THE EAST COAST.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1227, 16 December 1882, Page 2

THE EAST COAST.

[From a Correspondent.] Op late a good deal of stir has been caused amongst us, after a long and monotonous period of stagnation, by the advent of the shearing season, and the grass seed saving along the coast, which means the employment of labor,and the consequent expenditure of money, the natives being chiefly benefitted by the change now setting in, as very few Europeans are seeking employment up country. Several persons seeking investment for capital, principally in lands, notably Mr M. H, Smith, Mr Percival Barker/Mr Matthewson and other well-known Gisborneites, have lately been up the Coast, but with little success, as the Natives are indisposed to lease, or sell, and, if they do so, it will not be to speculators, but to persons who are inclined to become bona fide settlers on the land; that is to say, to stock it, and settle and live upon it. The gentleman named; and a Mr Haig, and a Mr Hales have been up to Waiapu, but after an adjourned meeting held for the purpose of deciding whether they should accept certain offers made by these gentlemen for the lease or purchase of lands in the Waiapu Valley, the Natives agreed among themselves not to lease to them or sell to them, aa they were put down by the acute Native mind as being more likely to sell at a profit than to settle and live upon the lands. Major Ropata is master of the situation on the East Coast as he is undoubtedly entitled to be ; by his advice and experience he is enabled to guide other Natives, who have not as yet had large experience in dealing with the guileless Pakeha as lessor, as to how they should best act in sush circumstances, having a due regard to such a wording of leases as will be binding upon both parties and conducive generally to the best interests of Native lessor and European lessee. Some large transactions in land have been perfected, for instance, I hear that Sir George Whitmore’s Tuparoa arrangements are a complete success, and the survey of the run finished. I met his surveyor returning to town yesterday, and from what he tola me there does not appear to have been a single hitch in the negotiation. Messrs Porter and Croft were the agents in the matter and seem to have worked very hard in their client’s (Sir George S. Whitmore and Mr H. J. Finn) interests, which in a great measure accounts for the assistance rendered to the surveyor in successfully carrying out his part of the proceedings. It seems to be a source of dissatisfaction to members of that profession that a surveyor in receipt of JGovernment pay on this coast is allowed to delegate his work to assistants who are also Government employees, to the detriment of other surveyors who are compelled to carry their work out faithfully. It wants a change at the head of the Government Survey Department, if such shady things are to be tolerated dy the officer at present in charge. The local head of the department is in duty bound to see that the vote is duly and economically expended. It is to be hoped that Mr Allan McDonald, M.H.R., will not let such proceedings as these escape his notice. I hear that the present chief of the department cut a reference to him out of your paper and sent it to his chief to show him that he was martyr’d.