Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE : MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1882.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1170, 9 October 1882, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE : MONDAY, OCTOBER 9, 1882.

It is with great pleasure that we announce to the public of Poverty Bay that the Government, in accordance with the repeatedly expressed and earnest wishes of this community, as laid before them by Mr Allan McDonald, M.H.R., at last see their way clear to the establishment in Gisborne of a Registrar’s Office for the East Coast District. The Cook County Council this morning received intelligence that the Government fully recognise the importance of such a step and that the construction of the office will very shortly be au J'alt accompli. Without a doubt this will be one of the greatest prac-

tical boons this district has hitherto received. The want about to be supplied has long been i seriously and vexatiousiy felt to the detri- ' ment of the district generally, and as a ! drawback and hindrance to its business inj terest®. Mr Brycf. will be remembered in I the political prayers of the East Coast Dis- • trict for having so warmly advocated the I division of the North Island into separate i Native Lands Districts. He has in such ad- ’ vocacy received warm and hearty support ' from members who are diametrically opposed to him in party politics; and to the generous abandonment by those members of party principles to general interests, the Native j Minister must feel greatly indebted or 1 the successful issue of his plans, from which . issues this most devoutly wished for conI summation, The advantage to this district | accruing by such action on the part of the ; Government is simply incalculable, and must I inevitably bring its own reward by increase population, and consequently revenue. We have only one request to make. It may be remembered that some few evenings ago while writing upon this subject and urging the importance of the establishment in Gisborne of a Registrar’s office in connection with the Native Lands Court, we deprecated the possible appointment of Mr Richard John Gill to the office of Registrar for the East Coast District. That gentleman is excellently adapted for the onerous duties devolving upon him in Wellington, and we cannot but acknow ledge the value of his past services to the Government ; but he will never do in Gisborne. He has been long connected with the district as a Government land purchase officer, and as such his interests have clashed far too frequently v, ith those uf private individuals to allow of his ever being a popular officer here. The length of time he has been connected with the district has only served to make that clashing the mure prominent, and while, no doubt, the Government were the gainers by it, it has not served to give Poverty Bay residents 1 confidence in the appointment of Mr Gill to the Registrarship. Such an appointment would be looked upon with suspicion, und would tend to destroy much of the intrinsi value of the establishment of the office. Mr Gill, like all other men, officials or otherwise, has his weaknesses, and, as a natural consequence, his proclivities, neither of i whiuh, we venture to say, are calculated to ' contribute to the impartial administration of

the duties of Registrar for the very important diatrict of the Rust (-oust in the event g! such an appointment failing to him. Apart from his official capacity in reference to this district, we have not one word to say against Mr <4ill, whom in private life, we believe to be a most estimable gentleman, ami one who in a private, but by no means public, capacity would be an acquisition to any district. . In making these remarks we strike a warning note, ami, while pointing out to tiie Government the serious and vexatious trouble which would inevitably arise from the presence at the head of the Registrar’s office, of a gentleman, who, otherwise respected and full of ability, has by former traimctions, placed himself "in direct opposi-

tion to the interests of the residents of the district; we would simply beg them to pause and well and carefully consider the matter with mature and well weighed deliberation before they frustrate their very best efforts in our favor by appointing Mr Richard John Gill to the important office of Registrar for the East Coast Native Lands District. Verb. sap.