Mustard and Cress.

Northland Age, Volume 1, Issue 13, 8 November 1904, Page 3

Mustard and Cress.

It occur* to us that some time bark the Maitgonua County Council decided t|> |>re*ent an illuminated addicts to the laic County Chairman. Then* appears to be no indication of the presentation eventuating, and, as is usual with local bodies, we presume that "intentions’* ♦ and not "deeds” will be the end of the matter. It is only in the fitness of things that the good work of the late County Chairman should go unacknowledged. No public man expects to receive a just or even fair recognition of his value, and the public generally are noted for the injustice which they mete out to all who serve them. But, we sincerely hope that councillors and ex-councillors, who have ccrved with Mr. Houston, will remember that the matter is one for their attention, and that they will not overlook or forget the one man who haa in the past led them •o ably.

Writing of this County, we are reminded of the various complaints from KaitaU. In the writer’s opinion much of the inconveipence. arising from neglect to roads in the Kaitaia Biding, is traceable to the ratepayers themselves, and we trust that there will be some increase in the general interest token in local affairs. The ratepayer who tokos no part in the local election has no cause for complaint - he indirectly contributes to all the failures in his riding, and it is the duty of every ratepayer to select absolutely the) estman to represent his district.

'We noticed a paragraph, in last issue of this palter, to the effect that the Manjronui Wharf dues wcie not being col--4 lected satisfactorily. We can scarcely credit such a statement, as wo know how efficient is the wharfinger, but it is not a iratter for the wharfinger so much as it is the duty of the County Chairman to e<« that the dues are collected promptly. « Drastic measures may be necessary, but a simple rule enforcing payment could easily be arranged. No goods should be delivered nr the shed until the account for all arrears of wharf dues had been paid by the person owning such goods. When is the Abqtara and Horekino telephone line to be erected ? The Government appears to be as dilatory in this as it is in railway construction. The residents of Ahijnra and Herekino have themselvci guarante<d the maintenance of their own wire, and they deserve much more consideration than the Orum, Feria, Fairbum and Victoria Valley received. The Orum - Peria line 'was erected promptly and paid its way immediately; the Fuiilum-Victoria Valley erection whs not delay«d and is now (we are given to understand) a burden on the County. The Ahijiara-Herekino line would doubtWs incicase the returns from Fairbum arid Victoria Valley, it would assist the Whole of the County communication, w btdd be of great service to the persons most interested, and the County fund is against all loss. Wo hear of no jjtops be ng taken to push this telej hnfr e connection forward, and voice our tfubg disapproval of the delay. (bnr attention has been called to the nuif Jcr of buildings lately erected, or in cow of ejection, in Mangonui, that is to »jkv in i/tvvii * <\ip. each mugn tir ' centoftcr- most of them reach the enormous dimension* of twelve feet bv ten by eight—we wonder what new professional element is to enter into our business life. We dn ad the idea of a lawyer settling in our midst, as he would make much uuneoenary litigation; we cannot imagine the arrival of another surveyor (we have so ii.any in our midst) and can only conclude that the latest, building is merely to mark the fact that the time of expansion hpa arrived. We often wonder what is the real aim and end of the Native schools of the colony. We know that the Native children are well taught and that on the whole the schools arc well staffed, but we fail to see the usefulness of teaching the Native-*. The average Maori girl or boy may learn as much of the three " B’s ” ns the average colonial, but the Maori rarely uses the knowledge in after life. After leaving school the Maori boy enters his * kain/rtt with the evident intention of living as slothful a life as is possible. He plays billiards, gambles, attends horse races, and rides about the country, w orking as little as possible and probably |k living on accumulated debts. The Maori girl eventually man it s the above individual, digs gum in order to assist in his rapport, rears—or attempts to rear—-a family, and lives as a drudge to the Maori man. Wherefore, of what use this education of Maori children ?

The weary legislator will be very ehoitly, if he lie not already, on his homeward way. New Zealand must feel relieved that such an arduous worker will at length be at rest and that the bag of speech gas has at Inst burst. The interminable lionsense which we have had to read under the heading of " Parliamentary Reports,” in our daily newspapers may now give ploce to records of the doings of the Land Tenure Commissioners. Naturally our legislators will be glad to return to home life, and doubtless after long nights expended in the House they consider that they deserve well of the Colony. Had there been less talk and more honest work, the Colony would have no cause to complain, not that we wish to see a heavy statuto book, but two months should have been ample to do all that Parliament has done this Besson, and we would sow be glad to give our legislators a rest for, say, three or four yarn !

That the Heme Government cannot have satisfied the British public—both in HHM£ugland and abroad— as to the iuanageof the Russian Baltic fleet difficulty, Ho one will deny. It is well to have war, but why should Britain any other than her own tribunal ifir a case of piracy ? It is deplorable to think that the wily Russian has again , beaten our Foreign Office. The permis- / sion of the sailing: of the Russian fleet from Vigo Bay leaves England at a Jr serious disadvantage, and that there will \ be anything amounting to udcqu&te punishment of the responsible Russian officers, for their complicity in the Dogger Bunk outrage, we cannot expect. This is perhaps the first really serious case which nas been submitted to the Hague Convention, and our only hope of justice is that the Convention will recognise that its very existence is threatened should it now show weakness or any partiality. SIDNEY HERBERT.