NEW ZEALAND.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1399, 9 March 1905, Page 1

NEW ZEALAND.

(Per Press Association.)

AUCKLAND, last night. During the four weeks ending February 25th the Kornata Reefs Goldniilnging Company treated 1320 tons of era for. £3463. .WAIPAWA, last night. A 1 ballot for the. Mount Vernon estate'will be held here in April. . • ... NELSON, last night. Tho Rev. F. G. Buckingham, of Nelson Baptist, Church, has received a ' call to"' 6amh.ru,' and has resigned the 10.c.al pastorate.

WANGANUI, last night. Messrs Hatrick and Co.’s new. barquentine Alexa arrived to-day after a protracted and tedions seven months’ voyage from Loudon. After leaving Adelaide on February Ist Where her steering, gear, damaged on the trip across, was repaired—she was hung up in Bass Straits for fourteen, days. She carries a cargo of 4:50 tons on a draught of lift and is classed 100 Al at Lloyd's, being built of steel throughout.; Her decks are of the same material- Captain i White was .accompanied by, his wife during the long voyage. A Herald representative has obtained valuable information oopcernthe decline of the Maoris, and the steps agreed to,- ibe taken to improve their condition, from Mr C. W, Grace —the teacher of Pamojia School,, one of the most successful institutions in the colony, in connection with which the Government over twelve months ago started, a village scheme,. which is no,w threatened ,to be dropped. /The natives have sent a pathetic letter to the Premier, appealing ,to him to continue, the scheme, and. stating: "We are dying fast, and want you to show us how, to lifve and work, so that we may not ■all go down to the-grave,’’. Mr Grace says ■ that the' proportion of the deaths .of natives, and their suddenness -.is appalling. Often - only one or two in a family of ten children survive, and nothing else can be expected so long as newly-born infants are allowed to breathe' 'poison in ,wb|arepunis - void of ventilation and' reeking 1 with tobacco smoko, whilst-numbers of infants arc annually taken away 'from their mothers and' adopted by. women ignorant of the need of cleanliness, of food,' and surroundings. ; Mr Grace says ■ that had a portion of : bhe money voted to education been spent in bringing' the natives ojut of the pas and getting them to house themselves in -well-ventilateU dwellings, to -attend to laws of cleanliness and to 'bo constant and intelligent,', more real good 1 would . have been' 4 done-' The land is the place’for the Maori and intelligent - activity, • wholesome 1 surrtoujndinigs, and the ever-present knowledge that ho is subject to a law that can reach;and strike- -him are factors that alone will say,e him from rusting o.ut. -' • '