The Evening Star. FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2474, 20 January 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star. FRIDAY, JANUARY 20, 1871.

It- is only now and then that the doings of the Government peep out, although the correspondent of our contemporary at Wellington appears to c/et hold" of a number of Cabinet secrets; can tell to a syllable what passed between Mr V chill and Dr Feathekston ; and knows to shade what chance Mr Gillox had in his contest for the representation of Forirua. It however unfortunately happens that these eavesdroppings appear in print ten days alter date, and alter their interest and mystery have been destroyed through the truth-disclosing Hashes of the Electric Telegraph. That telegraph is a vile destroyer of novelty. Before its unsightly bare poles and stretched wires were stuck up through the length and breadth of the land, there was a chance of a bit of fine writing being read. , But now-a-days “ Othello’s occupation’s gone ’’—interprovincial correspondence is at a discount —and the sketches must be very graphic, as well as true, if even the Wellington correspondence of our Morning contemporary obtains a passing glance from our reading population. As this happens occasionally, by accident, wo are supplied with a reason for the continued publication of these reminiscences ; but we think it would be judicious to add foot-notes to each, commencing—“ Since writing the, “ above, our telegraphic intelligence,” lire. Wc have no doubt our contemporary will thank us for the hint ; and witli full reliance upon such an expression of gratitude, raw mm e //(« niautuus. We have a more reliable history of Government doimrs before us in the Progress l.i-eport <d : no ir;.i\ Commissioners, under dale December 20th. We do not know that much is added to our previous knowledge of the subject of flax-preparing; hut it tells of the efforts made by the Government to utilise the flax plant and the Maoris. Wc have often been struck with the fact that little seems to have been done by our North Island fellowcolonists to make useful laborers of the Natives. However unfavorable their primitive institutions may be to habits of settled industry, we have evidence in Dunedin that they are capable of energetic and continued labor. The work done by the Maori prisoners here is fully equal to that of our own pick-and-shovel men, so far as quality is concerned. Wo have no statistics to guide us as to quantity —and we cannot help thinking that were sufficient inducement held out, the same ingenuity exhibited in building pahs might be much more profitably employed. Wc believe it to be pretty much the same with Maoris as with white men, that—

Satan finds some mischief still For idle hands to do. It is to the credit of the Fox Administration that this fact has not been altogether lost sight' of, Maoris of all ages have been employed upon road work—men and women, boys and girls—and these family and tribal “ bees ” seems to have gone oft’ well. The Ministry who can direct these energies, and thus from a tax-imposing set of rowdies convert them into taxpaving subjects, will earn a, claim to the confidence and gratitude of both Maoris and Whites. The productive power of the Colony would be -developed, and the Middle Island relieved of that unequal burthen of which its people have so much right to complain. The Native Minister has not lost sight of this, and has endeavored to draw Maori attention to the preparation of flax for the Home market. It seems doubtful whether the Natives will be able to produce it af g. remunerative price. Like all barbi,irjans, their processes are slow r and wasteful, and the results very costly. It took “ Annie Kanaka,'* a sjTaffye, “ the greater part of two days “ to gather leaves and prepare four or A* flve pounds weight, and she would “ noi part with it for Jess than Is. per “lb.” Coioncj’ IfAUJ.TAIN bays that the flax was very white, soft, and bright, but that the Maori only obtains one-fourth of the quantity of flax from a given quantity of leaf that would bo secured by machine-dressing. European knowledge, ingenuity, and enterprise will no doubt find means to produce by machinery an earticle equal to that prepared with a mussoll-shcll by the Maoris, There are plenty of human bones and muscles the use of which ought to bo procurable at a cheap rate m the North. We should think that they may be made available for many industries besides road-work and flax-dressing. As th e Natives are here, and as they must live, is no possibility of finding means of so employing them, that the revenue derived from their changed habits will pay for the cost of keeping them in order I In Queensland, islanders arc imported at ileavy cost —in Fiji the same ; and here in N ew Zealand our chief mode of employing the Nalfv.es is leaching

them to cut on(! another’s throats. We do not think wo make the best use of either the country or the aboriginals. Perhaps our new Parliament may be wiser—at any rate we hope so.