The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1885. NATIVE AFFAIRS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume IX, Issue 125, 1 May 1885, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. FRIDAY, MAY 1, 1885. NATIVE AFFAIRS.

From a recent issue of the Patea Mail we notice some remarks by our contemporary's Hawera correspondent, which haveaspecial significance of their own m relation to tho present administration of Native affairs. The correspondent writes as follows : — • " In the shadow of the greater topic of the Russian movements and pros-; pects of the big war, the little trouble' now brewing up the coast is apt to be' overlooked. Rumours have from time to time reached here with regard to native disaffection at Parihakn. Last week fuither acts were committed upon the settlers' property m the locality. " Your Own" and the editor hinted some time since such consequences would result from the removal of the Constabulary from that part of the district. Mr Ballance, with what overweening desire to shine and eclipse his pedecefisors m office, and also acting under the inspiration of his theoretical chief, the Premier, has committed an act, the consequences of which may quite possibly be not only anxiety and trouble but great and unnecessary expense to the district and colony. The Premi-, er's fads about the Maoris are well known, so no one is surprised ; but for Mr Ball a \ce, who should have known better than to have run )tW risk of another disturbance by the 1 re- 1 inoval of the force which was passively averting it, i» anything but to his credit. It is not beyond lt\i& realm of the improbable that the same piece of indiscretion may place the Ministry m jeopardy next session. With a vast expenditure going on at the chief cities, the colony will not be disposed to look leniently upon a deliberately provoked necessity for another Parihaka expedition." It would appear that Mr Max I). King, a resident of Hawera has written to the Premier on the subject of Native affairs, which Mr King rightly considers a question which is of vital importance to the interests of that district and to the Colony as a whole as affecting expenditure, unless the proverbial " stitch m time" be taken. In this letter he refers to the Parihaka trouble, and the Maoris interfering with the settlers m that locality by taking away and destroying, their property. He goes on to observe : — "At present the cloud is small, but I venture to predict that unless checked at once, a repetition of the scenes of a few years ago will inevitably follow, | The Maoris are as numerous, as united,- j and imbued with the same infatuation as they were then. Imprisonment and various measures on the previous occasions deterred them, but lately the last check has been removed, and as a consequence they have at once begun their old games. A dozen or twenty constabulary retairfed at Parihaka would have proved an efficient check to any Maori bravados, whereas the entire abandonment has led the natives to delude themselves with the vain hope that they are left masters of the situation. Ido not for a moment, intend you to think that I anticipate a regular Maori rebellion; such, an, idea is absent from the Maori mind. But they will annoy and aggravate those new settlers until they become unbearable. My experienca of this coast is life long, and I must say that when I heard of your Government • breaking up the post at Parihaka, I was grieved beyond measure. To speak plainly, it was as suicidal an act as that of the Stafford Ministry's abandonment of the Pukearuhe redoubt, -when shortly afterwards the Maoris committed at the White Cliffs, without fear of molestation, the foul murders of the Rev. J. Whitely, the Gascoine family and others. The two posts. Pukearuhe and Parihaka, must be of vital importance for some years ; all others on this coast south of Mokau may safely be left with volunteers. Parihaka should be occupied at once by a. large force which should be gradually reduced, and then retained as a police station for years to come, for that district will always be sparsely populated by European settlers, and the Maoris will make it a rendezvous so long as they exist as a people. Even this step will not alone, I am afraid, be sufficient now to deter the Maoris from their foolish acts, still if actions of a firm and and determined nature be not taken without delay, no one knows what the consequences may be. At the same time the Maoris have their grievances. Large blocks ot their lands have been sold by and for the Government, and a portion leased for their sole use and benefit, but the proceeds have not yet been paid over to them. Yet it is years sinoe the Royal Commission first begun their labours, and about two years since the first of their lands were leased. .1 have taken upon myself t® make these comments, with all due respect, feeling by experience that the . importance of the subject will be a sufficient excuse for troubling yon " We trust the above veiv moderate and rational comments will liav<> due weight with the Cabinet. Mr King is not si man Lo exaggerate or over— stale 1 a citse, and what he points ovt may l>e relied upon us deserving of attention. There i.s little doubt that the Natives Iv.ive ejrtevaucos ici togard to Irtiirl question?, but thoy mn>t not be allowed on th:il account to commit .•impressions with impunity. We think that the signs of the times with n>gard to Native affniivs up Paiilmka way nv<» noc reassurinsj !>v any moans, and though wo do not anticipate, any more than Mr King does, a regular

Mitori rebellion, we con '.e nil that a defiant spirit, is ii"\v m thu nscend.infc amoiiijthem, which m ay Ic.id tosoiious consequences before long if remaining unchecked. If settlers are liable to 1)« molested, Ihmitened, or intimidated, the result, will l oe that the progress of the country will l>« interfered with to a serious extent, and tlu; evil will bo mugniliud at Hmne iuto a Native outbreak, thus cheoking'immigration »nd doing tho Co'ony incalculable injuryin other directions. We. (rust nroinpt measures will lm adopted to convince the Natives that any lawless acts will he severely punished, and that aggression m .my form will not l»o allowed to pass unnoticed and undetected. The "difficulty" can be effectually dealt with at the present, stage, but later on it may have assumed a more serious aspect and much greater magnitude.