WAIROA.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 89, 16 February 1876, Page 3

WAIROA.

(FROM OUR OWN CuKrtKSrONPENT.), Monday, February 14. I have just read your remarks, about natives at present defying the authorities. You say that Major Turner had not, as Stated been appealed toj; whoever says so, it is simply untrue. Mr, Dickie wont up to the sect ion on Tuesday with a constable. On finding the natives in possession and ibcir refusing to go, a written report was sent and delivered to Major Turner on Tuesday, and it was not till Thursday I telegraphed that the authorities had not taken any action in the affair. Kcreopa was there, whether a leader or no , and tin: story about (lie bones, is just the sort of Mu If "for a cunning old fox like Tapa to gull simple folks with, the real fact being that Kereopa was away for more men. Major Turner, according to the Mail, states that the natives have two maimais, and Would make light of it. Mr Dickie, who was with the Major, says the natives have about half an acre of his bush down, ami are preparing the material for a large whare. If it is such a trifle, why are not the two or three natives at once removed Riddell's affair commenced with one old man squatting in a house, which ended in a large village, and Riddell being ejected-. For all the good Major Turner’s visit has done, perhaps he might as well have stopped at home. The natives are laughing at him now. Captain Blake promised to come this morning, but it is now noon and he has not shown up. The made several appointments at Wailotara but failed to that appears to ho part of the system and is, no doubt, intended to tire out the sufferers. The question of whether the land was legally confiscated, is not one •for Major Turner and Captain Blake. Mr Dickie has a Crown grant, and L.at is quite sufficient, oven if the land had not been confiscated. Tapa and bis party are said to be not the proper aboriginal owners of it. They are trying to frighten the Government into bribing them, and they say so plainly. I have just ascertained that Tapa and .party have shifted their quarters on to another section in the same locality, and belonging to Mr W. Dickie. It is rather a puzzle why they have done thus, but it is no doubt some trick by which they think to sell the pakeha. One of the men was in Wairoa to-day, ins name is Kuri Tangi, and he says that he, Tapa and Spain, are the only three men to-day on the ground, and that there they will stay in spite of Major Turner, or anybody else, until the Government or some other party pays them for every acre they claim. By-the-bye, this Kuri Tangi, about the end ■of 1867, attempted to bounce one of the first settlers on this block, claiming bis land, &c., but that settler first ordered him •oil, and then, as he did not go, took him liy the scruff of t? e neck and kicked him into the road, the result was that his claim to the laud bus remained dormant until now, and Kuri Tangi was glad to live on friendly terms with the pakeha settler. Kalittlo firmness let! to such happy results then, would not the same thing answer now. This little affair has perhaps been made luo much of, but the more insignificant it is made to appear by the authorities, the more insignificant must the authorities appear who are unable to deal with it, and so settle the bother. Are the A.C. not strong, enough to arrest three men? If nut, more help is available for the asking.