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Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1882.

The present week is fraught with portentous events one of which deserves special mention as the first of its kind inGisoorne. We allude to the sale by the Loan and Mercantile Association of certain lands the property of the New Zealand Native Lands Settlement Company. The operations of this Company have called forth much criticism from all sources some of which has been advene in the extreme to its interests ; more especially in the matter of title. Knowing how difficult a thing it is to complete title to Native lands in New Zealand generally, and Poverty Bay in particular, we not long ago called attention to what in our opinion were the dangers attendant upon offering such lands for sale prematurely, t.e., before title was complete, and could be handed over at the time of sale. This the Directors of the Company now assert that they are thoroughly able to do and so the danger accruing from this source is removed. Another and in our opinion a most dangerous experiment made by this Company has been the withholding of the publication of its balancesheet while uttering a statement from Directors to Shareholders setting forth the position of affairs a most brilliant aspect. That these proceedings are unwise we have no hesitation in still saying, but we do not say they are irremediable. On the sale to-morrow lies the crucial test of the Company’s abilities to perform its contracts with the public, and we need hardly say that while allowing considerable margin for the effects of the blunders referred to we shall be very glad to see those contracts fulfilled to the letter; fulfilled in such a way as shall give the public confidence in what should, under energetic and capable management, prove a payable concern. One great reason for disliking the basis on which this Company’s operations arc conducted is that they start from a philanthropic line, and with ostensibly philanthropic motives which have no real existence beyond the imagination of those whose fertile imagination supplied their being. The Natives as a rule do not believe in this theory, and we are quite sure that no one will give the directorate of the Company credit for anything of the kind. Still although we thoroughly question and disbelieve the philanthropic portion of their operations we do not deny that in shrewd business such philanthropy even on paper may be easily dispensed with, and tne payable recoupment of the Company’s outlay not interfered with thereby. Nevertheless it gives a false ring to the metal which is strangely suggestive of spurious coin. We await with much curiosity the result of tomorrow’s sale.

The Whataupoko Bridge is likely to become the subject of much litigation. Mr. W. L. Rees claims that he has paid the contractor, Mr. J. R. Davies, every penny due upon it and has positively received delivery of the bridge from Mr. Davies. That gentleman on the other hand asserts that he has only received progress payments on account of the bridge, and has never given delivery of it to Mr. Rees at all. This Mr. Rees distinctly contradicts in such a manner as to lead | us to the belief that there is very hard swearing, to say the least of it, going on somewhere. Mr. G. L. Greenwood, the Deputy-Registrar in Bankruptcy, has we believe permitted Mr. W. L. Rees to assume direction of this bridge which came into his (Mr. Greenwood’s) charge in the insolvent estate of Mr. J. R. Davies. Naturally Mr.

Davies’s other creditors are beginning to be anxious about their chance of obtaining Settlement of their claims of the most valuable portion of the estate is thus disposed of without their consent. It appears to us that if the bridge has been paid for there must be documents extant in support of such a view. People don’t part with large sums of money, especially in progress payments, without obtaining receipts for them, nor are contractors generally in the practice of surrendering large and valuable works without being paid for them. One thing is certain, either the bridge has been paid for, or it has not; either delivery has been made to Mr. Rees or it has riot, arid the statements on one side must be false if the statements on thb other are true. Taking it generally there is more diametrically opposite swearing of this nature in Poverty Bay than in any other part of the Colony ; a fact by no means creditable to the district. We wish Mr. Price would make such an example of any one against whom perjury is proved ae might be an effectual deterrent to others that way Inclined* There cannot be the slightest doubt that a severe example is needed. We fancy we have heard an expression of opinion regarding the prevalence of crime of this nature from Her Majesty’s Judges,

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/PBS18821127.2.6

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1211, 27 November 1882, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
822

Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1882. Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1211, 27 November 1882, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. GISBORNE: MONDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1882. Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1211, 27 November 1882, Page 2

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