PATEA MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1880. OUR MEMBER.

Patea Mail, Volume VI, Issue 525, 27 May 1880, Page 2

PATEA MAIL PUBLISHED Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday. THURSDAY, MAY 27, 1880. OUR MEMBER.

Major AYkinson was invited to address his constituents before Parliament meets. He has not done so, and he still makes no sign. If the local member cannot come here to exchange ideas with his constituents, they must even go to him. They propose to do this by putting their wants and wishes into a public petition? and forwarding it to the local member for presentation to the House of Representatives. He will doubtless be asked to support the several prayers of the petition, and these are not likely to be of a character that would justify neutrality or lukewarmness, bn the part of a local member. Major Atkinson is in a position to know that this constituency is not unmindful of public services, and if those services are of a kind that should entitle him to a renewal'of confidence when the election comes round, that confidence is likely to be renewed generously. But the reckoning, when it comes, should bo strict and just. It should take into account the things done and the other things left undone, so far as they affect the material prosperity of this district.. Has he done all he promised for this part of the Egmoht district, and if not, why not ? Has he done all he might have done to obtain equal grants for local public works, and equal expedition in their execution ? Does he give' as much -attention to the parliamentary interests of Patea County as he does to the, district adjoining New Plymouth ? , If not, he must have some reasons to offer, and they ought to be made known.. A clear understanding, is needed as to how far this County . may claim the parliamentary services of Major Atkinson.; It is necessary that this should be

so, because the local public arc distinctly ■■ dissatisfied , with their position under present conditions. We do not know of any general desire to support some other candidate in opposition to the present member; and, so far as the .advocacy of the Mail can affect the matter, we have no intention, or desire, or wish to displace Major Atkinson for some other representative. The Mail is not, andshall not bo, a party journal. We would strongly resist any. partisan movement for displacing Major Atkinson. We would support such a movement only when it took the form of a general public desire. Wo have no knowledge of any partizan movement at present; but we cannot help knowing there is a general and strong determination to have the interests of this County brought into parliamentary notice with more zeal, more tact, more businesslike advocacy than has been the case hitherto. If Major Atkinson will address himself to the promotion of our interests with the straightforward skilfulness which he is known to bring to bear on other interests, he will be a popular member, and will be safe aginst all competitive candidates. He must see, however, that things have come to such a pass that there must, be an end to political trifling, however plausible or ingenious may be the reasons for so many and so glaring sins of omission in the past.

TRANSITION MAORIS. Te Whitl’s son, a youth of 12 years, is visiting Now Plymouth, and the attractions and amusements of “city” life are said to be turning the young prophet’s head. The boy represents a new generation of Maori civilisation that will soon push the old aside. The native young men of to-day are less isolated from the pakehas than are the grizzled old warriors who drink and smoke in the English manner, but think with Maori ideas, and talk with Maori speech. These -tatoped fellows are the intermediate generation between perfect savages of the past, and enlightened savages of the future. Whether the Maori will become more like the pakoha, or the white settler* in the Taranaki bush wdl become more like the brOwn, heavylimbed Maori, is a problem that must take time to work out. There is no visible cause, either in climate or in physiology, impelling an approximation of the English towards the Maori physiognomy, nor even towards the Maori color. Those peculiarities arc not the outcome of thf* Now Zonlnml climate, nor is any peculiarity distinctly due to the scenic surroundings, so far as ethnological data assist us towards a scientific deduction. The Maoris must have landed here with those peculiarities fully formed under other conditions. To suppose that British settlers are insensibly developing into British Maoris is a bugbear to frighten only the unreflecting. The same habits of savage life would change the stalwart, rosy-faced, clean-limbed, lithe and active farmer into the heavy, lazy, lumbering, pot-bellied Maori. But the question started by shallow scientists is: Will the white settler develop, in course of generations, into the brown, flat-nosed, hard-featured Maori ? Give ns reasons why he should. Failing those reasons, the proposition looks stupid.

COUNTY POLITICS. A runr.c meeting is being promoted in Carlyle, by requisition to the Chairman of the County Council. The requisition was presented yesterday to Mr Dale, as official head of the County ; and having regard to the importance of the subjects proposed for consideration, and looking to the number and character of the signatures, the Chairman promptly consented to call a public meeting for Tuesday next, to be held in Carlyle as the County town. It is gratifying to observe that the local public men are making an effort, determined and practical, to give, shape and expression to public opinion in this district. It is proposed to express local opinion, partly in the form of a protest against past neglect, partly as a petition to Parliament for equal rights and privileges in the future. Remembering the past neglect of politicians and Ministers towards this County, and seeing how that neglect may be presently repaired, it becomes a duty for the loaders of local opinion to make known our position to the colony through Parliament. ' Let us petition for the redress of local grievances, and if baulked once, or twice, or many times, go on petitioningPatea County is in this position, tba fc unless it speaks out, loudly and persistently, it will get nothing. It will continue to get just that minimum of incidental and fragmentary advantage which comes from favors bestowed directly on Wanganui and New Plymouth; neither more nor less. The,“ crumbs which fall from the masters table” will content this district no longer. Those crumbs tantalise the appetite without feeding the body Wc want several things, aiid some of them are wanted badly. The 1 fequisi-

ion sets forth four urgent requirements: (1) a separate Parliamentary Representative'for Patca County; (2) the completion of the main line of Railway between' the broken ends, and the pushing on of a branch line to Patca port; (3) a speedy settlement of the Plains, but not on the lines of the Commissioners’ Report; (4) the commercial necessity of making the Patca river a port of entry for imports. The palpable importance of these subjects, in relation to the substantial improvement of this district, needs no demonstration in argument. The settlers and the trading class have been forced to look at colonial politics through the light of first principles. They who demand most, get most. Colonial policy is a policy of grab. A district which has got its public works completed preferentially can afford to rest, and look back, and talk “ high falutin ” about the virtue of self-abnegation. When Patca County has been brought up to the favored level of New Plymouth or Wanganui in re local public works, our politics may be then expected to take a larger scope, and we shall bo sufficiently fat and contented to preach high politics, Insisting on the virtue of self-denial, and rejoicing in a placid contemplation of the Beatitudes. But we want arrears made up first.