The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, APRIL 26.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume I, Issue 116, 26 April 1884, Page 2

The Telephone. PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. GISBORNE, SATURDAY, APRIL 26.

To express ourselves in the unmeasured terms we feel prompted to, in deprecating the selfish policy of Government in depriving that loyal chief and brave soldier, Major Hopata, of the small annual allowance deemed a pension, but called a salary, would we feel assured be unnecessary, as strong language is not required to uphold a good cause. The course taken by the Government is ungrateful, impolitic, and an insult to the feelings of a man who has throughout the severest tests proved himself a staunch supporter of the G-overnment of the Colony, and to the death, a loyal subject of the Queen. He has consistently refrained from mixing in politics, a rock upon which many a steadily steered craft splits, and has not committed one act to lessen his right to the small recognition of his great services to the Colony, in its hour of extreme need. When rebellion was rife, the wives of our settlers being ravished, and their children murdered, it was then the Chief Kopkta, with his Ngatiporou warriors, came to the aid of Government, took dire revenge upon the rebellious murderers, driving them for refuge, to their inland fastnesses. Many the hard-fought battle, many the campaign and hardship endured by the staunch chief and his followers, ere peace was restored to the country. The special services, acts of bravery, loyalty, and determination of Hopata under most trying circumstances would in themselves almost fill a volume, and within our limited space to touch upon one, would be but to give a dim reflex of tke great whole. That his services have been, in a military sense, recognised and deserved, is shown in the sword of honor presented by Her Majesty, also by the New Zealand Cross, both of which arc held by the Major ill high estimation. Strong representation is being made to Government to reconsider the course taken by them, and to heal the pain inflicted upon the loyal heart of a loyal man.