffered in some respects by contact with a superior raoe ; bub in regard bo bheir property they are reaping the full benefit of bhe benevolent and enlightened ideas of modern times. Of courso, tho Maoris must allow their waste lands to be profitably occupied. European owners would nob be permitted to blook setfclemen fc over millions of acres of land in this island capable of yielding great wealth. The ordinary taxation of fche colony would in most cases foreo on the utilization of the soil, and if fchat failed some drastic method would be applied. If Maoris are exceptionally treated, ifc is on fche side of lonienoy. However, ife is but natural that the anoienfc owners of the soil should be dissatisfied. No people would like to see themselves supplanted in the occupation of the soil by strangers. Bufc the Maoris must yield to the inevitable. The only thing thoy can hope for is that the change

wilt ba kotighfe aboub ja a just and equicable way— thafc the law shall only permit fair dealings between man and man irrespective of the color of one of the parties to the transaction. The Native Land Bill not only aims ab this, bub ample provision is made fco protecfc from injury tho weaker raoe. The measure has been framod on enlightened and equitable linos, and as niucheoneeasionhas been made to the interests and sentiments of the Maoris as could bo possible in auy operative sohemo for fche settlement of their lands. I

Mr Henry Lewis announces that this is tho lasfc week of his great clearing salo, a^ lie must shortly open up his conaignmaufc of spring goods, Messrs Kennedy and Evans and Co., of Gladstone Road, have been appoiuted local agents for fche South British Insuranc a Company. The action T. J. Steele v. Ramloso has betn before the Supreme Court a" day today, and was not concluded up to 4 o'olock this afternoon. In future the office of fche Building Society for the convenience of shareholders will open on Monday evenings at 6.30 instead of 7 o'clock for receiving subscriptions, Mr M. Hall will oiler afc fche Kaiteratahi bridge to-morrow at nc >n a lot of timber left over from the construction of the bridge, also several head of cattle. Altogether, 532,000 eggs have been collected by the curator of ihe Masterton fish ponds fchis year. Of this number, 327,000 were brown trout, 140,030 Loch Levan, and 125,000 American brook trout. According to a Nelson paper, salmon have been seen in tho river in the Rai Valley, Pelorus, by an experienced angler. The salmon were placed in thc river twelve years ago, bufc ifc was generally thought they had died oufc. Ifc may be as well to remind Harbor Board ] ratepayers who have not yet paH their rates for the current year thafc summonses will be issued for all outstanding amounts after Thursday nexfc. The Board must have the money to pay the half-year's interest, which must be forwarded Home noxb month. Our Parliamentary Reporter wires to-day j — As Mr Hamerton refuses to resign unless he receives a pension afc thc rate of L4OO a year, the Premier will to-day introduce a message from the Gov^.ior removing him from oflice as head of the Trust Department and providing a pension of Ll5O a year as recommonded by the Pnblio Accounts Committee. The s.s. Manapouri having been detained on the pa ..lage from Australia, will not arrive in Welliugton till Tuesiay next, and proceeds thence to Auckland direct. Her run from here will be taken by the s.s. Dingadee, leaving on Saturday morning at 8 o'clock. We are requested to draw the attention of intending passengers fchafc there will therofore be ouly one boat to Auckland this week. A number of new shares were taken up lasfc evening at the Build' ig C jciety meeting. All fixed deposits maturing were passed for payment, and a large amount of buainess transacted. The Society is now again iu full swing, and a prosperous year may be anticij pafced. Several enquiries are made to purI chase permauent shares, but the Directors have decided to discountenance anything; like speculation in this respect. Judging by the published programme the concert to bo held in thc Church of Eaglaud schoolroom should be eminently successful. The items are attractive, and fcho services of a number of our besfc local amitours have been enlisted for the occasion. These entertainments are always mosfc eujoyaMe, and despite the threatening state of the weather, there will probably be a good attendance this evening. The boy Samuel "Parsons, arrested