Mysteries of the Land Purchase Department.

Hawke's Bay Times, Issue 1588, 26 June 1874, Page 267

Mysteries of the Land Purchase Department.

The Auckland correspondent of the Otago Daily Times writes:—" There is tribulation at Ohinemuri amongst the Maoris over the land sales. One tribe sold the land over which the other had a joint right, or some inexplicable claim. They got £BOO for 1,000 acres, but unhappily in the land sold was included an old burial-place, and hence the prospect of a very pretty intertribal fight. The people at the Thames are very much dissatisfied with the action of the Government altogether, in the matter of land buying. They charge them with going shares with large capitalists from the South, whoso competition they fear, and instructing their Thames agents to buy for these people at the same time as for Government, dividing the purchase afterwards, or some arrangement of this kind. Whilst doing this, they set their faces against the small buyer, who, but for them, would be able to deal easily with the Maori themselves. This is the latest development of that great mystery, the Native Department; and if you only heard half of what is said here, you would understand, and be quite ready to appreciate the feeling against it, which I have often chronicled in my letters to you. It is a close—a very close—corporation, in which a few men pull the wires, have almost unlimited power within their several circles, and take good care that their friends shall be rewarded, whilst those who dare say a word against them go empty away." The proposed Civil Service Club.

The Tribune says:—A new Civil Service Club House is proposed of somewhat magnificent proportions. An acre of land on the new reclamation is spoken of as a site; the house to contain seventy bed-rooms, with suitable public rooms to match ; and connected with the building a co-operative store for the supply of goods of all descriptions. It is not difficult to trace in this germ of the undertaking some of the ideas of our leading financier, who when he goes in for anything goes in for it fully and to some purpose. The civil servants complain of the high prices charged for provisions and all sorts of supplies, and they think of going in to supply themselves, The idea is a good one if it can only be carried out. ■ The first thing Mr Vogel ought to do, in furtherance of the scheme, should be to put on the estimates a rise all round to every officer of the Government—under £SOO a-year—it would be nothing more than the barest justice—or better still, put a lump sum to wipe oft all existing liabilities to rapacious landladies, drapers, and jewellers, so as to let the whole regiment of Government officials start fair. Perils of the Bush.

The Northern Wairoa correspondent of the Southern Cross, writing on the 10th instant, states:—"lt is my painful duty to have to record two fatal accidents which have happened within the last few days. The first was to a bushman of the name Dennis Sullivan, who was working at the Awakine Bush. He was employed in felling a tree, which, as it fell, lodged in another close by, sprang forward, and then back again, throwing the tree that he was felling on to him. His companion called out to him to run, but instead of running the poor man stopped, thinking that by so doing he would avoid the danger. The tree then fell right across his back. A jack had to be employed in extricating hini from his painful situation. He survived for two hours after, and was raving the whole of that time till within a few minutes of his death. The body was brought to Mangawhare, where an inquest was held, before Thomas Webb, Esq., Coroner, and a respectable jury, when a verdict of accidental death was returned. Deceased was a man of about 50 years of age, and has always been known as a quiet, steady man. It is reported that he had several hundred pounds in the Bank, and has relatives living at Christchurch. The second accident, which happened on the same day as the above, namely, Friday, sth June, was to a bushman, named Charles Shadworth, better known as Bed Charlie. He was working at a place called Ripo, on the'Wairoa river, and was felling a tree with his employer, a contractor named Daniel M'Sherry The tree fell into a ricker, that is, one that had lodged before, which broke through the centre. The man, seeing the head of the tree coming back upon him, became frightened, and did not know where to run for safety. The head of the tree fell right upon him, completely crushing him. In this instance death must have been instantaneous. The body was brought down to the Kaihu store, and on Monday, the Bth inst., an inquest was held before T. Webb, Esq., and a respectable jury. A verdict was returned of " Accidental death." Little was known of the deceased, as he was a stranger in this part of the Province; save that he was a bushman, miner, and a sailor. His age iVas from 35 to 40 years.

