BIRDS OF PASSAGE.
When one turns from a perusal of the Governor’s Speech, not without a feeling of satisfaction as to the past and of great hope in regard to the future, having in contemplation the bright prospects which are afforded by the successful settlement of the land, it is indeed a rude shock to us to compare the professions of the Government with what is the actual experience in practice. A short time back we felt it necessary to condemn in strong terms those ad ministrators who were guilty of the most scandalous “ hankey-pankey ” work in connection with the Native Land Court and its practice in this district. For years past the procedure in this Department has created the most shameful scandal that can be imagined, and it has probably only been tolerated so long because there are few people aware of the gravity of the situation, and also because there were indications that Mr Mitchelson had instituted a reform which would be of a permanent nature. A Judge who is possessed of that stamina and legal knowledge which have been lacking in many who preceded him, was sent to this district, and for his part he has attempted to grapple with the delicate intricacies and the most laborious nature of the work that is to be found in this place. We refer to Judge Barton. But what do we now find ? Simply that all the good work he has done and is trying to do is to be thrown to the winds, and himself removed to another district. So far we have no official intimation of this inten-
tion, but there does not appear to be any reason to doubt that it is intended to remove Judge Barton to Hastings. The departmental incapacity and ignorance, or design, displayed in these matters is enough to make us doubt whether Government has really any intention to remove the bane of the North Island. We may just give one illustration. The Poututu case has now been before the Court for about five years, yet its settlement appeared as near as Doomsday until Judge Barton came to Gisborne, but he has almost completed it. In case he is transferred the land will be tied up for an indefinite period, and the vast amount of trouble and expense that has been gone to will bring no return. This is only one of many instances that can be cited to show the ruinous system that is practised by the Government, despite all the bombast about the settlement of land and so on. A protest of such an unmistakable nature ought to be sent from this district as will admit of no further shuffling and deceit, for such, in plain language, is the way the district is being imposed upon. It is bad enough when Ministers make it a practice of playing hide-and-seek round the colony
and some of their number can jaunt off to Melbourne to see the Cup race, but when it is sought to make showmen of the Native Land Court Judges, having them here to-day and away tomorrow, the imposition becomes unbearable. We hope that those whose duty it is to see to this matter will leave no means untried to obtain some measure of justice in this district, even if the scandal has to be exposed in the House.
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Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 315, 22 June 1889, Page 2
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559BIRDS OF PASSAGE. Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 315, 22 June 1889, Page 2
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