THE GLOBE. MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1879.

Globe, Volume XXI, Issue 1654, 9 June 1879, Page 2

THE GLOBE. MONDAY, JUNE 9, 1879.

Affairs in the Native districts -ire becoming more threat oiling every day, and have indeed readied a stage at which they may bo said to be separated war by but a very slight barrier. No’bing can bo more gloomy than the accounts received from the Taranaki district. The Maoris are ploughing up the settlers’ laud, dressed die whole time in their war paint; they are throwing out threats by tho bushel; they are at the beck and ca.l of a morose fanatic ; it is supposed that a stronghold is being erected at the hack of Parihaka; and lastly the Natives have taken to hv king down on the Europeans as on men who are afraid to stand by their word, and who may easily he cowed. For all this wo have to thank our vacillating Premier. Ho and the Native Minister have, by their vagaries, instill'd mistrust, into the Native mind, have departed from a most successful policy, and. by their petty vanity—shown in di-dr feeble attempts to make great coups —have undone the work of years. Sir George Grey’s groat error has been <>ne which tho Government organs cannot, or rather will not, see. Ho would not leave well alone. Ho was constantly posing as a would-ho influential man among the Natives, as a dens ex, as a great medicineman, as indeed the “ Great Pangandrum” himself. Ho would throw himself into a limp attitude and assort that ho. and he alone, could do tho great Maori one-card trick; and the whole tim« that ho was gesticulating to the public with one hand, ho had another hand behind Ids back, signalling to the Maoris that, if they would only help him in the deception, they should not bo losers. The whole exhibition was entirely uncalled-for aud most mischievous. It was Hot li ridiculous and pitiful, Sir George Grey bad not the decent self-restraint to allow time to work out tho problem in a natural manner, but must, needs, like a low-class actor, force the situation to gain a little cheap applause from tho “ gods.” If ho had only studied the census returns ho would have seen that, in a few years, tho Native difliculty would have thoroughly solved itself without one drop of blood being shed, and without any extravagant waste of money. Shallow critics sneer at Sir Donald McLean’s policy, aud say that it was not new. Of course it was not absolutely now; no one ever pretended that it was. Statesmen do not invent policies—they mould existing ones, just as great engineers do not invent new forces, but adapt old ones to present circumstances. No greater proof can bo given of Sir Donald’s claim to his country’s gratitude thau tho present state of affairs. Not, three years after his death, we find the Natives preparing for war, recruiting actively going on among tho colonists, aud the expenses contingent on the Native question enormously increased. It matters not one straw who originated Sir Donald’s policy. Look at the picture of tho North Island under Sir Donald McLean’s regime, and then look at tho picture of the North Island under Mr. Sheehan’s regime. Was Cromwell’s policy a now policy ? Of course not. But is that consideration ever weighed in the balance when a comparison is made between England under Cromwell aud England under Charles tho Second ? Sound policy is synonymous with supremo good sense, and unless a man follows a race of idiots or settles, like Robinson Crusoe, on a deserted island, ho is not likely to find a totally unbeaten track. Sir Donald McLean was a man of common sense, and by that common sense, aided by firmness aud a wide experience, lie treated the Native question. Mr. Sheehan aud Sir George Grey stepfc into office and, throwing away common sense, took in its place vanity and a longing for cheap popularity, aud the consequence is tho present crisis.

Inasmuch as the Executive are endeavouring 1 , by massing forces in the disaffected districts, to, in some way, alleviate the present alarm and to provide against contingencies, their pi’esont attitude is worthy of praise. But the cost to the colony is enormous, our credit in the Homo market must, of course, bo shaken, and, most galling of all, the situation is not the outcome of natural events, but is the consequence of a vain old Premier wishing to throw himself Into a striking attitude. Even supposing war does not ensue. Will not To Whiti laugh in his sleeve ? He has become an historical personage, ho has put the colony to an enormous expense, and the odds are that ho is not called to account for it. The Ministry who have shown such weakness in their general dealings with the Natives are not likely, if the present affair blows over, to seriously annoy the Maori prophet, and of this the said prophet appears to bo comfortably aware.

Councillor Cass's motion re tlie desirability of Mr, Tribe, the rate collector, retiring, and re the granting to him of an annual pension of £(3O, will come before the City Council this evening. Mr. Tribe is an old and faithful servant of the public, and wo are certain that they would much miss him. But, as a man advance* in years, it cannot bo expected that he should be capable of those out-of-door exertions that at one time came easily to him. At the same time we woidd point out that Mr. Tribe is the possessor of large municipal experience, and is capable of doing great service to the city in many ways. Wo pass over the question whether the City Council has the power to grant pensions, to come to the point that, after all, the possession of a pension of £6O is not a satisfactory ending to a long career of usefulness. Mr. Tribe has been collecting the rates when the salary of rate collector was very small, and now, that it has been increased, it seems hard that ho should be shelved on £6O a year. Could not Mr. Tribe’s knowledge be utilised in the City Council offices ? Constant are the complaints that the Staff are being overworked, and that the Inspector of Nuisances has to spend much of his time indoors. instead of where his services are wanted. In a hundred different ways Mr. Tribe’s experience and capacity for work would make themselves felt for the good of the ratepayers, and an old and faithful municipal servant would not bo shunted on a miserable £6O per annum, but would, at an adequate salary, still continue his connection with a public that he is still very capable of satisfying.