THE Bay of Plenty Times

Bay of Plenty Times, Volume IV, Issue 404, 26 July 1876, Page 2

THE Bay of Plenty Times

"THE SPIRIT OF THE TIMES SHALL TEACH ME SPEED." KING JOHN, ACT I'

Wednesday, July 26, 1876

We have always intimated to our readers, and the public generally, | that in the main, we approve of the Native Policy of the present Government, and that the Government would j have our support when we considered that it was striving to fairly carry out that policy in a manner calculated to best benefit the colony ; yet, we never promised to remain silent when we were of opinion that is 3 acts deserved censure. We, therefore, in accordance with the promise contained in last issue, again refer to matters in connection with the acquisition by the Government of native land in the Arawa country. We are led to thus animadvert again on the course pursued by the Government, in consequence of the intelligence received by us from our Maketu correspondent, to the effect that gentlemen possessing means and desirous of purchasing portions of these lands, are unable to do so in consequence, either of the apathy of the Government, or some other unheard of reason, and that complications and obstructions abound; also that private parties are trying to deal direct with the natives for land. Such is the substance of what our correspondent telegraphed to us on the subject. It is just what We anticipated would be the result, and is only the commencement of the complications, the ramifications of which will quickly spread to all parts of the Bay of Plenty and Lake Districts. Need we remind our readers how this district of Tauranga has suffered in consequence of the delays which have occurred in settling our own land titles ; and of the number of wealthy men who came specially to acquire land and locate themselves permanently in our midst, who have had to seek for fresh fields, finding here nothing but a chaotic state of land matters .in existence ? Year has passed after year, and yet only now are there any indications of some change for the better taking place in relation to this immediate district. It is with a view to prevent the "taihoa" policy being exercised over the Bay of Plenty and Lake District lands, that we . have continued to wi'ite so plainly, of late, on the subject. The opening up of these extensive blocks of land near Maketu and Matata, would be the dawn of anew era for Tauranga. We had hoped that the authorities would at least have finally completed the titles to such valuable blocks, as Te Puke for instance, without delay, and enabled us to have that locality in the occupation of thriving European settlers. Everyone knows that Tauranga must not depend on the district bearing that name for any very great resources: we must go beyond the limits : therefore, it is of vital importance to us at this period, especially, ■ to have a settlement of questions relating to nativo lands. We must not be allured by promises to rest quietly on out oars, or we shall, in all probability, find ourselvos still further neglected, and the tiltimate settlement of our land questions indefinitely delayed, i For our part, we have taken up a decided position, in relation to these land . questions as the only basis of

security, and trust that the public will not fail to give an unmistakable expression of opinion on & question so vitally affecting their interests. It has been said that " the best of prophets of the future is the past." If we just cast a glance back on the past of Tauranga, there is nothing visible to remind us of anything having been performed by the Native Office here, which has had the effect of producing any permanent beneficial results. " Diseases, desperate grown, , By desperate appliance are relieved, Or not at all." As long as matters are permitted to drift along as hitherto, we shall find ourselves slowly, but surely, going down in the scale of prosperity, and instead of our being the first settlement in the Bay of Plenty, we shall merely occupy a very second rate position. Where nature has done so much for us, it is simply a disgrace to keep us reined up in this manner, and the means of developing our best resources witheld from our reach. It is not a pleasant task to be always finding fault, and therefore, hope that we shall not have again to refer to the subject, unless to chronicle that the Government has taken the necessary steps to remedy the evils we have so frequently referred to of late. . As a public journal, we have done our duty by calling public attention to the matter, and have given our own opinion honestly and fearlessly ; a course which we assure our readers we shall ever adopt, as long as we occupy our present position.