KIHIKIHI NEWS.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1883, 31 July 1884, Page 3

KIHIKIHI NEWS.

I _ _ I- ■ II £-,3Dhb town board have interested theint selves in getting up a petition to the Government to have a bridge erected over t the Puniui river in the neighbourhood :f of Kihikihi. As the natives grow con- ■» v - siderable' areas of oats, maize, and wheat , it willpbft readily understood that a bridge over this is an absolute necessity. At F no point is theie a bridge on the Puniu, and one somun here in this neighbourhood is greatly needed. It would be a great convenience to the natives, and would k most probnbly increase the business dono here. AA present when the riveris flooded, Sigs, cattle and any pioduce they may esiro to sell must remain on their hanrls until the river is lordable, and as this town is growing importance I hope the Government will see their way clear to grant the piayer of the petition. The natives quite understand the gieat benefit they, in common with tho pakehas, would del ive fiom it, and «uu therefore greatly in fax our of the scheme. Talking of the natives reminds mo of a little incident that occui red at Te Awa , mutu a fortnight ago. It serves to show their aversion to the law \\ hen it presses unduly on the liberty, not of the subject, v But of the subject's horses. Two of these animals belonging to natives having trespassed on a man's farm were impounded .by him, and the guileless children of nature not feeling inclined to pay the pound fees went dining the niijht and quietly lifted the gate olf the hinges, and took the horses away with them. After this I don't think the Aborigines Protection Society can say the poor Maoris cannot look after themselves. T.iwlnao's P mission to England lias piovcd a failure in one sense, his reception by a member of the Cabinet as a Maori chief instend of lung must have convinced him of the tolly ot thinking he could exercise any kingly authority in a dependency of the Butish crown ; that lie is looked upon by many natives even in distiicfcs remote fiom Waikato with great leverence cannot be ■ denied. As an instance of this, an old chief 'living out of Wnik.ito expressed a wish that Tawhiao on hisiettirn, should be made prophet, priest, and king of the whole world. Fortunately, this absurd belief in him does not extend to the younger poition of his race, it it did, the opening of the country would not be easily effected. Many of them are as anxious as we aic to see the railway carried through the country, for they are astute enough to see the gieatly incieased value it would give their laud, and the love of money is as strong an element in their character as in ouis. However, the large sum of money siibscubed by them for his majesty's trip will not be wholly lost, as lie will come back with a very different opinion of the British nation, and he will be a wiser if not a sadder man — (Own Conespondent.)