Untitled

Thames Star, Volume X, Issue 3118, 14 February 1879, Page 2

Native difficulties, more or less serious, are continually cropping up in the County, some of them requiring only a little diplomacy, others the expenditure of a few pounds in conciliating obstructives. As long as the demand is reasonable, and the expenditure in favor of some natives whose amour propre may have been offended through their not being consulted on some matter, people have become so accustomed to this species of mild blackmailing that they grin and bear it. When, however, there is reason to believe the native difficulty has been created by the cupidity of a pakeha or pakeha Maori, every effort should be made by the authorities to carry their point without acceding to frivolous and extortionate demands. The native difficulty we refer to is in regard to the removal of snags from the Waihou.for which purpose a sum of money was granted by the Hon. Mr Sheehan only recently. The County Engineer instructed a County employee to mark and number certain snags impeding the navigation of the Waihou prior to calling tenders /or removing the same. The work was done, or partially done, when certain natives proceeded to remove the marks from the snags, and demanded compensation before the work could be proceeded with. The convenient pakeha then steps in, and offers to settle the matter between the County and the Natives, and remove all the difficulties. It is needless to say that the person who so promptly comes forward to remove the difficulty is the one who is suspected of having created it; and we trust the County will make enquiries to satisfy themselves on this point; for there is no doubt that more than half the difficulties to be contended against in dealing with the natives are the result of the mischievous interference of pakehas.