THE WAIMATE PLAINS.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XIV, Issue 4034, 29 December 1880, Page 2

THE WAIMATE PLAINS.

Judging by the energy and activity displayed by the various tribes of the West Coast, who are followers of Te Whiti, in clearing the bush land at the back of Parihaka, and between there and Cape Egmont, it would appear that they have definitely decided to make Parihaka their permanent residence. Not only are extensive alterations being made in the quarter mentioned, but the almost total abandonment of three kaingas along the coast and the absence of anything like an adequate quantity of food being grown on their tribal lands are additional proofs that Parihaka is to be the head-quarters of the tribes, of , the coast, not a nominal .capital ,to be visited once , a month as hitherto but ja place of habitation , from . whence; they may occasionally visit their recent homes. With some natives this has become almost a matter of necessity from the confiscation of their land, without any reserve being made for their settlement. Not that sufficient land has not been set aside for the natives, especially in the Taranaki tribal lands, but these lands are not made permanent reserves, and if they were, until every claim; has been individualised throughout the whole of the confiscated block, there, will be no thorough settlement of the question, because some of the hapus have had the -whole p£ their lands taken away, whilst others have no property which has been confiscated. ' The former are now landless, and the latter, as a matter of course, will not allow those who are deprived of their inheritance to settle oh the lands that have been preserved to them, As a case in point may be mentioned the hapu who owu the Opunake block. Ngatihanua are the tribal owners, and all their open lands have been taken away, "and! and they must either attack the dense bush at the back, or seek land lor their cultivations and their' homes on the lands of their more fortunate neighbours. The fact is that apart from the printed recommendations which made such a windy show, but have not been carried into effect, the Royal Commission has done nothing towards the settlement of the native question,- and the only portion of the West Coast Settlement Bill which has been put into operation is the penal clause, which gives two years hard labour to the owners of the land who dare assert their rights. To show what justice the natives may expect at the hands of a grasping Government such as the present, it may be mentioned that before a single reserve, either for rebel or loyal natives, has been made on the 25,000 acres set aside for that purpose, 3000 acres have already been taken for timber-cutting purposes for the settlers on the Plains. The natives have been led to suppose that these 25,000 acres were set apart for them, and the wanton seizure of a considerable portion will not increase the confidence of the ' natives in our bona fides and auxiety to do them strict if scanty justice. The settlers of course must have timber, but why touch the native reserve when there are 100,000 acres of bush land at the back? Before any of this 25,000 acres is touched the claims of both loyal and rebel natives ought to be satisfied. But the Commission oannot adjudicate upon these claims because the Government have nearly 400 of the claimants in prison. They have them in gaol, and they dare not let them go, because they fear retaliation for the injustice being done. In liberating the few they are releasingit is necessary to send a Commissioner to JDunedin to select the harmless and decrepit, and those dwelling at a distance from Parihaka. Common sense ought to tell the Government that every high-handed increases the danger of retaliation, and ' by keeping the claimants of the land in gaol- whilst their lands are taken is but making of European prisons so many vials of .wrath, which may be poured out on their successors. -The natives do not wish to fight ; the teachings of Te Whiti are directly .opposed to it, but at the same time he says that his struggle is for independence, and if further oppression is meted out to the natives it is impossible to say to what measure utter despair may drive them.

The Hawera Star of a recent issue mentions the case of Constable Baily, at Opunake, and your correspondent has been at some trouble to enquiry into the matter. It appears that he was ordered into the store by the non-commissioned officer, who previously had charge of it, that he repeatedly asked that officer to take stock and give him proper, delivery accepting his receipt for the same,, that he even went so far on one oocasion as to offer back the key if stock was uot taken, that all his requests in this respect were unattended to, until the non-commissioned officer was removed to Pungarehu, The inspector of stores visited Opunake, a deficiency was discovered, and Const. Baily made responsible for the loss. Seven weeks ago he applied for a board of enquiry, which board has never sat, and meanwhile the constable's pay is stopped by order of the Native Minister. By order, of the Native Minister is as potent as "by the king's command" was two centuries ago, and' for a thorough despot commend me to a cockatoo , squatter . playing the autocrat. The sheep killed at Pungarehu, for the slaughter of which Wi.Waikato is now in prison, were trespassing on the wheat when, they came to an untimely end. This of course is no excuse from a , European point of view, tout the natives pertinently «*y«,that <

if a constable was arrested for every one of their pigs which have been stolen and consumed the colonial army all bs in prison. Pigs^' gpese, andpotatoes, even seed potatoes, hrtvo/-entirely along the line of march, and it;yvasb a. "melancholy sight to see ntfar a recently 'deserted constabulary, camp an ancient native crone standing on a solitary hillock basket in hand crying " pork,;' pork, pork, "1 when there wer6no pigs toShear, seeking & the objects of her former care vwhich -she/ shall cherish no longer, 'for they had found a living tomb in the bodies of the constabulary. Natives speak of a " mere pounainu " and a doublebarrelled gun being taken from their isolated whares and blame -the constabularyforthe thefts. Such things would not be taken by natives, because detection would immediately follow j meres and guns being well known properties of certain individuals, easily identified with those individuals, heirlooms in fact. Every effort has been made by the officers to prevent such petty thefts, and the Cor.stabulary as a whole are a well conducted body, of , men. They owe it to themselves that the few black sheep should be discovered and carefully weeded out.— Waimatb.