The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1886. The Natives.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1302, 30 July 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prevalebit. FRIDAY, JULY 30, 1886. The Natives.

The annual reports furnished to the Under-Secretary of the Native Department by the officers in charge of Native districts are seldom pleasant reading, but the reports for the current year, which we received from the Government printer this morning, are of a distinctly encouraging character. Nearly all the officers report an improvement in the moral and social condition and general .health of the people placed under their charge, and although the recent census revealed a very grave diminution in the numbers of the Maori population it may be reasonably hoped that the threatened demolition of this interesting race may yet be averted. The main features of the various reports have already been published in these columns, and their tenor goes to show that the Natives during the past twelve months have made considerable progress in the better parts of civilization. Of 8218 Natives living in the Auckland, Waikato, Thames, Coromandel, Ohinemuri, andTe Aroha districts, only n have been punished for drunkenness and eight for larceny during a period of twelve months. This, we think, is a record of which even an European community might be proud. The Government Native agent af Alexandra makes some very sensible remarks with regard to a matter to which we referred some days ago. “ During the past year ” he says, “ some Mormon elders have been preaching and teaching in different parts of the Waikato District, during which time they made their head-quarters at a settlement called Kaitumutumu, on the west bank of the Waikato River, nearly opposite to the Huntly coal-mines. A number of Natives, more especially those at the Kaitumutumu settlement and some in the locality of Raglrn, have professed to be converts, and look upon the Mormon faith and teachings to be the best—because, perhaps, the newest to them—religion extant, and the Mormon way of interpreting the Scriptures the correct one. As there is no semblance of a political element in this—to the Waikato people—new religion I have not interfered with it in any way, as my experience has taught me that to cry down or oppose any religious movement is more likely to strengthen than weaken it, simply from the prominence and notoriety that the action of opposing it would give to it. If let alone its followers will themselves soon test its suitability or not to be permanently supported by them. With Natues, to try and persuade them concerning a matter before they have .had time to satisfy themselves about it, or to attempt to coercs them where religion is concerned, is a sure way to court failure.” Mr W. Renuell, the .Reserves Trustee, at New Plymouth, referring to a more important matter says, “ The influence of Te Whiti is as great as ever over the minds of the majority of the Natives here, particularly between White Cliffs and Patea, and it extends in a weakened degree much farther than that. There has been no special sickness amongst them this year. Education is almost entirely neglected, and cultivation is only carried on to the extent of providing themselves and visitors with food! ; and growing a few strawberries, and i similarly easily-raised articles for sale. 1 Near the towns they may bring in a few ■ loads of firewood, but as a rule they do :

lot settle down to anything beyond he supplying of their own immediite wants. The Native census shows an ippaient increase in numbers in this iislriot; but I put that down to the boundaries of the district being altered, md to the names of so many Natives being enrolled in hapugrants, omissions being more easily detected now than formerly ; but I am of opinion that as a race they are decreasing considerably. The Te-Whiti-itcs still decline as a body to receive their shares of rent for lands leased under West Coast Settlement Acts, and generally hold a mildlyantagonistic attitude to any dealings with their land, either for leasing, rates, roads, or similar matters.” — It is pleasant to notice that the feeling of the Natives towards the Government

leems generally to be of a most salisactory character. Many of the Native :hiefs evince a strong wish to do all ;hey can to cement thi cordial feeling which exists between the people and the pakehas. We trust that by a policy of firmness and justice on the part of the Government these excellent relations may be preserved and extended. The following amended official regulations In connection,wltbjvlllage settlements will doubtless, bo read with

Interest : Married men will have preference as selectors under those regulation s, No greater area than.fifty acres will bo allotted to any one applicant. Su’-ject to such conditions as the Steward of Village Settlements may perscribe, and within the first five years of the date of the selection, an advance of a sum not exceeding £2O will bo made to assist a sel< ctor In the erection of a house on his selection ; and in bush lands a farther sum not exceeding £2 10s an acre up to but not exceeding an area of 20 acres will be advanced for bush-felling and grassing from such earns as may be appropriated by Parliament for these I purposes.

