HOW THEY LOVE EACH OTHER !

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume IV, Issue 498, 26 August 1890, Page 2

HOW THEY LOVE EACH OTHER !

The few squatters on the East Coast do not appear to be such a happy family as we had always regarded them, for when it comes to shepherding their own special interests, as separated from block-vote ar rangements, they prove to be no better than the common clay, and “ pull baker, pull devil ” transforms the happy family, and itsblissful unityof thought is converted into chaos. When it is a Separation Rill that it is to be piloted through the House they work with such unity and stealth that even a watchful Opposition is confounded, but when it is a question of which of the family shall get the best of a Government favor, then there is such a set to ! There has been something mysterious about the Tologa-Awanui telephone, and the pages of Hansard are embalmed with a nice little speech from Sir George Whitmore. The strain is rather petulant, but there is no mistaking that Sir George has got ruffled a bit by the action of one of his fellow-squatters, and it is entertaining to those who belong not to the happy family to look on and see the u uncrowned king,” after the manner of a certain quadruped, rearing in the air, and vigorously butting at another of the flock. The facts seem to be that the squatters wanted telephone communication opened up between their runs and Gisborne —a boon which we should certainly like to see provided. But the question of funds could not be ignored. It was estimated it would cost./800 to make the extension to Awanui. and of course considerably more to continue it to Hicks Bay, while the revenue to be derived would be very insignificant, and not nearly compensate for the expenditure. Mr J. N. Williams, however, did not mean to let the opportunity slip .by, and he offered to find office and operator, and guarantee a year towards expenses, he getting 2$ P er cent, of the proceeds for the first twelve months. This means that Sir George must bide his time before he can get the wire extended to his run : more settlement is required before it can be a paying work, and there is little hope of settlement on the Coast when the land is monopolised by a few men. And Sir George Whitmore makes a great wail about the affair. a Mr Williams,” said he, is an enormous proprietor in that part of the country, and one would not have thought it to be to his interest to place himself in opposition to the interests and the convenience of the entire district.” In another place Sir George talks big about the injustice of putting the settlers to such an inconvenience. Well, thanks to the member to whom they accorded the block vote they are now in a fair way to get their separation from the southern portion of the district, and then we will possibly still have presented to us the spectacle of how these squatters love one another, and can stoop to petty quarrels on the extension of a work in regard to which there ought to be unanimity.