SCARCELY CREDIBLE.

Hawke's Bay Times, Volume 14, Issue 745, 20 December 1869, Page 4

SCARCELY CREDIBLE.

fjNpE# the Reading " Mr Maori policy'' we £nd the following in a recent Jefeter of the Wairarapa Mercury's Wellington correspondent: Talking of the General Government irejninde ova of Mr M'Lean, who is always of as poseesaiflg wonderful influence pyer tfre natives, and tact in dealing with jthcm. The real secret of it is that he gives thorn ail they want, and fully carries out the " sggar-and-flour" line of policy. % am told that when at Wanganui he distributes orders right and left among the Maoris, varying the items to suit the requirements of each recipent of his bounty*---

Messrs T. A W.,-r " Qive Topia 5001bs flour, 150108 sugar, pair moleskin trousers, pair boots, two pair blankets and a blue sbirt. Donald M'Lean. $o wonder the Maoris believe in Mr M'Lean's policy, but would thoy believe jn him aa inucli if he had not the colonial purse to dip his hand in as he likes ? Of course the policy which is so popular at "Wanganui is followed elsewhere. Another instance of Mr M'Lean's extravagance comes from .Napier. When he was government Agent there he had a Major Green at £3OO a year as bjs Private Sec. When Mr Eussell was Government Agent, after Mr M'Lean's dismissal, he did without a secretary and Major Green's seryices were dispensed with, but when Mr Or mond was appointed Government Agent ]by the present Government he re-appoin-ted Major Green, and the Defence Minister when at Napier authorized the payment of Continuous salary, so that Major Green got his £3OO a-year for two or three months (during which he was not in Government ser vice at all. So much for the economy of the present Government. Won't there be a little row over these matters when the Assembly meets!