NATIVE LAND COURT.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 65, 13 February 1884, Page 2

NATIVE LAND COURT.

Uawa, 9th. Feb., 1884. The Court has been engaged since its opening upon the Kaiana Block, 1,442 acres. This is a Native Reserve situated on the East Coast, adjoining Mr. Ormond’s lease, Anaura. Monday has been appointed to hear applications from the Ngatiporou tribe re adjourning their several eases to Waiomatatini. Tologa Bay has assumed quite a busy appearance since the opening of the Native Lands Court. It is being held in a small building adjacent to Madame DeCasta’s hotel (late Trimmer’s) the accommodation provided for the Native claimants is small but comfortable, and does great credit to the people of the south side of the river. Up to tne present only one case has been before his Honor, viz., the Kaiana, a Native Reserve, of 1,442 acres, adjoining the Anaura Block. Great exertions were made by the Northern Natives to have the Court removed to the other side of the river, but his Honor, considering this the most convenient, refused to entertain their application—rightly too, I think this being the most central. Monday has been set apart exclusively for Ngatiporou, when the time of the Court, I anticipate will be fully taken up by applications for adjournment, they being very anxious to have their cases heard at Waioinatatini. Bye-the-bye, Major Ropata has been to considerable trouble and expense in erecting a very nice three-roomed cottage for the Judge at that place, this being, I understand, one of the grounds of objection alleged to the Court sitting there—want of accommodation, but now this has been done away with, thanks to the thoughtfulness of the Major. Tologa is at present full of Europeans—from the smart limb of the law to the greyheaded Pakeha-Maori—all busily engaged in land-sharking, signature-catching, whiskvdrinking, and speculating generally. In fact, the spirit of competition runs so high that one of our leading official purchase-agents, after landing his fish, takes care they shall not escape the meshes of his net by looking the Natives in his office until he has effected his purpose. Another finds his work so very arduous that he is compelled to take frequent draughts from the flowing bowl to recruit his energies, and, long before the sun has set in the western horizon, he is numbered with the slain in the worship of Bacchus. Great amusement has been caused by the perusal of the Telephone of Wednesday containing an extract from a Sydney journal as to those engaged in the purchase of Native land. Many of the classes there mentioned can be found here—from the heavy-weight confidence-man, large as life, to the lanky interpreter—but, alas, the bummers, vevers, and hoodlums are wanting. In our next effusion we hope to be able to give further sketches of Tologa and its present inhabitants.