REPLIES TO MR. DIXON.

Thames Star, Volume VI, Issue 1861, 19 December 1874, Page 2

REPLIES TO MR. DIXON.

(To the Editor of the Evening Star.)

Sib, —Will you be good enough to insert the following, in reply to statements made by E. -V. Dixon in an advertisement in this morning's Advertiser, referring to Native accounts,

In the first place, I am responsible for the correctness or incorrectness of all the accounts referred to, haying had charge of Mr. Mackay's accounts during all the time he hag been purchasing land for the Government. In the scond place, Mr.

Dixon's statement that the nativdg could not or did not get the particulars or items of their accounts, is simply false. On every occasion when a tettlement of accounts was come to with a native or natives, they invariably went into every item of the account and were perfectly satisfied as to its correctness, before signing an acknowledgement to that effect. The memos. of the accounts of Tinipoaka and Wikoka, published by Dixon to-day, were given them after their last settlement of accounts at Ohitiemuri (as to all the other natives) after they had gone into their account item by item. Ihe object intended to be gained by publishing these " raihaoa accounts "is no doubt to make the public believe tKat the natives have been almost wholly paid for their land in food or "rainana." Now, what are facts:—l find, on reference to the books, that Tinipoaka has been paid £508 17s in cash to himself or to his order; the 7s 6d which appears on the memo, referred to was to make the amount of his orders and account an even sum, viz., £108. As to Wikoka, £931 5s 4d was paid to him or to his order in cash.

The natives themselves, as far as I am aware, have never expressed any dissatisfaction with their accounts.

The amount paid these two. native* is large, but then Tinipoaka is a very* large land owner in Moehau, Waikawau and Ohinemuri blocks; and Wikoka owns a large tract extending from Ohinemuri to the East Coast.—l am, &c, GEBAIiD O'HXILOBAN. Shortland, 19th December, 1874.

To the Editor of the Erening Star.

Sia,—l beg to state that I have always been present with Mr O'Halloran and acted as interpreter when the native! were settling accounts at various times, and that in every instance the accounts were gone into item by item and fully explained. Upon the last occasion at Ohinemuri different days were fixed, and each hapu came on the day appointed and went into their accounts and were perfectly satisfied. In one or two instances items were charged to. the wrong person, which were then and. there corrected.—l am, Sec,

J. JL. GITJMMNG, \ Jiicensed Interpreter. Shortland, December 19,1874.

Xi to kai ta neupepa kei Xereama Taone.

Eva rongo au ki nga korero o te ret* ate Kikihana i tuhia kite nupepa o tenei ra, ko taku utu mo. taua reta, he hori hori, na taua tangata aua korero katoa.—« Heoiano Na Tinipoaka te Ngako. Hoterene Taone, Tihema 19,1874. [teansiation.] To the Printer of the Newspaper at Grahams* town. I have heard the words of Dixon's letter published in the newspaper of this date. My reply to that letter is, it is false ; that man invented all that statement.—All

(Signed) Na. Tinipoaka te Ngaxo. Shortland Town, December 19,1874.

Xi te kai ta Nupepa kei Kereama Taone.

Kua ronga an i nga karero a te Bikihana kua tubia kite nupepa i tenei ra taku waka heki mo tena korero he hori hori tena korero katoa na na ano tena korero kei wakarongo k«utou ki tens korero he kojrero hori rawa tena iorero. Na Wi Koha Unahi. Hotereni, 19 o Tihema, 1875.

[translation.] To the Printer of the Newspaper at Grahamstown.

I have heard the words of Dixori, which are written in the newspaper of this day. My reply to that statement is—that talk is false throughout; that statement is his own. Do not listen to that talk, it is very untrue. • ■.'<■.■

(Signed) Na Wi Boka Unahi. Shor.land, December 19,1874.