The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1874.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1831, 14 November 1874, Page 2

The Evening Star. PUBLISHED DAILY AT FOUR O'CLOCK P.M. Resurrexi. SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 14, 1874.

Thb opening of Ohinemuri is, we are informed, likely to be seriously retarded by* the mischievous interference of land jobbers, who for their own petty ends are intriguing to bring about fresh complications between the native land owners and Mr. James Mackay, Native Land Purchase Commissioner. The opening of the upper country is a much desired event. Anticipations of its realisation have been so frequently awakened during the past, only to be rudely dissipated, that the most sanguine believers in the diplomatic abilities of the Governments agent were fain to despair of the opening being accomplished within a mbderate. term of years. The meeting at „.Whakatiwai, however, and the turn of'! affairs which took place thore — the credit of which belongs to Mr. James Mackay, juniorrevived the hopes of all, and it has lately come to Delookeduponas within the bounds of probability that Ohinemuri will be opened, the principal native landowners and most influential chiefs—including Te Hira and his followers, who had formerly been amongst the roost formidable ob-

structives—having sccepted Government money on account. Mr. Mackay has now been a whole week amongst the Natives, his object being to complete the purchase of the blocks of land on account of which he has at various times paid the'large sum of £26,000. No one U better acquainted with the temper of the people with whom he has to deal than Mr. Mackay. He is perfectly aware that the Natives have very little scruple about repudiation when they can see the slightest chance of trying it on successfully. That they hare attempted it during the week is evident, and it is believed that they have been put up to this by intriguing pakehas, who have ends of their own to serve which are unmistakeably inimical to public interests, and calculated to seriously embarrass Mr. Mackay in hi? work. These persons, whoever they may be, deserve to be held up to public opprobrium; and, if they have paid money on account of land in defiance of repeated warnings, they deserve that their claims should be repudiated. It would perhaps be a lesson to them in the future not to interfere with the, progress of negociations for the acquirement of a public estate. We are all so much interested in the success of Mr. Mackay'e negociations that public opinion should be brought to bear upon this matter—to assist him by every legitimate means, and discourage anything and everything calculated to retard the opening of the country to the miner and the farmer. By his own confession Mr. E. V. Dixon has no private grievance to ventilate : his impudent interference in a public matter of such moment is therefore without excuse, and is deserving of general condemnation.

Boßbxr&Hr'Councillors have evidently a just appreciation of the position which the Provincial Government have assumed towards this district. The discussion on the- report of the Committee to consider the question of Borough expenses, reported in our columns yesterday, elicited a confirmation of the fact which we stated some days ago, namely, that the Provincial Government had not paid any portion of the vote of the Council for assisting the the Municipality during its infancy. It is true, as we may be told, that this vote was intended to cover eighteen months; but, as six months of the time have elapsed, it is surely time that a moiety of the vote were placed to the credit of the Borough. It is obvious, however, that the object of the Provincial Executive is to cripple the Municipality in every possible way, and by lavish grants to Highway Boards to create a feeling in their favor as a means of local government to the disparagement of municipal institutions. To the repeated applications of the Borough Council for a portion of the money voted by the Council the Superintendent has turned a deaf ear. In some cases the excuse is preferred that the payment of the vote is contingent upon the revenue coming in; in other cases letters from the Borough Council have not been treated with the ordinary courtesy of a reply. And the result is that the Borough Council have to go on increasing the overdraft and incurring additional liability for interest. As remonstrances from the Borough Council have failed to make any impression on the Superintendent and his Executive, it would perhaps be advisable to ask the united assistance of the representatives of the district in the Provincial Council. The liberality of the Government towards the Highway Boards stands out in marked contrast to their niggardliness to the Borough Council, and elicits comments not at all favorable to the Government.

The gentleman who has held the office of Provincial Treasurer since the election of Mr. John Williamson to the Superintendency has resigned. This is not what may be termed a surprise. Mr. G-eerge McCullagh Heed's political career up to the present may be compared to the course of the rocket — going up with a sudden brilliancy and comiDg down like a stick.* As a journalist Mr. Reed has gained a certain notoriety as a reckless and unscrupulous writer—with no settled views on anything, but changeable as the climate of this country—every thing by turns and nothing long. As a Provincial Councillor, and a member of what should have been a popular Executive, he was a failure. Entrusted with the paternity of certain Bills he failed utterly, and had it not been for the Provincial Secretary he would have had to retire long ago ; but Mr. Sheehan pulled him through, and redeemed his Education Bill and Financial Statement from general rejection. Known as a pungent writer, it was expected that he would prove an able debater, but in this respect disappointment was most palpable and unmistakcable : he was put down as the veriest stick even by the neophytes who comprised nearly a majority of the new Council. It will not, therefore, grieve anybody to know tbat Mr Eeid

has retired from the Executive—as a member of which he was neither ornamental nor useful.