The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, NOV. 1, 1888.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXI, Issue 2545, 1 November 1888, Page 2

The Waikato Times AN D THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY, NOV. 1, 1888.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

Ik another column will be found a letter from M rE. Fitzpatrick, of Ngarua wall ia, aninnul verting on tliesupineness showed by the General Government and the Charitable Aid Board towards the fever-stricken natives in the Whatawhata district. As the writer very properly observes it is a disgraceful reflection upon our generosity and humanity that no adequate steps are taken to assist these ignorant, poor and unfortunate aboriginals in their visitation and save them from being decimated. When public attention was first drawn to the ravages of the fever amongst the natives by a letter from " our own" correspondent at Whatawhata, which appeared in our issue of September Ist, we also referred to their helpless condition in our leading columns. Our correspondent said at that time that the people were " dying oil' like rotten sheep," and we suggested as a means for a (lording them some measure of attention and alleviation in their distress that a professional man, such as Dr. Murch, should be engaged by the Government to visit the settlement periodically and provide medical comforts. Influenced by the information and the remarks we made, the chairman of the Waikato District Hospital and Charitable Aid Board very humanely and sympathetically interested himself on the sufferers' behalf, and at once telegraphed to the Native Minister, who, thereupon, gave him his authority to order Dr. Murch to visit the fever-stricken people. The doctor was the means of affording relief and checking the disease for the time being. But he made only two or three visits; no arrangements were made for a continuation of his attendance or supply of proper medicines, and the natives fell again into complete neglect, with the consequent result, as we learn from Mr Fitzpatriclc's letter, that the fever has resumed its course with increased and fatal vigour. There appears to be a discreditable and mean disposition on the part of the Native Office to absolve itself fi'om all responsibility in the case of the victims of the Whatawhata fever scourge. It is not very long ago that the Department poured out the public money and lavished its gifts of sugar ancl Hour on the natives when, by petting them, there wore votes to be won and large tracts of land to be gained. Now that the original owners of New Zealand have been stripped of nearly all they possess, their power broken and their disloyalty no longer feared or their loyalty valued, the Native Offico calmly sees them " die like rotten sheep," and will send them to Sheol first before they stir a hand to lift them out of their degradation, poverty and suffering. This effete Department still retains in the Waikato a resident political agent, who is alsoexpected to watchover the welfare of the native people and write long annual reports on their condition and progress for presentation to Parliament. So far as we are aware, beyond a brief telegram on the subject, to Mr Graham, Chairman of the Charitable Aid Board, two months ago, that officer has not even visited Whatawhata in order to represent the neglected situation of the natives in the fullest manner to tho Department. The Native Office is endeavouring to take advantage of the generous intervention of the Board to foist the entire duty and cost of attending to the sick Maoris upon that local body and ratepayers. Mr Fitzgerald suggests that a temporary fever hospital should be erected or founded in the settlement for the isolation and accommodation of the fever patients. Failing, that being possible, however, we maintain that it is the duty of the Government to provide for the regular visits of a qualified practitioner to the natives, who should also supply all the medicines require d as well as such other necessaries as he might think desirable. The medical officer should be appointed on an annual engagement and his instructions should embrace weekly or fortnightly visitations at all times apart from bestowing his special attention during the prevalence of the present epidemic.

A cablegram dated London October 20th, states that the Right Hon. John Rriglit has suffered a relapse. An important item of news in the telegrams from Home is that which states that wool has advanced another halfpenny per lb, Mr S. Foulsham, one of the Hamilton carters, met with a mishap yesterday afternoon, by his horse bolting and capsizing the cart, damaging it considerably. A son of Mr W. Taylor, plumber, of Hamilton, was fhrown off a horse he was riding yesterday and dislocated his shoulder, 'file boy walked home and his injurie; were attended to. We remind the public of the musical and dramatic entertainment in the Oddfellows' Hall, Hamilton East, tomorrow night, in aid of the Catholic Church, and ho ,-e to see a full house. A contemporary says.—We go from home to hear news. Mr John Rae, who writes in the August number of the Contemporary on " State Socialism," makes the assertion that New Zeelaud has a government fire insurance department. The Wanganui Heraldi in an article cautioning people against going to the Mahakipawa rush, quotes a very sensible remark made by the late Mr Macandrew, " that of all the goldfields he had ever seen, there was none to compare with the field of golden grain." Col- Forbes, of Lake House, we are pleased to see has so far regained his health that he is announced to deliver a lecture next month, on the seige of Lucknow, which should prove highly interesting and afford us a practical illustration of a page in that terrible drama in the history of India.

