ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

Patea Mail, Volume III, Issue 257, 26 September 1877, Page 2

ORIGINAL CORRESPONDENCE.

[We are at all times ready to give expression lo every shade of opinion, but in no case do we hold ourselves responsible for the sentiments of our correspondents,] SCAB IN SUE BP. (To the Editor of the Patea Mail.) Sir, —Permit me through your columns to ask a question of vital importance to our community. Cum wf, by our present procedure and treatment, put a slop to the spread and stamp out the disease of scab V I think not. The difficulties in doing so will, I am afraid, be found greater in a district like this —divided into small holdings, often indilferntiy fenced, traversed by numerous open roads, and grazed by numberless small flocks—than in a country of like area, with fewer sub divisions, and larger flocks. Small sheep farmers are often without the means required for the construction of works absolutely necessary for the rapid curing of disease. But such works ought to be obligatory upon all sheepowners. lie who cannot afford the works, cannot aiford to keep sheep. By Ins doing- so, and neglecting precautionary measures, he becomes a nuisance to his neighbors, and renders himself pecuniarily liable. Should disease appear, lie cannot make use of conveniences provided by the more provident: and by the time that his own arc ready for use, in all probability the disease has spread through bis flock. In order to eradicate scab, wo want something more than an occasional flying visit from an Inspector resident at a distance.

Sheepowners must make up their minds to support) for a time, a competent resident sub-inspector themselves. Let him be appointed Try the Government, at the recommendation of such sheepowners. Lot him work under instructions from the Chief Inspector. He ought to he well paid, and promised a liberal bonus upon the whole district being proclaimed clean. He must attend the different musters of flocks, see to the frequent dressing of infected sheep, and exercise a constant supervision. Ho must enforce piecautionary measures and stringent penalties. In conclusion, apologising for my encroachment upon your space, I consider that the future sheep grazing capabilities of this country are immense, and will rapidly develop ; but we must, at almost any cost, get rid of our present evil repute, or no one will eare to introduce fresh and valuable stock amongst us. Trusting that this letter will lead to discussion, and eventually to good result— I am, &c., Hy. G. MORECROFT. Croftmore, Sept. 18, 1877.

“WILD CAT” IN REPLY. (To the Editor of the Patea Mail.) Sir, —I was intensely amused by reading “ Flax Bush’s” notice of my letter, signed “ Wild Cat,” concerning Mr Middlemas and the Hawcra Institute. “ Flax Bush” makes the great mistake of supplying abuse in place of arguments, and his knowledge of natural history is as remarkable as his command of the English language. I think my letter had none of the “ scurrility” he speaks of —it was a calm and temperate letter ; but I bow to his decision concerning scurrility. __ His lono- personal experience makes him an authority on tlie subject. Why does he say my name is correct,, because a wild cat is u hollow-headed” and “-without brains?” He should not j.udge of other_ animals by his own anatomical construction —a wild cat could never live and prosper with a brainless hollow head, as Mr Flaxbush does. I think his nmn de plume far more unfortunate than mine. If he will take a

friend’s advice, he will avoid flax in any form—whether that of bushes or of ropes with nooses; 'whilst my name is true enough—warm soft fur for all friends, and strong sharp claws for all foes has the WILD CAT.

DOGS— REGISTERED OR UNREGISTERED. (to the editor of the patea maid.) Sik, —Can yon inform we whether I am right in the supposition that a dog is supposed to he unregistered unless hearing a collar with badge attached. lam not very well up in these matters, but have a strong suspicion that such is the case. If so, I would like to know whetlnr the Carlyle Police are not neglecting their duty in not looking more strictly after matters, seeing what a nuisance so many mongrel curs running: at large are likely to become, if not looked after. Taking a quiet observation in the streets of Carlyle a short time since, I counted no less than fifteen dogs (or rather, things called by that name), and to satisfy a kind of curiosity, I took tire trouble to notice further, and ascertained that the largo number of three out of the fifteen possessed a collar and badge. You will observe that I have taken the trouble to put in as few I’s as possible, as since Mr New Chum constituted himself the Hawora Public—something after the Three Tailors of Tooley-streot style—and criticiseflfcjio action of a correspondent of writing on bis own account —instead of merely minding our P’s and Q’s, we have now to mind our I’s.—l am, &c., CURIOSITY. [Note. —All dogs without collars arc deemed by the Ordinance to be unregistered, and according to the provisions of the Ordinance, it is the duty of the police to summon the owners. The chief of police lias been informed to that effect. —Ed. Mail.]

THE MON W. FOX ON H AWE I? A AND NATIVE DRINKING. In the House of Representatives on the sth September, the Hon W. Fox moved a motion as follows : “ For the production of all instructions issued to the police during- the past year having for their object the suppression of gambling, swoops, lotteries, and raffles. Also, a return of the- number of prosecutions and convictions for gambling or illegal games in public bouses or other public places. Also, the production of an} 7 instructions issued to the police toenforce the law against the sale of spirituous liquor to persons of the Native race; and a return of ail prosecutions and convictions against the laws in that behalf.” The following are a few extracts from Mr Fox’s speech as reported in Hansard, the first portion of which specially referred to lotteries and gambling. Mr Fox said, “ Wbat ho was about to call the attention of the House and the Government f.o was the position in which, they stood at present with regard to a very considerable class of the laws which were already in force in the Colony, either by virtue of the English .Statute law or by virtue of the laws which they had themselves passed against gambling,, and against the sale of intoxicating

liquors to the native race. . . . Instructions should be given to the police, to the Magistrate’s, and to the ordinary Justices, to put the police in motion, and to occupy a large portion of that unoccupied time which the police in the country district usually had, in putting these laws in operation. . . . They

