PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2660, 26 August 1871, Page 3

PARLIAMENTARY PAPERS.

No, 3.—NATiVE. Much lias been said by the press and by public speakers about the sugar and blanket system of dealing with the Maorics, with the intention of damaging the present ministry. The truth will be gathered from the following memoranda forwarded to Earl Kimberly by His Excellency the Governor, under date May 2(>th. In the despatch accompanying the memorandum, he says : “ In several previous despatches I haveexpressed a strong opinion that the surest plan to keep the Maoris quiet, and to train them to habits of industry, is to give them constant employment, at good wages, on roads piercing their own mountains and forests ; in short, that the pickaxe ami the seade are the true weapons for the pacification of the Highlands of New Zealand as formerly of the Highlands of Scotland. This policy has been steadily pm sued for tome time past by the Colonial Government as will he seen by the annexed Memorandum.” RKPORT ON KOADS IN' NOKTIt IS LAN i) IN' COURSK OF CONSTRUCTION lIV NA'ITVF LABOUR. The continual recurrence of outbreaks in Various parts of the Northern Island has beep a conclusive proof that a policy of repression by the force of aims alone was not likely to lead to any satisfactory final result. "While therefore, during the past year, no relaxation has occurred m the vigorous pursuit of openly hostile hands, it has been deemed no less necessary to take steps towards the conciliation of doubtful tribes and ee-tious of tribes.

The measure thought most likely to bring about the desired result was the employment of the natives on works of public utility, such as roads, especially in parts of the country a short time ago inacessible to Europeans. Contracts for roads within their own district were offered to thoroughly friendly tribes ; and as these responded willingly to the call, and appreciated the ad van tag", they derived from tneir occupation, others re quested to have similar work put in their way, and thus by degrees the waverers, ami even passively hostile tribes, have come into the labour market. It is a curious fact that although when left to themselves the Maoris never improve tracks except for some special purpose as to drag down to a distant river caiuns constructed in the bush, j'et, oiice the bent of ther mined turned to road works, they have displayed considerable engineering talent, and have besides carried out their contracts at prices lower than could have been obtained with European labour. To give an idea of the extent to which Native workmen are employed in opening up the country, it is necessary to take the various districts in detail. THE BAY OF PLENTY, EAST COAST. [Jntil very recently this part of New Zealand was the seene of continual strife, and a hotbed of rebellion, arising, from ihe presence, in the interior, of a fierce mountain tribe, the Urewera, who, from their geographical position, could harry at will settlers in the Bay of Plenty-or on the East C’oas . A different state of things prevail now, ai d gangs of labourers are busy piercing forests a year, ago closed to Europeans. From Taurauga a main line into the interior is carried through a thick hush, and skirts Lake Rotorua, well known for its hot springs and geysers. From Rotorua to within eight miles of Tauranga, the construct on of the road has been entirely by v alive labour, furnished elm tty by loyal Arawa and Ngaiterangi Southward of r; otorua the line is taken to wauls the Waikato River, at a crossii g over which it meeis the highway running northward from Lake Taupo, also taken in hand by Natives. Makctu, seventeen miles below Tauranga, is the .starting-point of another road leading to the Taupo Country. As far as Rotorua it pisses through the territory of she Arawa, but beyond this it runs through a district occupied by Natives of hitherto most questionable disposition, and affords them employment. Posts of Native troops, stationed in the Kaingaroa Plains to the North of Taupo .-to watch the pisses of the Urewera, are also busy with ) ick and shovel in improving the means of communication. About Opitiki the Urewera lately surrenrendered have been set to work to open up tracks leading into their own wild country ; and the transformation of the difficult, and in winter impassable, tracks along the seaboard into bridle roads is undertaken by Whakotoeas, Ngaiiawa, and others who were among the earliest converts to Hauhauism.