The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1878.

Patea Mail, Volume IV, Issue 343, 31 July 1878, Page 2

The Patea Mail. (Published Wednesdays and Saturdays) WEDNESDAY, JULY 31, 1878.

The opening up of the Waimate Plains is a tiling that has anxiously been looked forward to for a considerable time past, both by residents in the County, and people in other parts of the colony, the opening up of which will throw into the market some of the finest land in New Zealand—we might almost say the world, Jt has been a knotty point, however, for the natives did not seem disposed to yield possession of this splendid tract of country, ami nothing but firmness on the part of the Native Commissioner (Major Brown) has induced them to give wav. There is no doubt but that the lesson the Momahalu natives received, in having part of their compensation money slopped, for interfering with the survey party, Las had a salutary effect with regard to the Waimate survey. However much the natives may desire to keep the Plains, they know the result of resistance, which ’would inevitably mean the loss of the laud, and any compensation they would otherwise derive. On Major Brown and party proceeding to the Waimate Plains, on Monday last, accompanied by a strong survey party, he was met by a body of natives on the other side of the Wningongoro River, who protested against the survey being

carried on. They were told by the Commissioner that if they would not allow him to proceed, lie must instruct others to. The natives seeing that it was determined to carry on the survey, quietly subsided, and that most important work to this district—the survey of the Waimate Plains —is now being proceeded with, and we trust the natives will have the good sense to allow it to be proceeded with.