should not put laws on the Statute Book it they did not intend to enforce them. After going pretty fully into the- question of lotteries and gambling, Mr. Fox continued. The second part of his motion referred to the supplying of Natives, particularly in the Native districts, with intoxicating drinks contrary to law, It was a fact that Natives wore now supplied with intoxicating drinks to a very great extent, and in a manner which was ; disgraceful to this country and to any Government which permitted It was attended with the most serious peril to the public peace of the Colony, There were parts of this country, either purely Native districts or mixed districts, where there were very few European settlers but where there were largo numbers of Natives, in which public houses had been scattered freely by the much-lauded Licensing Benches, and in those districts brawls and fights, and demoralisation in every conceivable shape, prevailed. Disturbances occurred among the Maoris in these districts even in the immediate neighbourhood of a Constabulary Barrack. Ho would, for the information of the House, read a few words from a Wellington paper —the Evening Post —to show what was going on in the Hawera district, in the Province of Taranaki. (The honorable member read an extract from the Evening Post of June 11,1877.) The account gave a very fair representation of what might be seen in the dis • trict referred to, not only on an election day, but also on any other day. He (Mr Fox) had had to stop at a public house in that district not Jong ago, and he was able to say from Ins own experience that the evil effects of drink were very great amongst the Maoris. M liiist he was there he saw Maori women lying drunk on the sofas in the hotels, and drunken brawls wex - a of frequent occurrence, while there was a Constabulary station not fifty yards distant. This could not have happened if the Constabulary had been instructed to talM steps to prevent the sale of intoxicating liquor to persons of tire Maori race. On the occasion of one of his visits to Hawera a sitting of the Resident Magistrate’s Court was held, the Magistrates being the Resident Magistrate of the district, who was a very worthy and zealous man, and two Justices of the Peace, who were officers of the Native Department. Two

Natives were brought up —one being charged with having been found lying dead-drunk in the street, and the other with having been drunk and fighting in one of the public houses of the district. The man who was found lying dead-drunk in the street stated that he had been drinking at the three public houses in the district, and that ho had got drink at all of them ; and he was convicted. Ent the other man was not convicted. He stated that he had been drinking in the public house, and that he had been gambling with cards until he got drunk; and he was acquitted for some reason. He (Mr Foxl sat listening to what was going on, and expecting, as soon as the case was over, to hear the Magistrates toll the police to proceed against the publicans who had sold the liquor to the Maoris; but they did not do so. Subsequently he called the attention of the Magistrates to the fact that a flagrant breach of the law had taken place, and that they should take notice of it. They immediately asked, “Is there a law under which wo can proceed against them?” He turned to Mr Justice Johnston’s book, and showed them that they could instruct the police to prosecute the pubtaans who had supplied the Maoris The Magistrates then said that it would be a Very hard thing to lay an information against the publicans for such an offence as that, without notice. He then told them that it would be proper for them to do so, because the publicans knew perfectly well that in supplying Natives with intoxicating liquor they were breaking the law. The police force was not now under any local influence, and lie hoped that the Government would now compel the members of that force to take action in the direction bo had indicated, He hoped that circulars would be sent round to the .Resident Magistrates and Inspectors of Police, instructing thorn to put the law in force in their districts in regard to these matters; and ho trusted that by that means the evils of which he complained would be put a stop to. There were some Natives who would have nothing to do with drink—there was To Whiti, for instance, who would not allow intoxicating liquor to be taken into his territory ; but there were other Natives who wore brought into temptation, and who drank accordingly. He might state that in consequence of the drunkenness of some witnesses the Judge of the Native Land Court at Hamilton had had to adjourn the Court, and the person who supplied the Maoris with that drink ought surely to have boon prosecuted by the police. After giving instances of reform effected in his own and other districts, the hon gentleman concluded by remarking that he saw four or five members of the Government on those benches who must know that these things were allowed to go on to a shameful degree in the country. For instance, there was the Premier, who must be perfectly well aware as to the truthfulness of what lie had said in regard to Native townships in Taranaki. He would not say any more at the present time, hut hoped the Government would accept the resolution, and cany it out in its entirety. Mr Carrington, in seconding the motion, said he could quite corroborate all that had fallen from the honorable member for Wanganui about the township of Hawera, for he had heard much stronger language used hy members of the Provincial Council and by the foreman of works during the time he (Mr Carrington) had been Superintendent of Taranaki. He had been informed of men having been kept out of their beds all night owing to the drunkenness and fighting at this place ; and at one time he had taken it upon himself to write a letter to the Government, representing the matter to thorn. He had received a very courteous answer; and, in a few weeks, he heard from Hawcra that cveryorderly, that the house was cioscTT at ton o’clock, and that there were none of those disturbances which had previously given annoyance. He had intended to move further in the matter; but he though he might by so doing ruin the Magistrate, and ho lot the matter drop. Since then that Magistrate had left the district, and so had the publican who kept the house, and things were now going on much better.

Mr Bowen said the Government would lay the papers asked for on the table ; but he would point out to the honorable gentlemen that the Government had only recently obtained control of the police. They had been till lately under provincial control. In Auckland they had had control for a somewhat longer period. - He was quite aware that there were very groat abuses in different parts of the Colony, especially with regard to the Natives being allowed to get drink. The Government were fully alive to the importance of dealing with the matter, and they had issued instructions to the police, and fully intended to take care that the police should carry out their duty. The motion was agreed to.

The Government Insurance Commissioner’s report presented to the Assembly for the year ending 30th June, states that 1,896 proposals were received during the year for £789,564, of which- 487 were declined or not completed, leaving 1,409 policies issued for £563,928. The claims during the year have been exceptionally light, amounting to only £11,750, being 40 in number caused by the death of 39 persons. The ratio of the total expenses of management (including commission) to the premium income has been reduced to 14-7 per cent.