THE Thames Advertiser THURSDAY, SEPT. 16, 1876.

Thames Advertiser, Volume VIII, Issue 2149, 16 September 1875, Page 2

THE Thames Advertiser THURSDAY, SEPT. 16, 1876.

We have been placed in possession ofn Parliamentary paper presented to both Houses of llio Assembly, including reports from Land Purchase Officers,' in which we find some interesting items connected with the acquisition of the native lands of the North. Mr J. W. Preece appears to have been a colleague of Mr E. T. Brissenden's in the purchase of lands north of Auckland-Mr Preece doing the actual work of negotiating the purchases and Mr Brissenden- distributing Government favours and rewards broadcast. Mr Brissenden .is left to account for the moneys, expended with such a lavish hand, and Mr Preece details in his report to the Government the particulars of the purchases undertaken and completed by him.' Any opinion from a person ofMrPreece's experience and ability in conducting theso transactions cannot foil lo be valuable, and we have, therefore, the more pleasure in referring to his report. Mr Preece has for many years been cugagfed in the work with credit to himself aud honour to the department. Mr Precce cannot' lay. claim to the high-sounding title of a " Civil Commissioner," but whenever he has been favoured with tho com mauds of tho Native Department, and has entered upon tho duties of a Land Purchase Officer, he has. acted in a most straightforward and gentlemanly manner, and his transactions have not been • open to the suspicion of land jobbingaud partnership understandings, which have characterised the proceedings of other servants of the Native Department, and even the department itself. In a former article on the Bubject wc pointed out that Mr Brissenden does not even possess a knowledge of the Maori lauguage, aud this is lo some extent confirmed by tho report befare us. Mr Preece says,' "I advised Mr Brissenden," eo and so. Of course, without such a .gentleman as Mr Preece at'his elbow we /ear he would cut a sorry figure as a negotiator of land purchases, and we are not surprised

that Mr Preece should have to say '* I have not sent in a return of any purchases, as I find they are all included in Mr Brisseiiden's return, he having paid the purchase moneys j but I have been assisting him in all the

blocks, as well as ttoso particularly mentioned in my instructions." In this way Mr Precce—with his. accustomed reserve and absence of ostentation, contrasting favourably in this respect with hia. colleague's style of doing businessis content to give Mr Brissenden tho credit of his careful negotiations. Mr Preeco negotiated the purchase of' about 300,000 acres of hud in some fifty blocks, and owned by different sections of native?. Ho remarks that ho never yet concluded tho negotiations for the purchase of any lands with more satisfaction than he felt in closing theso purchases, for there does not appear to have beenasiuglo instauco where the natives failed to carry out the original agreement as to price, or where they attempted to repudiate tho various deposits paid on tho lauds. Thero appears to havo been only ono instance in all theso negotiations where the Court did not confirm tho title of tho

person to whom tho deposit had been paid. In these transactions tho natives appear chieily to havo been paid in cash the various deposits, although Mr Preeco says:—" With reference to the supplies given to tho natives, Mr Brissenden paid tho accounts, and I have certified them." We wonder if tho

lion, the Native Minister referred b such arduous service as the payment of accounts, which appears to bo aU that Mr Brissenden is lit for, when he said in his report to the Assembly that" it was found • expedient to : make terms with the most active and successful of theso agents, and offer them inducements to enter the Government service." Amongst the negotiations completed up to the 30th of June last in our own district we notice that Mr Ja9. Mackay, jun., has completed the purchase of 107,028 acres' at a cost to tho Government of £14,119, with £2,278 incidental, or .£15,702. Wo presume tho "incidental"includes 4d an acre commission,- which goes into the pocket of the negotiator in this instance. If it is exclusive of this, then wo have another £1,783 16s to. add to the cost of theso purchases, bringing tho total up to £17,535 10s, Besides the above, Mr Mackay has paid away £300 (plus £700 paid out of confiscated lands) for the extinguishment of claims of the Ngatitamatera and Ngatipao tribes to lands in the Hauraki, Piako, and other districts heretofore sold and conveyed to tho Crown, Mr Brissenden has .completed tho purchase in tho North of 164',124 acres at a Cost of £10,857, of which sum £2,453 is set down as "incidental," leaving £8,344 as actual purchase money. Mr E, W. Puckcy has purchased in the Thames and Coromandel district for the'year ending Juno 30, 1875, no less than 316,142 acres at a cost of £2/)39 2s lOd, and of this' amount only tho modest sum of £85 10s comes under the head of " incidental."

Of course it must bo remembered tbat Mr Puckey receives no extra remuneration for' these purchases, and pockets no sucli fees as those deducted by Mr Mackay andothersfor these transactions, N'oris the extent or area of land acquired always a good test of the success of an agent, for he might easily buy the mountains of Cape Colville and leave good lands fitted for agricultural purposes to be acquired by private speculators—a feat which is not unfrequently

accomplished in these transactions— becauso of tho greater difficulties in the way of acquiring them .quickly. In Mr Mackay's case bis commission in no way depends upon the. class or the character of tho land acquired, and to

make money bo has only to carry out llie principle of acquiring quantity.