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Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 7 March 1881, Page 2

It would appear that Mr James Mackay, eX'Warden and Magistrate at Grey, mouth, who recently left, a broker, seems to have fallen upon his feet again. His first act upon landing in the North Island seems to have been to claim from the Government the first right of refusal of the Patetere block, and having by this means fully apprised the authorities that be yas" about " once more, be has now shifted his ground, and claims tbat when the Goyerpment took over ihe agreements respecting Patetere from Brissen* den and others, they were to pay rent for the different blocks comprising Patetere. Upon this he has built a demand for tbe payment of the entire sum up to the present date. The accumulated rent of course tots up to a nice respectable sum, and should Mr Mackay bg successful in fingering if, as from all we can hear he most probably will, he will add just one more to the many illustration we have nlready had of the enormous pickings which these middle men draw from our land transactions with the, Maoris. It was said at the time of Mr Mackay's appointment to the Wardenship at Grey* mouth that it was merely a device on the part of the Government to get him out of the way, and viewed ip the light of his movements since his return to his old haunts in the J^prth Island, tbe report Would appear to hare bad some founda* tion ip fact.