yester dayfor the theft of a cheque from, Messrs Clayton and Sawyer's offico, was brought up before Mr Booth this morning, and pleaded guilty. The charge laid was that of the larceny of a cheque valued afc one penny. Mr Jones, who appeared for the accused, said the boy was of p veiy weak intellect, and submitted ' evidence to that effect, and on thafc account he hoped His Worship would pass a lenient sentence. The boy was given a good charae'ejr by Messrs Fraser and Pollock, both of whom had employed him. _ His Worship, in admonishing the boy, said ifc was only through the character given by Messrs Fraser and Pollock fchafc he would pass a lenic-nfc sentence. He was sorry he could nofc, on account of fcho health of the accused, order him to bo whipped as a detriment to actions of a similar kind on his part in the future. Hc was fined Ll, or in default one week's imprisonment. Two Native boys named Rufceno to Eke and Hutana Norou, both under the ago of 16 years, were brought up before Mr Booth, R.M., this morning, and ehirged wifch the larceny of L8 10s, thc property of R. Nock, of Waiohika, on Friday last. Tho boys went to Mr Neck's house, and not finding him afc home tliey ransacked his boxes and abstracted thc above sum Information was given to the police, and Constable Reddell arrested tlio young ratals yesterday morni iug in Shaw's dining rooms. Thoy olectcd to be dealt, with summarilly, aud when asked i to plead Rntene stated that he was given 9s 6d by Hub'tna, and Hutana pleaded not guilty. On the application of Sergeant. Carlyon the accused were remanded" till Friday morning. Immediately after the adjournment of the Court thc accused stated they had misunderstood the interpreter, and both ptaaded guilty to the offence. His Worship gave the boys a severe lecture oo their wrong-doing, and sentenced them to fchirfcy days' imprisonment each. He requested thafc they should be mado to work and kepfc apart from other prisoners Volunteers foel fchat a deal of hardship is forced upon them owing to the small amount of capitation allowance. Tho capitation is L2 por head, and it is found impossible to get aloug on this amounb, aud a movement is on foot to obtain L3 per head. If some advance is not made, we believe that somo of the corps in tho colony will havo to dis- j band at the end of the year. Another batch uf bushmen— fourteen in number — were deapatched last week from Christchurch to Wellington by the Salvation Army Labor Bureau, work having been found for them in the Wanganui district. These mon were under the chargo of StaffCaptain Robinson,' who will see thom safely to' their, destination. It is proposed to shift tho central bureau to Wellington, as being a better basis of operations. A pitiful casse was heard before the R.M at Masterton, when a woman najned Caroline Neill pleaded guilty to fivo separate charges of larceny. In extenuation, however, sho pleaded fchat her husband was a cripple, and unable to work. Sho had gono from door to door seeking employment, bub was always refused, being told that her husband should maintain hor. To keep herself and family of four ohildren from starvation she had been compelled to steal. The Benoh dealt leniently with the woman, ordering her to coma up for sentence when called upon. The hamper of game sent Home by a Christchurch firm in tho refrigerating chamber of the loric, for presentation to the Queen, was readily accepted by her Lord Steward on her behalf, and there is good reason for believing that Her Majesty had part of fhe contents for luncheon afc Windsor on the day sho arrived from Balmoral. The hamper contained 13 New Zealand pigeons, 4 swans, 10 redbills, 13 godwits, 3 pukeho, 2 bittern, 30 grey ducks, 10 spoonbills, 10 paradise ducks, 6 dottorell, 1 frost fish, 1 trout, and 1 brill. Truly a dainty dish to set beforo a* Queen. Tho cattle trade has already commenced (says the Woodville correspondent of the Post), and large draughts aro on fcho move between Hawko's Bay, Palmerston, and Pahiatua. Within tho last few weeks threo lots of beef, in all aboub 250 head, have passed through from the To Aufce run, oonsigned to the Gear Company for export to Europo. Six hundred head of stores were sold in Palmerston tah Wednesday, 6CO head of stores arrived from Hawke's Bay for Mr J. D. Ormond's run on .the Manawatu, md yesterday 300 head of stores wero delivered at Mr Carlile's run at Woodville, being purchased about the Eusfc [Jape.— Telegraph, '