SATURDAY JANUARY 5 1878.

Waikato Times, Volume XI, Issue 865, 5 January 1878, Page 2

SATURDAY JANUARY 5 1878.

The account which we have received from » Kihikihi resident of the bounceable c nduct of the native* towards the te tiers of the extreme tromier townships m anything but satisfactory The settlers themselves are willing to le> much oi this pass notice, lest the constant iteration of complaints should so ire outsiie capital from tb».\ district, and depreciate the value of land. The consequence has been that petty outrages have beeu from time to time hushed op, or at least have never found thtir way into print, till a< last 'htt matter has simply become unbearable. To such a pitch has a now risen, (hat the day of the Ouftupo sale is said to be looked forward to by many with anxiety, m> account of the necessi y for the rnal members of the family leaving th it homes to atteud i\ Tiie other da^ a settler returning home toward evtiiing, saw his wife milking m the cowshed and at the same time * native hurrriedly leaving she house, and thinking that something was wrong, hurried forward to fiud t=iat the native was mnkiug oflf with b shawl and other portable proper ;y he had taken the opportunity of laying hand* on while ihe house w ie left vacant. Portions of akrri. cultural implements are hfc.)len Jrom the field, and generally, m a small way, the natives do pretty well as they like. N"W such a state of things while ii calls for no sen -us ap reherisions, unless some day some settler more hotheaded than the rest shouM catch a Maori redhatidttd m some of these little eccentricities and, taking the law into his r.wn han'te, shou d bring a Maori hornets nest about >he ears *>f the (tovernment, such a state of thingN, «c pay, >s «nythiiig but satisfac.ory. It. is" simply incomnatable with «ood Goven.ment, and a disgrace to the Oniony, -nd the more so that the remedy ; s so simple. We h.ve urged i he matter repeatedly ou the Govtrnment. and m vain. For some rea>o" or other, Kihikihi had a bfook m rk affixed to its name m the I urean of the Defence Department. There haa been a ohnnare lately bo h m tbo bead vf Peience V^mv^

meat ami m the co-.Tituand of the Da.:encH Fopee, and[ £r >m the present Def^cr^^/wster'tinJ the newly appointed head of the \rmed C »n---stabulary Force we may, we feel aare, look for a fairer and more disp asionatu consideration of the matter h.m fr »m their; predocessois. The moral force which would follow the p.)Btitlg,a gergaant ancffchree or four men at Kihikihi woaM put an end o all complaints. We should hear no more of bjuno-fM.i_ : l.j natives, J^ { } nuttier* might lotve their homes without anxiety, ani their property v house and field, as elsewhere m V'aikato, w»t hou 1 danger of its being" ,jilf.rred. Tiie cost of nfinding a eh protocnon wuull be notning to ue Qo> eminent as comprir.d wi«h tie aa vantages. The, < arracks ,re tiiere, and eveo the teleg.apii line and ieUjgrapb office ,i, c erected, and . only" waiting -he iusirumeut and its manipulator ! .o connect Kiiiibihi with the rest of .ne colony by wire. Better the i -x. i a coat of a small station ot iimed Constabulary at Kiuikihi uan.ihe rep'etitiouof such a scene s was depicted to us as having occurred the other duy, where a European of somewhat determined chaiucter, goaded by the constant ccurreuce ot sucu annoyances, ooas*l, kniie iv hauu, a Maur. whom he had surprised m the act of theti, *nd after a ioog run (tortiiuaiely tor he native, niui»e.t, and tne coiouy jiei-hap«v) lobO him among a patch oi i\.iz . The possibility of »uch uiugs should Ue carefully guarded • igaiust by a prudeuo g iverumeut, iiid the. eiore it .8 that we specially a.ttw the attention oi the nou Mr oheeh<u, the new Defence iMiuinter, o the matter. i• • •

A correspondent connected with a oo.»i mguway Buaid writes askiu^, ;iave tr..atees ot Hi^bway Boards tali puwer under the Rating Act, 1876, to suil the land or a portion a ii to pay for a 1 rates and arrears »»at may be due with any other -st inclined, such as c earing the from road-, auj>inuig such aids, auveitising aud other ex-K-tuies* and, it 8<», what steps ar« .tiues>ary to be taken f A ve»y gener .1 opinion, we are old exists, that Highway trustees aye no such po»\er, out th»t porou ot the Kadng Act, i 876, on .ie recovery of tUe rates is uuifiu ..keabie. if thn owuer of au rop-jroy liable tor any nue ia absent ,rj.u the colony a service of sum)ous iipou tns agent or attorney * lit be a sufficient serv.ee, or if tie ti ye no kuowu agriiit iv the colony, r he nimsetf is ankuown, or c<inno. fer due enquiry be touud, a sumiions posted on a conspicuous part »i tne pr-'ptirty for which the rate s ave, together wi<h a puulic noiifij.ition thereof will be a sufficieut iurv.ee. The c<*se then being nough into a com { eceni Court auu .ue Court— -being aaustied that toe jivner is abseut or unku »wn, or cauub. bo fouu-i, and p oo' ot 8 < - /ice ot sum uona as <iefo.edesoriueJ, living beta made,— nay -give j djf« neut against such owner by name, ir if he is unknown, against him as 4 - the owner " ot auoh properry. It his ju'igraent, with coag of >uu, is o satish d within six months, the i.ical boiy may cause notice to ♦•* m the form of the 7tli schedule of the Act,— that the p<operty liable for the unpaid rates will be sold after twelve months irom the date oc such notice, unlein h»» ratfs and costs are paid iv the meanwhile. ' ■, At he expiry of the twelvemonths he local body may cause the whole, or aucb portion of the property a« nay be necessary, to be sold by pubic auction "anleaß the rare and ;osts, and all rxpenaea incu?red m recovering the same, together with interest (at (be rate ot 15 per cent, per annum on the amount of such rate from the day when the aiue oecame due), and all rates due m rngjieet tc the said property up to the date of paymen : , are pad prioi o the salv." With regard to the treatment of the p ooeeda of th • <titie, the Act saytt that they shall be *pptopiia ed — "(l-»t) to ihe payment of such rates, interest, oo«ts, nd expenses ; next, to the payment any other rate dH* to the same ocal body, for wh'Ch judgment has iie«n obtains i ;and the balance into he Public Trusts flSce." Schedule Bof j.he Aot gives ihe form of transfer o b« reg^tered m the couvejance of the lane* to the purcha er.