NORTHERN JOTTINGS.

Evening Star, Issue 3437, 26 February 1874, Page 2

NORTHERN JOTTINGS.

No. 6. {From our own Correspondent.) the native office and the a.o’s. H is like fishing fn troubled Raters to write .®y,eh a giggle depreciatory paragraph anent the Native office in the agrfjh ‘ ig ‘JjWd as tapu by nearly all newspaper'proprietors and editors—save, perchance, by two or three independent outspoken men—its peculiarities of administration are ignored, the wisdom of its course of policy scarce ever questioned; and irresponsible and secretin its actions and expenditure, it cares not for the publicity attending other departments of Government or the criticism of opposing journalists. All this mystery may be necessary or not, but that it exists no one acquainted with Native affairs, however imperfectly, will, with a moment’s consideration, attempt to deny. The policy of the Native office since the Hon. D. Maclean has resumed office, has been that time will solve the difficulties of the amalgamation of the races, or the extirpation of the one held to be inferior; and so well aware are the Native people of the nature of this policy, that they compare the Native Munster to a fat old woman wandering about, ever crying, “ Taiho I Taiho!" Thesuccesa, however, of our present Native poucy—n it be deemed successful—depends pot entirely on the head of the department of

the policy current, but in an equal degree on the high character, the zeal, and the tact manifested by the subordinates, civil commissioners, or whatever may be their designation, in localities where Maoris are numerous, and the Native office holds 'sway. It takes two people to make a quarrel, and in Maori dealings: neither the Native office, nor any of its officers seem disposed to make one of the disputants. Its aim seems to be to hold a kind of paternal sway over the Native people—treating them as though they were children, and ignorant of what would be most beneficial for their interests, and educating them until the days of their adolescence are past. This mode of treatment is often home with great aversion by those who want to obtain undue advantages from the Maori, and by others who consider his business capacity and general knowledge to be on a par with their own. Hence the Native office interferes with all questions that inpinge on both races, acting as a judge to prevent imposition and providing against future disputes. The Natives with their increasing knowledge in some instances appreciate this kind of tutelage and nonage in which they are held, and especially is this the case when their bread and clothing are provided for them ; but others consider the rule under which they live to be that of a step-father instead of a legal parent, and consequently wax restive and impatient. Thus, in some places, if a Native wants to sell a horse he has to getawarrantyfrom the Native Commissioner that the horse is his own ; and should he wish to lease a piece of land, must obtain the sanction and advice of the same authority. It will be apparent that this mode of treatment in no wise tends either to give the Natives confidence in their own judgment or helps to enable them to manage unaided their own affairs. If their child is sick, their horse dies, they want to buy a buggy, or a town section, if they wish to travel from their own Province to another, they are induced to consult the representative of the Native office. The present system, consciously or otherwise, tends to perpetuate instead of abolish this lack of self-reliance. The Maori fully understands this, and is not slow to avail himself of the ignorance he is supposed to possess. An example will shewmymeanmg more clearly. At the latter end of last year tenders were called for conveying the ms.il from Haw era to New Plymouth. The service was bi-weekly. Hr Young, the late contractor, sent in a tender for L 1,500. Hone Pihama sent in one for L7OO. The ‘ Wanganui Chronicle’ thus narrates the results of the tenders * The former was rejected and the latter accepted, but after its acceptance, Mr Parris, the Civil Commissioner at Taranaki, telegraphed to the Government that Hone Pihama could not do the work for the money; and in consequence the Government gave him L3OO additional subsidy, making 1/1,000 in all, without inviting fresh sureties.” Now, if an European had made such a bad bargain as Mr Pihama had done, he would, or his sureties, have bean made to fulfil ms contract. Hone knew that hia tender was less than half that of the late contractor, and so used, his knowledge to obtain an extra annual subsidy of L3OO. The policy engendered by the Native office has been “keep quiet and we will not be particular.” The curious feature in this mail contract is the interference of the .Civil Commissioner—such interference confirming the opinion, that has been freely spoken of, that Mr Parris himself was one of the Native contractor s sureties. _ The further history of this mail contract will’show more plainly still how long-suffering and indulgent is 1 the present Napolicy. It should be borne in mind that this is by no means an isolated case, but that pthere analogous could be gathered by the score; and that Hone Pihama is a chief possessed of considerable knowledge of Europeans and their customs, and as well able to hold his own and dnve a hard bargain as any man in the North Island. Now one of the stipulations of the mail centract was that the mail should be carried in a four-horse coach. But Pihama possessed no such conveyance, and calculated on buying from Mr Young the plant then in use. The iatp contractor wanted L7QO for his plant, the R e W Ofily offered L3QO, and, as may he imagined, ?° tpok place. Mr Young was appealed to in this difficulty by the Government, and agreed to carry on the service for a month or more at the old terms. The offer was accepted, but about the end of the mouth his services were dispensed with, and pack-horses put on to carry the mail by Hone or his sureties. Mr Young, of course, will sue for damages consequent on the loss he will sustain owing to the through communication not being kept up—a Condition of his mail contract from Wellington tp Hawera. Incidents such as the above cause mapy to feel dissatisfied with the pampering system ip vogqe, and consider that contracts of such a character as the one mentioned when entered into should be rigidly adhered to. , i® districts where the European population w sparse, those in charge of the Native department are apt to become arrogant and interfering ; and more especially is this the case where Provincial authority is either lax or weak. Maori land is spoken of by these individuals as “our country,” Superintendents, with tolerated contempt, and everything over which the Native office can exercise influence considered as being “within my department.” A system of espionnage is often brought into use, and suspected parties watched with much perseverance. So irritating is the effect of this influence and assumption in some places, more especially when it is remembered that the actions of these civil commissioners are defended and their decisions upheld, that large sums of money could be collected, if 'it were available for the EiHW for insuring the removal of these disliked Government employes, and substituting fij* B and more honest menin their places. UJe difficulty of forming an accurate judgment ff e XS ti B place under the control of VihqrOased by the fact can be obas to its actions is from the aqtnoriaed and revised documents issued by the Native office itself, and presented annually to Parliament. Any eccentricities like Pihama’s mail contract, or Kawana Hunia’s Horowhenua land dispute leak out in an irregular manner, and tend certainly to throw suspicion on other actions that are often of an irreproachable nature. By one section of the New Zealand Press the Native office is considered as the cause of all our Maori troubles—a chief agent m fomenting disputes and perpetuating grievances- a department where too many good berths and too much influence exist to be parted with; while another triumphantly points to the results obtained—that is, present peace and confidence—as a certain refutation against such Blander and a proof of the value of our policy. It is not, however, only to the present time that we have to look, but how our present mode of dealing with the Natives will influence the future.