ALONG THE COAST.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1135, 31 August 1882, Page 2

ALONG THE COAST.

Fcrtitsr fsrendo rincitur nudum quod non evltarl potest. “ Coming events cast their shadows before them." So sure as this adage is true, so sure It is that we here, have a future in store for us, that it would be well to be prepared for, in more ways than one, a future so full of ignominy to the European, so immersed in Maori bigotry and superstition, abetted by a few white outsiders, that it will become impossible to live here. Yet one would think that with all tho paraphernalia of the law existing as it does here) in the shape of magistrate, police, Native assessors, and last but not least a “look-up,” that things as regards Maori matters, would not be so bad as It has lately been shown that they are | and it only proves more clearly, that with a little help from without, how entirely all this peace preserving machinery, is superseded by its morbid analogy as administered by Maori committees, whose pernicious mandates (backed by the assessors paid by Government to aid in the preservation of Her Majesty's peace) are in many cases carried out in this district at the law, and if resisted enforced as such Fl et Armit. Many of your readers will probably think the above picture sadly overdrawn, but for the benefit of whoever should happen to have ideas that way, I cite one instance, and could If I liked many more. Some three years ago a well-known gentleman, in this district, took np a run on a Native lease at Tawhiti-o-Paka, on the northern side of the Waiapu River; having stocked it with sheep, built a house, and made some other improvemonte ; he with his wife and family came to reside there; on paying the rent the first and second year, the supposed native owners squabbled among themselves, as to who was entitled to it, until it seemed that those who were acknowledged to be the owners got a very small share of it, so the third year it was decided to survey the block and put it through ; the court, so as to see who were the actual proprietors; accordingly an application signed by some of the pnncipal people, among them “ Pineaha Koia ” (the justice of whose claim cannot be doubted it having been acknowledged by aU) was forwarded to the Chief Surveyor, and Chief Judge of the Native Lands Court; in due time an authority was received by Mr W. F. H. Haig directing him to proceed on to the block and survey it, whieh instructions that gentleman immediately prepared to carry into effect, and started the survey a few days after (receiving them; but start was all that he was allowed to do ; being immediately stopped by a mob of natives who hitherto had not put in any claim to the ground to be operated on; but who now at the instigation and by the advice of two Native Assessers hail been put up to stop the survey which they accordingly did; threatening at the same time to use fire arms if tiie work was persisted in, at the same time a letter was brought to the surveyor by Paratene Ngata from Major Ropata Wahawaha both of these gentlemen being Assessors (I mean the Maoris) informing him among many other things, “ that he (the surveyor) should have asked his (Ropata's) permission before starting any survey In the district." A nice state of things truly ? Mi- Haig's disgust can better be imagined, than described, for tlie last month or so, trouble emanating from the same source has been continually- thrown in the way of his work, anil now the thick end of the wedge la driven home, with insult and arrogant impudence, the authority of tiie chief surveyor is wantonly laughed at; and becomes as nothing under the questionable “mana" of a pseudo chief. Parateno Ngata is, I understand, in the employ of a firm in Gisborne, who it is to be hoped will see into the meaning of his conduct in this case KokaKO. August 22nd, 1882.