THE WAIMATE PLAINS DIFFICULTY.

Globe, Volume XX, Issue 1592, 27 March 1879, Page 3

THE WAIMATE PLAINS DIFFICULTY.

[By Telegraph,! Wellington, March 26. An article, which is understood to be official, appears in the “ New ZeOlander” this morning in 'reference to the Waimate Plains difficulty. It says :—“ The land must be re-occupied,although we have some doubt of the propriety of sending back the surveyors unless protected by a sufficient force.” " The det rmined attitude of the Natives requires to be met by one equally deter, mined.” The article suggests ai a mode of retaliation that fifty acres of land each should bo given to bodies of men on condition that they hold it for seven years. The article concludes:— ‘‘Here, theft, Is the answer to Te Whiti, who might be distinctly informed thai the Government would plant posts of volunteer settlements from Waingongoro to Parihuka, and then maintain them out ot the reserves intended to be set aside for the use of the Natives, This is what we should understand by a strong policy, an i we are well ass red it is one that would prove eminently successful. Whatever power might be legally wanting to give effect to the contract, it could be obtained from the Assembly when it met.” The “ Post ” attaches but little importance to the recent outrage at Waimate, anil apprehends but little danger, but adds';—‘‘lf there is any outbreak, the truest mercy will be in its immediate and sincere repression.” lire own correspondent of the Pre-is Agency telegraphs from Hawera on Wednesday as follows : I saw Messrs Standish, Wilson, and Whareati to-day, and went to the Plains. The situation is this. All the surveyors were courteously carted off the Plains, but only boys were employed in the carting business. None of the chiefs appeared. Whareati told me that if the surveyors came back they would be carted off twenty times, but that the orders were that not a drop of blood should be shed until the pakeha became the aggressor. Some of the New Plymo th people told me that for their part they would so tie the question by the strong baud, and wipe out these Parihaka meetings, but Mr Wilson has a different idea, He w,<uld make roads through all the confiscated lau s, and trust to contingencies. Many of the people in the district would like no better fun or employment than a Maori war, but there is a strong section which deprecates hostilities. The removal of the surveyors, so far as I can gather, simply means a protest on the parr of the Maoris against He legality of thh confiscation, and they tell me they will continue to remove the surveyors, even if it be a dozen times, but will do nothing more than this and protest against the confiscation. Meanwhile the survey parties are all at the bridge.