Lost in the Bush, The New Zealand Times, 7tli June, says:—A child named Ettie Needbam, four years old, has been missing from its parents' residence at the Upper Hutt since Sunday afternoon about four o'clock, wlien she was seen playing in the paddock behind the house. Upon the matter being reported to Constable Lyster a diligent search, in which about twet.ty of the inhabitants took part, was-made, but though they continued the hunt till twelve o'clock at night no tidings of the missing child were discovered. The search was resumed at daylight next morning, the bush being carefully examined, but the girl had not been discovered up to two o'clock yestei" day, although a separate party had dragged the creeks in the neighboihood. The child has very likely strayed into some portion of_the bush which has escaped the vigilance of the search party, who will continue their exertions untill her whereabouts is tracked out. The family had only been a short time in the district, having arrived in the ship Wennington.— The same paper of the 20th says:—The missing child, Ettie Needham, who has been missing from her parents' residence at the Upper Hutt since Sunday afternoon, was found between four and five o'clock on Thursday, about a mile from her home, by a girl named Hogan, who, was out in search of cows in Hogan's Bush, near Barton. The poor child was alive when found, but was in a very exhausted condition, having been exposed for four days and nights to the bleak weather of the past week without sustenance of any kind, and without clothing such as would afford protection from the wintry blasts. She was promptly conveyed to Mrs Hogan's house, where restoratives were administered by Dr. Wilford, but the trial upon the system had been too severe, and she expired between eight and nine o'clock yesterday morning. Dr. Wilford's certificate, that the child died from exposure and exhaustion, will obviate the necessity for an inquest.

The Maori visitors to Shorthand have proved themselves such good customers that the storekeepers aro wishing a native meeting would take place every month. An inquest was recently held on the body of Isabella Tassie, aged 81 years, who was found dead in her bejl. She was a confirmed laudanum-drinker, her habit being to take an ounce at a dose three times a week. In the course of her life she had drunk many gallons. Her death was found to have been caused by suffocation while under the influence of the drug. The Grahamstown Evening Star reports the first-known appearance of fire-damp at the Thames. In the .Crown Prince mine, on the evening of the sth inst., a loud rumbling was heard, and the manager, hurrying to the spotyfound it to proceed from an influx of water. On holding a candle to the orifice whence the water was issuing, the whole workings became filled with a sheet of blueish flame, which rushed up the shafts. The gas burnt out in about ten minutes, but the timbers show marks of the fire. The manager was uninjured. The Good Templars of Auckland view with satisfaction the action of Mr. S. Ooombes, the well-known draper and clothier of Queen-street, who has leased the Duke of Marlborough Hotel, which he intends to convert into one of the finest drapery establishments in the Colony, The Thames Advertiser, " 11th Junej states:—" On Wednesday, Mr T. Morrin, and Mr Eichmond, solicitor, of Auckland, were passengers by the Crown, from Auckland, and are to proceed to the Uppe r Thames district on a land-purchasing expedition. We believe the locality in which these gentlemen are looking for land is in the Piako district. On Monday Mr D. J. O'Keeffe purchased from the Maoris a block of 400 acres, near the Miranda.

Wc take the following choice cutting from the Southern Cross's account of the late diabolical attempt to burn down Hobson's Buildings : —" There was observed a strong smell of kcrosine, and a gentleman connected with the Daily Southern Cross Office, found inside the door a portion of a newspaper saturated with that inflammable fluid, though still unconsumed. This piece of paper had apparently been carefully folded up, was thoroughly saturated with kerosine, and on examination afterwards was found to be a portion of the Evening Star of Wednesday last." Here is the inevitable advertisement of the newspaper reporting the circumstance—the name being distinguished by the usual glaring capitals. Observe too, the result of the ' careful examination " by the intelligent reporter—that it was the Star—that inflammatory evening paper—not one of the dignified morning journals, which the miscreant chose to carry out his design.

The New Zealand Herald administers the following rebuke to the local graziers : —The Auckland people are again behind the age, and are allowing another province to reap fruits which they themselves ought to gather in. We are told that the Messrs Fisher-, the wholesale butcher in this city, have actually been been obliged to send to Napier for a supply of beef. Of course, it is well known that the cattle raised in the Hawke's Bay province are superior to those fed in the Auckland district, but there really seems to be no reason why such should be the case. The advantages of climate are all in favor of Auckland, but there appears to be a kind of sluggishness in the province which prevented even beef being grown with advantage. As the Auckland graziers have failed in furnishing the quantity of meat required in this large seaport town, the enterprising firm we have named has been compelled to establish a branch business at Napier; they have also purchased six hundred head of cattle in that district, which they intend for killing to be salted down and sent to to this place to supply shipping. Under other than existing circumstances all the demands of the port might have easily been filled by graziers in this province had they any enterprise.

The Circle understands on good authority that the new editor of Punch will be Mr Percival Leigh, who has long been connected witli the staff o£ that journal. A traveller at Invercargill recently describing the difference between railway travelling in New Zealand and in the Home country, spoke favorably of the civility-shown by colonial conductors:— He said that in England the guard thus accosted the first-class passengers, " Ladies and gentlemen, your tickets, if you please." To the second-class he said "Tickets, please." And to the third, " Now then, your tickets." The Bluff guard looked upon all as first-class- passengers !