The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning Thursday, January 10, 1889. A TIME FOR ACTION.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume II, Issue 245, 10 January 1889, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE Published every Tuesday, Thursday, and Saturday Morning

Thursday, January 10, 1889. A TIME FOR ACTION.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou aim’st at be thy country’s, Thy God's, and truth’s.

We are glad to observe that the remarks published with regard to the Native Lands Court question are having due weight, and the Borough Council has shown its wisdom in taking definite action in the matter. The course proposed by that body, we think, hardly goes far enough, but it is a step in the right direction and a little thought on the subject is all that is required to show the heartless neglect that has been suffered by this district in the past, and the cool determination that has been made by the Government to continue it in the future; it is in fact a monstrous scheme of trading on the apathy and don’t-care spirit of the settlers of this place. The latter certainly are not blameless in the matter, but it is time there was some change from the supineness of the past, and a strong effort made to secure an amended State of affairs in the future. Every resident in the place is interested in the subject—or rather every resident should be, for we assume that the general welfare of the district must, to take a selfish point of view, enhance the interest of individuals. But it is a question of what is just and right with which we have to deal, and which has long been overlooked, to the cost of the district and with complete disregard for the natives. A Court has been gazetted for this very day (January loth), yet we have not had the slightest further intimation of any intention to verify that notification. It appears only to have been made as a blind to those who have been so shabbily treated in the past that they are afraid to demand or hope for any change for the better. When will there be some energy and unanimity in the place that this continual and deliberate “cold shouldering " may be averted ? When

will the people themselves awake to a true sense of the manner in which the progress of the district is being retarded ? A correspondent in our last issue said this neglect had been such, as to call forth howls of disgust, but nnfortunately the people have become so accustomed to it that they take no action on their own behalf, and just bear their misfortunes as best they can, each new indignity being accepted in a calm and philosophical spirit, as though we were thankful it was no worse, and almost heedless of the harm that has been inflicted. From a careful reference to newspaper files, and with information gleaned from professional gentlemen, we have prepared the following list, which may be taken as fairly accurate: —

SITTINGS OF COURT. Judges O’Brien and Willliams.—i February 20 , to March 13. Judge Brookfield.—July 9—sat 17 days. Judges O’Brien and Williams.—September 3— sat 12 days. Judge Brookfield.—August 27—sat 109 days. 1884. No Sitting. 1885. Chief Judge and Judge Puckey.—May 12—sat 3 days. Chief Judge and Judge Williams. —December 7—sat 2 days. 1886. Judges McDonald and Williams,—" Kaiti,” December 7—sat 118 days. Judge Williams.—February 23—sat 179 days. Judge Brookfield.—May I—sat 40 days. 1887. Judges O’Brien and Williams.—January 18— sat 28 days. Mr Booth.—May 2—sat 11 days. 1888. Mr Booth,—March 27—sat 27 days. Mr Booth.—October 24—sat 1 day.

—ln a return laid before the House of Representatives, on the motion of Mr Carroll, it was stated that /iooo a year was paid, in Gisborne, for fees to the Government. The above will give a very good idea of the—we are almost inclined to say dishonest —way in which Gisborne has been treated. In seven years we have paid away a far greater sum, to say nothing of the Coast districts, than has been paid by any other place in the colony, and in return have had the most miserable results. The only genuine attempt to prosecute, the arrears of work was that made by Judge Brookfield, who got through the Pouawa, Waimata East and West, Okahuatiu, Tangihanga, Wharekopai, and other large blocks, that being a sitting which is worthy of a high record, when the titles to Messrs Clark’s, Scott’s, Newman’s, and other large blocks on the flat were adjusted. In 1884 there was no sitting of the Court; in 1885 there were two sittings, altogether occupying five days I —in which there was practically nothing done. In 1886, the subdivision of Kaiti was a great advance onwards, as a casual look in that direction will at once convince anyone. In 1888, there was really nothing done: the last sitting of the Court occupied one day ! In 1889, unless some steps are taken by the settlers, they may be perfectly sure there willl be less done in the whole year than there was on that one day. In native duties, we believe we are below the mark in giving an approximate estimate that from 1882 to 1888 fully forty thousand pounds have been paid from Gisborne. If we have not got a right in the face of this to demand some consideration, then no consideration or justice can be expected for the weak. It is a political scandal that there should be any necessity to ask for such consideration, but we suppose that however humiliating the preference of such requests may be to us as a district, it is the only hope we have, and we would ourselves be guilty of negligence if owing to a point of dignity the district were thus allowed to be perpetually defrauded. As to the point whether or not a public meeting should be called, we think calling a pubic meeting is far the best course. There is no use taking up the question in a half-hearted spirit: past experience warns us that will mean results that are not worth troubling about. By all means, let there be a hearty co-operation with the local bodies, let the Mayor and Chairman of the County Council take the lead, but if possible let them also be backed up by unanimous public opinion. The County Council meets to-morrow afternoon and we hope that body will go a step further and advise and resolve that a public meeting is the best course. It is a question on which there can be no difference of opinion, for all residents of town or country are interested. The Harbor Board meets on' Tuesday evening, and that body can also give weight to whatever action is decided upon The mere passing of resolutions by the local bodies is not sufficient—that has been repeatedly tried without the least effect, and without entering into an

argument on the point as to'the efficacy of public meetings—the results of which depend more upon the nature of the meetings than upon the principle—it must be plain that resolutions adopted by the various local bodies, and then unanimously endorsed by the people themselves, will have much greater weight than if they just took the form of expressions of opinion from the local bodies. Therefore we hope the matter will not be allowed to drop until justice has been done.