The New Zealand Farmer, of November, has a lengthy notice of a case of apples sent to the Editor, by Mr G. Edgecuinbe, of Hamilton, being (samples from his orchard. Speaking of these specimens the paper says —Another apple sent was of medium size, with a regular russet skin. The flavour was delicious. Mr Edgecumbe does not kn«w the name of this variety, nor do we. We submitted it to Mr H. E. Sharp's inspection, but ho was also at fault, and said that it was tho third time he had been applied to for the name of this apple. All we caii say is that, judging from its quality, it is a desert variety well worth growing. The, specimen sent when it reached us had begun to decay on one side, otherwise it was in good eating condition. Mr G. Mason, nurseryman, Hamilton, was the grower.

The New Zealand Farmer, speaking of the newly-formed Farmers' Association says :—All friends of agriculture must rejoice at any business-like endeavour to establish co-operation amongst farmers. Of all the industrial classes farmers suffer most politically and commercially from the evils of disunion. The conspicuous success of the Farmers' Co-operative Association of Canteibury proves what can be done by good management, and if the Waikato farmers succeed in securing the services as manager of a gentleman anything like as able as Mr A. H. Tnrnbull of the Canterbury Association, they need not have much fear of failure. Good management is the most important matter to be considered; and to a really good man what might seem even an extravagant salary would be money well laid out. But in the first place he must be asked to prove his capacity before the liberal salary commences.

Settlers in New Zealand, despite all their complainings, have reason to congratulate themselves that under no circumstances can snch a description as we find in the Sydney Morning Herald of tho state of things in tho Cobar district. New South Wales, be truthfully applied to their surroundings "No words could describe the horrors of the situation through the whole of this district, nothing approaching it has ever been known before within the memory of the oldest resident. On all sides is presented a scene of utter desolation, to say nothing of black ruin ; and for three blocks of this wretched desert the Government make us pay a rent of nearly f'GOO, and yet every improvement oil the place has been made and paid for by us. The frightful suffering and distress all around us are most depressing, travellers leaving their poor horses to their fate, to a most miserable ending, their eyes being picked out by the crows before they die, and the men themselves having all they can do to get water. Dried tanks, dead and dying sheep, wherover yon go, and the heat of summer rapidly approaching. If rain does not come soon I can only say God help us, for I don't know what we will all do. The loss of stock between here and the Darling alone must be tremendous, and there is little hope of any increase next year, as the sheep will not be in*!, fit condition. The state of the country requires to be seen to be believed." The following remarks by the Melbourne Age on the subject of tho incidence of taxation apply with equal force to this colony, as they do to Victoria : —lt must be admitted on all hands that the great bulk of the revenue received by the Government is derived from the workers of the community, through the Customhouse ; and the land, on which should fall the greater part, if not the whole cost of Government, gets off in most cases scot free. If there is one tax that is peculiarly democratic and jus f , it ia a land tax; indeed, we find that political economists of all shades of opinion agree on this point. That the tax is only partially applied may furnish a sound argument in tavor of its extension, but it is quite valueless as a reason for its repeal. Tho tax should rather be imposed on all land, in towns as well as in the country, and it should bo based, not on the area, but on the value, and improvements of every description should be exempt from taxation. If a piece of land in Melbourne is worth £5,000 or £50,000, there is no reason whatever why it should not be taxed the same as a piece of land of the same value in any other part of tho country. As it is now, increase of population and the industry of the community is causing land throughout the colony to rapidly rise in value; and yet the community, which creates the value, allows a few persons to collect and keep it."