THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1875.

Thames Star, Volume VII, Issue 1977, 6 May 1875, Page 2

THE Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. THURSDAY, MAY 6, 1875.

TsEjThaines Advertiser has always ajf^ •' footed -to -be well up in native matters, ■ arid to: sustain its reputation as an authority, every little while it comes out with an article containing some.''grains of truth carefully mixed up with misstate-: "merits. ■ So notorious has this become that people in this district who are but indifferently well posted up in native matters have ceased to regard the Ad.vertiser's utterances as.oracular. Consequently it is not often that we feel called upon to devote time and space to remove the erroneous impressions created by our coritemporary'g erratic writing. But today the Advertiser appeals to the feelings of "our Southern fellow-colonists." The session of Parliament is approaching, arid it might be gratifying to the Advertiser to be quoted as an authority on Native matters, so the Southerners are. told certain things about the management of land at the Thames, in a style which might induce some member of the Assembly to rise in his .place in the House and ask if such things could be. The "statement respecting the circumstances connected with the Komata North block," as given by the Advertiser, is before the public; it will not therefore be necessary to recapitulate it, but we > would invite the attention of ".*'. our Southern fellow-1

colonists " to another version of the story, which puts matters in a different light.

The JToniata North Block, we are as- ' sured, was not awarded chiefly to Natives of the ICiriwera hapu. Had the Native Lands Court done this no diWculty would have arisen. Tukukino was never satisfied with the judgment, and asked for a rehearing, which was refused. Wikiriwhi Hautonga and party are not Kiriwera, and it is the opinion of many persons acquainted with the case, that they had, according to Native custom, forfeited - : their ...claim,, which . was, . at any rate, subsidiary to that of the Kiriwera; but the Court ignored Native custom since .1840, and decided according to European law. The result is now seen. Mr Young went deliberately into this purchase, knowing the Government Land Purchase Agent opposed his action; - but, instead of ascribing it to the right cause, whicli now appears, he accused Mr Mackay of wishing to purchase the land for Mr Creagh. We have seen the latter-mentioned gentleman to-day, and he says he asked Mr Mackay when he was a private land agent to purchase Komata North for him, and he declined to • deal; with anything :but Komata South. We hear Mr Thorpe of Ohinemuri was in occupation of Komata North it that time, paying a yearly rental for the right, to run cattle, and had a conveyance of the interest of one of the natives before Mr Young commenced his: negociations. The Kiriwera are Taraia's hapu, and Tukukino represents not only, himself but them. .The men who have sold are of comparatively low rank, and it does not follow because seven grantees have signed that they are a majority in value. The Native Land Act distinctly setsi forth; this, and if Tukukino and*those he represents' can"prove they are a majorityinv.alue— -the conveyance to, Mr Young may hot' be found so valuable as anticipated. Probably Sir D. McLean and Mr Mackay know quite as much about this as the Advertiser— probably a little more.

The Advertiser would have us believe that Mr Young has,fbeen unfairly-.dealt with; that the Government and Mr

Mackay have tried to hinder him from obtaining peaceable possession of a piece of land lawfully purchased ; and that the resistance, offered by Tukukino to Mr Young's taking possession is simply owing to weakness or worse on the part of the Government. Now the fact is that there has always been trouble over this block known as Komata North, and Mr Young was told when he went into it that there was a muddle and he had better keep clear. He went into the business witH his eyes open, and therefore he cannot blame the Governmentfor declin-; ing to involve themselves in extricating him from a position he was warned against.. Tukukino, although, the only person named in the Crown Grant for Komata North who refuses to' sell/does not stand ' alone in his opposition: he, represents^ ! powerful hapu of a powerful 'tribe^VTind^ his opposition is not a new thing. ' He has very good and substantial reasons for objecting to sell. He and his hapu are settled on Komata North and have been for year 3. Their cultivations at the present time comprise some thirty acres of potatoes alone, and it would be surprising if Tukukino surrendered his right without protest. When "our Southern fellow colonists" read this version of the Bt«ry we fancy they will be in-. clined to say with us, that it would be a piece of the grossest tyranny and oppression to attempt anything like; force to bring Tukukino to Mr Young's and the Advertiser's way of thinking. In fact, if the attempt were made the Komata affair wojild assume a much i more serious , aspect than it does at present;, it would soon have a colonial interest attaching to it, without any appeal by the Advertiser to " bur Southern fellow colonists.";

Feobi ;.a Beturn published in tile New Zealand gazette of the 29th ultimo, snowing the number and amount, &c, of money orders and savings bank transactions in the several Postal Districts of the Colony during the quarter ended 31st March, 1876, we extract the following figures, which are those which represent the business done at the Thames office:— Money orders issued, 472 ; amount, £1805 8s 3d ; paid, 353; amount, £1301 19s lOd. In the Savings Bank 84 accounts were opened and 59 closed. The number .of deposits was 548 and withdrawals 480. The amounts were— deposits £4391 -15s 4d; withdrawals, £5789 12s 9d. Excess of withdrawals over deposits^£l397l7s sd.j Fromsomecause 1 or oihertHe withdrawals have exceededthe deposits in every place but one, the exception being Blenheim, capital of the Province of Maryborough, and the total excess «f withdrawals over deposits for the whole colony amounts to £53,030 10s sd. That sum of money, therefore, must have been put into circulation', probably taken from the Savings Bank to be invested in something more remunerative than the four per cent, paid by the Government. The totals of deposits and withdrawals throughout the colony are as follows :—.Number of deposits, 14,195 number of withdrawals, 9,137 ; amount of deposit, £168,160 8s 7d; amount of withdrawals, £220,851 9s lOd. These figures show a considerable increase in the business of the corresponding quarter in 1874. ■ i