THE MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH.

Southland Times, Issue 1223, 15 March 1870, Page 3

THE MILITARY OPERATIONS IN THE NORTH.

A correspondent writing from Napier to the Otago Daily Times gives the follow- j ing particulars of the operations which are being carried on against Te Kooti :— The good people down South will be sorely puzzled to understand the *' defen* sive" war now going on in the North Island, and still more so to discover the " economy combined with efficiency " of the Ministerial arrangements. If the people of the South are in a difficulty, they cannot be in a greater one than we settlers in the North are upon these points. Colonel Wbitmore'B men are being gradually discharged, it is true, but their places — to the number of some i hundred and fifty—^are taken hy Mr ! Branigan's big detectives, whose greater skill in the use of handcuffs is rewarded by a much higher scale of pay. The old A.C., though there might have been still room for weeding when Mr Eox came in, i and though some of the men were not very sober at pay day, was at least a trained and eminently '"fighting" force. Tt is believed that up to the present time it has not been possible to use a single one df the new body that is to succeed ; them in the field ; and itis even whisperedthat many of the new men were tried; before under Whitmore and dismissed. Efficiency can hardly, therefore, have been -secured ; while as to economy, the hordes of friendly natives employed ever since August last make it utterly hopeless to look forward to a less expenditure when the bill is presented. So much secrecy prevails, and so much espionage over military officers is practised, that it is impossible to ascertain with any degree of exactitude what is being spent every day, and as yet unfortunately without result. Te Kootiis again in the mountains, to dislodge him from which was the occasion of the large muster of forces of last May, which Mr Eox so loudly condemned. Apparently a new effort is about to be made to get him out ofthe hills, and once more in to the open country. The Uriwera mountains, besides being exceedingly rugged, are entirely clothed with the densest jungle, so that unless Te Kooti is entrapped or shot by some special inter-, position of Providence, there is almost no chance of securing him by an expedition in pursuit. All that can be done, besides partial encounters, is to destroy the food ; and if the TJriweras, unwarned by the destruction of their crops last year, plant them again ahout their best known villages, this may be accomplished. When the potatoes are destroyed Te Kofti may come out again to some more favourable locality, and may then be once more pursued withmore'orlessluck. But it is evident he is too smart for those who for the past eight months have directed the operations against him, and at best, if successful, we shall only find ourselves again where we were last year when Mr Eos: took office. Unfortunately we shall no longer possess the same men, or the flame prestige, that we then possessed amongst the Natives,; and shall be the worse by nearly half a ; million of money. Though difficult to as- [ certain exact numbers, I think you may ; rely on the following as being near the! mark. The numbers include all on pay in' the Island, whatever may be their ; stations : — | Old A. 0., Whitmore's men 850 I New do, Branigan's, -say ..„ ... 150 All Europeans 1000; Kempand Topia, friendlies, hired hy Mr Fox 600 Taupo Natives 200 Arawas (to include those with Fraser and Mair) say 500? Bay of Plenty Natives, Ngaiterangi, Nga*ipukebo, tc. (believed to be holding posts) aay ... ... ... ... 150' Ngatiporou, including those at Patea {100 at Patea, the other figure is guess work) 500; Hamlin's Natives and Volunteers <(more or less) .« ... ... 400 2350 Add to these the persons emp^oyediin transport and commissariat, Opotiki Volunteers, and Militia everywhere on pay— not less than ... 350 3700 Now, of this force, not less than 3000 are actually drawing field rations, which, from the mode of supply being by packhorses, cannot cost less than 2s 6d, for the men get still the ratio v and a half each, given them during last winter for road-work. The daily pay of the private will therefore be, includitlg his ration, 6s ; and making due allowance for the different grades, and for Mr Branigan's men at high pay, perhaps 7s 6d per head for the 300), aad 6s for the 700, will represent one item of the daily cost. At these rates we have the former costing £1125, and the latter £210 ; or in all, a daily sum of about £1335. To this must be added a considerable amonnt of horse-flesh and other items ; so that the country is just now paying somewhere about £1500 daily for its "economy," and unfortunately, without the least encouragement to hope for any solution of its difficulties. Last year, in July, when Mr Eox ordered the general retreat to the coast, he in fact called off the ** dogs of war " which were almost at Te Kooti's throat- he afforded him a breathing time when nearly exhausted, wbich enabled him to recover and recruit, and ultimately to baffle our many generals with a skill "which, in a less horrible ruffian, would be worthy of admiration. Whether it is that so many masters create 'confusion, or that they are not; competent, as an open question. Whether . the great bodies of Eriendlies realfy help! us or help the enemy, is also open to; doubt. But how Te Kooti's force, which was under 100 when he left the mountains: last year, has escaped so long with im-, punity, is a point upon which there are \ strong opinions. The men of the oldi force confidently assert that they could; alone have crushed Te Kooti at any; moment without the Eriendlies, who are; by no means all Kemp's, aad. there are many who believe what they say. Mean- ; while the best hope of improvement lies in .a asf some -sort. Hitherto,!

though our forces have in eight months walked round Taupo, nothing else of note has been achieved. A few of the unfortunate inhabitants of the localities through which Te KooiE has marched have been shot by one side or the other, but the " old guard " of the outlaw will return to the TJriweras with scarcely an y loss.. Some say three, some say six, of those killed since July last, belonged to Te Kooti's own band, but it is very doubtful ,if ?li jbe has even lost the less nu^^rKiJ-t i'.Js a very pretty muddle — ani- wiat v makes it seem all the worse is that ; thifi new order of things superseded on economical grounds one which in all human probability would have long ago ended the war, and left us a force able to prevent future outbreaks. The present system leans onthe friendly Maori, whose support can never be wholly calculated upon, and who will not serve except in huge bodies. . The old A.C. foree — ill- j used and out of favor— is purposely; allowed to dwindle away* and the more expensive and wholly inexperienced force, which should be preparing to take its place, is evidently unsuited for the present, circumstances of the country.