Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9,1897. EAST COAST TOWNSHIPS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8056, 3 November 1897, Page 2

Poverty Bay Herald. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORN E, WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 9, 1897. EAST COAST TOWNSHIPS.

li' tliis should meet the eye of the member for the East Coast — as no doubt it will — let him know that throughout his wide constituency there is surely growing a strong feeling of dissatisfaction and resentment at (.he long-continued neglect ot the various claims of the district for Government assistance. Even those who hcic the strongcbt supporters of our member at the last election arc now the loudest in voicing the complaints, which, we can assure him, arc gcneial throughout the district. The manner in which we have been put od' with regard lo the slock track, and the procrastination which has taken place over the promise of subsidy to the Mining Association are the principal subjects of grievance to be heard in town, but it appears that there arc various other causes of complaint in different parts of the country, and one of the chief of these is that mentioned by our Tokomaru correspondent in this issue. The matter was referred to in these columns some months ago, when we urged that prompt attention should be paid to the petitions of the settlers at Waipiro and Tokomaru for the Government to declare township sites at those places. In spile of frequent appeals, nothing has been done and nothing apparently will be done until the people of the district unite in an emphatic demand that attention shall be paid to their requirements. The position of the Coast settlers who are Irving to make homes and- businesses for themselves at llicbc Coa.st settlement!! is intolerable. They are there purely on sud'eranee, with no fixture of tenure, and compelled to pay extravagant rents lo their Maori landlords. Tlie Government did llic right and proper thing in taking the power under Act of Parliament to set aside out of blocks of Native land reserves tor township sites, but if they will not exercise (hat power in response to the demands of settlers then there suenis to be just cause of complaint ngainst them. In the case of the Tokomaru block they should certainly have made the reserves before this, and we should not have had the spectacle described by our correspondent ot the Maoris haggling and quarrelling with one another as to who shall have the right of rack-renting the settlers who have m;wlc their homes in the Bay. Tokomum, as our correspondent points out, has become an important centre of industry, and the trade of the place has grown to considerable proportions. Yet owing to the absence of a properly defined township in which the residents could take up permanent stands, business and settlement is handicapped, and with the imccrUiuty of tenure that they possess the position of those who have made their homes there cannot be an enviable one, for they may be misled any day. There is of course no encouragement to any of them to make uny improvement to their properties. Tokomaru, though it has all the essentials to progress, will not advance until the Maori landlordism is abolished, and the settlers have every right and reason to look to the Government to abolish it and to give them a permanent township site. The same thing applies to Waipiro, and probably to other Coast ports. It is the duty of Uic Government, to encourage and stimulate residence and business, by setting apart land for townships at these places, which we hope ill time to see

become largo and flourishing centres. Mr Carroll should exert himself to do something to help those Coast people. While we do not pretend that ho has authority to grant our requests, it is patent to everybody that if he assumed a firm, energetic, persistent, and somewhat more independent attitude, the district would receive much greater assistance than it does, and out of the way settlers such as our Coast friends would not have to write and petition again and again before attention is paid to their requests.

The Trisco mail steamer Moana arrived at Auckland at 12.30 p.m. to-day. The Gisborne mails should reach here via Napier on Saturday morning. Mr J. Toinbloson leaves by the Westralia this evening for Wellington, as the emissary of the County Council, his object being to press for votes on the estimates for necessary works in this district. Mr E. F. Harris leaves for Wellington by the same steamer. The Gisborne City Band have presented their conductor, Mr Win. Marr, with a handsome silver mounted liqueur stand, in recognition of his valuable services to the Band. The presentation was made last night by the bandmaster (Mr T. Morrison), and Mr Marr suitably returned thanks. An early edition of the Christinas number of the Canterbury Times is lo hand. The form it takes is a sketch of the early history of the colony and of tho progress of civilization and settlement, which is also made manifest by a number of original illustrations, such, for instance, as the scenes showing a fortified village at Tur.inganui (where the present Courthouse now stands), and Gisborne in 1897. The number is a j "most interesting and attractive record of the colony's growth. Over the ruins of the old Settlers Hotel a fine new hostelry has been built, in which the comforts and conveniences of travellers have been studied, the building containing large and airy sitting and commercial rooms, and comfortable and well-furnished bedrooms. The hotel, which has been re-uamed the Record Reign Hotel, is in the bands of Mr T. Cotter, so well and favorably known in Gisborne, whose name is a guarantee of good management. The plans of the route taken by Mr Llewellyn Smith, District Surveyor, on his recent exploration for a stock track, were laid on the table at the Borough Council meeting last night. The Mayor said a stock track was a great necessity, and tho Council ought to do what they could to forward its construction. Cr Nolan moved that the Government he written to urging tho construction of a slock track via Maungalapero aiid Ruatahuna, and the motion was seconded by the Mayor and carried without further discussion. There Mere twelve days during October on which rain fell, and thu total fall only amounted to l'SOius, against 2'3sins for October of last year, and an average for the month in previous years of 2's4ins. Only once has the fall during October been over 4ins, and that was in 18S0, when S'SOins fell, while in 18S5 only a quarter of an inch was recorded. Although the fall for October, however, is less than usual, it is satisfactory to note that the average fall for November is 3'GOins, but as this can by no means be depended upon, householders would do well to at once commence being sparing in the use of water.

The following is the report of the Inspector of Schools for the Hawke's Bay district on Te Karaka Public School : — " The organisation and time-table remain as at the date of my former report. I found the work proceeding according to the time-t.ible. Tho children were diligent, and the master was well occupied in supervising the work and correcting exercises. It appears tho attendance is very irregular, but this arises in a great measure from the unsatisfactory state of the river, which has frequently been in Hood The manners and behaviour of the children arc satisfactory, and good order and discipline arc maintained, The accommodation is suflicieiit, and Ihe room is clean and tidy. The school surroundings arc fair, but I should like to see planting done by the Committee to improve the general appearance. There is much room for this in the district."

Mr J. A. Randall, who has for upwards of twelve months represented the Christchurch Meat. Company in London, discussing the frozen meat trade with a Times reporter, said : — " New Zealand will have to make up its mind lo ship lighter weights. The British workman, the largest consumer, wauls a joint suilicient only for one meal, and on the better class purchaser's table joints are seldom seen, made dishes being now the custom. This narrows the outlet for heavy weights down to schools, institutions, and other establishniente where cheapness is a consideration. Large butchers may take a proportion, say 5 or 10 per cent, for the less particular — or less desirable — of their customers. Different butchers do different trades, one buying a elaes of mutton which the customers of another would not look at, and this shows the necessity for careful grading. All, however, would choose the New Zealand meat for its quality, other points being equal. The New Zealand meat is the best eating of any. New Zealand will have to keep up this quality, combined with lighter weight, and to this end the Down breeds will have to be used for crossing. The River Plate scuds dry, lean mutton, which commands the trade in the North of England ; North America sends chilled mutton, generally large and of coarse quality, and Australia sends light sheep, mostly of poor quality, so that New Zealand's only chance is to supply choice quality. All the countries named send occasional lots of good quality, but not regularly. The River Plate people are making great efforts to improve their stock, almost every vessel from England carrying high-class, pedigree sheep and cattle for the Argentine.