The annual rent shall be 5 per cent, on the capital value o£ the land, together with 5 per cent, cn such sums oa may be advanced in terras of clause 7, payable half-yearly, on the first dayfof January or July next ensuing after the lapse of six months from the dates of the selection and advances respectively. All applications for land under these regulations shall bo made to the Commissioner of Crown Lands for the district. Where more applications than one are made on tho same day for the same land, the right to occupy tho land applied for shall, Jsufcject to 'clause [5, (that referring to married men) b edetarminod by lot amongst tho applicants. Each selector or transferee will bo required to occupy hisssloction as his homo, and to mako permanent improvement as required by tho followin golauses . Each selector shall within two yoara cultivate one acre, and wi'hin four yoara the half of the remainder, of his solcc tion.

Permanent improvement shall mean—(а) Fencing tho land with timber or other durable materials, not being a brush fence ; or (б) Breaking up and laying down tho some In English or other cultivated grass; or (c) Breaking up and planting or sowing root or other crops therein ; and, in case of lush lands, the felling and clearing of timber and sowing of grass.

The Town Clerk is busily engaged in taking out summonses against the owners of property in the borough whose rates are still unpaid. The Hon. Jas. Paterson died at Dunedin on Thursday morning. Intelligence Las been received in Dunedin that James Wyllie (Herd Laddie) tho champion draughts player, leaves England at the end of August on bis visit to Australia and Now Zealand.

Titokowaru having been found to be suffering from some disease, has been removed from tho Terraco Prison to Wellington Hospital. A Maori prisoner, who had his leg broken during the disturbance at Manaia,has also been removed to tho Hospital.

Included in the manifest of the Tongariro which left Lyttelton yesterday for London arc 13 boxes of gold-, shipped by the Bank ol New Zealand, and containing 15,097 ounces, valued at £61,111.

This is a thoroughly Friday year. It came on a Friday, and goes out on a Friday, and will have fifty-three Fridays. There are four months in the year that have five Fridays each ; changes of the moon occur five times on a Friday, and the longest and shortest days are Fridays. Mr Edward Stanley, the New South Wales Government veterinarian, has published a report upon tbe recent mysterious outbreak among the horses at Coonong station. He attributes the diseasofto the consumption of ensilage in an unwholesome condition. The silo pit being two miles from the station, and three and a half miles from the place where the works are going on, it was necessary that a three or four days’ qupply should be brought from it twice a week, instead of being fresh every day as it ought to bo. If kept over three days it became whitened with a funguslike mould, rotten and foul.

It appears that, in response to an application made by the woolgrowers, the Victorian Government has decided to introduce a Bill making provision for the eradication of tho Bathurst burr and Caitornian thistle. These noxious weeds ate spreading rapidly, and, as it has boon found that the machinery for enforcing the provisions of the Thistle Act will have to be simplified, it is proposed to confer on the officers of the local bodies similar powers in regard to the extinction of noxious weeds to those which are now exorcised in dealing with the destruction of rabbits on private property. It will be a good thing for the woolgrowers if this nuisance can be stamped out. t At a meeting of the committee oi 4hc New Zealand Land League at Oamaru, we learn from tho North Otago Thm* that a letter was received from Mr Hislop, M.H.K., who said : "lam afraid that Sir George Grey’s bill has little chance of passing. There has now been much talking to flittle purpose. If wo can, during tho recess, make the operative part of tho bill more simple, it will probably pass next session in some form.” Tho New Zee; land and Australian Land Company wrote that they were quite willing to sell land on tho Ardgowan estate; but before quoting prices they would like to know specifically what portion of the land was wanted. In referent * to this Messrs Church and Blair were dee., patched to look over tho map of the Ard; go wan property, and select one or two alternative portions up to 1000 acres that would be suitable, and ascertain tbe prices from (be Company.

The sheep .breeders of the provinces of Prussia have forwarded a petition to the Reichstag, praying for a heavy protective duty on imported wool.

The Melbourne council of the National j Agricultural Society has affirmed that it is I desirable to prohibit the importation of cattle, I sheep, and pigs from all foroign coontries for J three years. The number of pure-bred rams sold in Scot- j land during the past year was 10,637, at an average price of £-1 Is 7.Jd per head, the total amount realised being £13,101 8s Id. Black. 1 faces stand highest in point of numbers, and Border Leiceaters in price. A telegram received from Dunedin sta'es the New Zealand Refrigerating Company I report the profit for the year to be £lO2l, out of which it is proposed to pay 10 per cent, dividend, and carry forward £209. The number of carcases frozen and shipped iat the Company’s works was 108,981. Shaw> I Savill and Co. have intimated their intention to charge freight at 12 d per lb, which is oon- ' sidered excessive.