MAORI COUNCIL.

Gisborne Times, Volume IX, Issue 871, 22 April 1903, Page 4

MAORI COUNCIL.

TROUBLE UP NORTH. Per Press Association. Wellington, last night. Mews was received liero to-day that trou'iin has occurred among the natives at Kaiko-he, Bay of Islands, over tho question of banding over to the Native Laud Council various blocks of land. A number of natives of the Ngapubi tribe object and violence is said to have been threatened. The Native Minister will proceed there and endeavor to settle the trouble. MACDONALD ,STOK\ . In (he operations round Paardeburg, while the General slept in iiis tent, a tidel, probably a Kaltir. stole his hoots, which had been hastily removed and thrown down outside. The General's baggage waggon had been abandoned in a drift in the Madder river, and he was literally possessed of what he stood up in. lie had no boots ! As die General had u remarkably small font, no" Tommy" boots could be found to lit him, and for many days “ Fighting Mae" was reduced to the necessity of appearing in the field in green-hide “ veldschuon,” made for him by u loyal Dutch transport rider. If rumour is correct, ibis trip (Cook 8 Islandsi wiil lead up to a prolific crop of questions when I’ariiamcut meets. A Ministeiial follower from the Middle Island threat.ms to " make it hot for the Govevnuicut for, i.i ins opinion, " frittering away money on a perfectly useless mis. sion." If is scandalous, said he, that nearly TdOOO should be spent on giving members a few weeks’ pleasurable outing at the expense of the colony, whilst sett'ers in the back country are continually j crying out for better means of communication to their districts, only to be told that money is wanted for more important purposes. “On principle," he said, “I and other members intend to take the Government to task for wasting money so

, ,!; ; h!v and recklessly." In connection wit it - trip, it is significant that almost a: the la<t hour some intending excursionists backed out from going- and no*?;:) says that their action was influenced n I, ... L xtciit by representations from i|. c ir cciistittu nts,' aud the fear that if t:.ev ] in making flic journey it wott’u uatctirtil.v affect their chances at the- next election. Personally, I should characterise this story as absurd in the extreme. —Auckland star.