"THE BETTER PART."

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XXIX, Issue 9460, 23 June 1902, Page 2

"THE BETTER PART."

The Htm. James Carroll (says the Wellington Post) is to be congratulated upon the news contained iii a Napier telegram of Wednesday's date. It was to the effect that he had written to the promoters of the proposed Maori testimonial courteous- . ly declining to'accept the,gift ou the ground that hetSjiad-only dque his .duty as "father oftlie tribe." MrJCarroll undoubtedly has great influence with the native race, and he has lately shown quite exceptional energy in organising the local - government under the Native Councils Act and in encouraging better sanitation and other improvements in native settlements,. There was, we understand, a genuine feeling of gratitude among our Maori fellow-citizens, and, in pursuance " of precedents which have unfortunately become only too persistent of late in this colony, they thought to express their thanks in the form of an address and purse of sovereigns. They naturally thought that what the Premier was glad to receive the Minister for Native Affairs would also welcome. Mi- Carroll's pop-. ularity would unquestionably have made the movement a success numerically and financially, but he has chosen the better • and more scrupulously honorable part in declining to accept the gift. It is satisfactory--to-find that he can regard his political leader upon occasion as a warning as well as an example. We feel sure - that the purse movement did Mr Seddon more harm than good. Mr Carroll's kindly but firm refusal of a similar gift will raise him in the estimation of his fellow-citizens and win respect even from the well-intentioned promoters of the testimonial.