SADDLING THE RIGHT HORSE

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1620, 27 July 1887, Page 3

SADDLING THE RIGHT HORSE

[Auckland " Evening Bell."] Sir Julius Yogel has brought again Into prominence the fact that In his original schema of public works, . the essential feature was that land along the futme railways should be reserved to be nitirra ely sold to pay for tbe railways. Had thia scheme been carried out as he originally designed It, the colony might not have been owing a farthing now. But the thirst for plunder set m ; everyone was carried away by It ; the crigfnal principle, by sheer foicj of numbers, was thrust aside, and it lm been solely through violation of Sir Jallui Vogel's scheme that the present hideous bucthens are pressing on the public back. We do not hesitate to say tint whatever Six Jjllus' other sins may be, on thic matter Sir Julias was sinned against and not Binning ; for had not the greed of constituencies and their representatives carried away tho conditions and limitations of tbe Public Works policy as with a flood, New Zea'and wou'd iuvo had hardly a farthing of debt to-day. Let us gire the devil his due, and it is clue to Sir Jo. Hub Yogel that tbia undieputable and undisputed fact Bhouid 1 c placed m evidence and prominence to-day He is to be blamed for not having stood by the original principle of his policy and fallen with It : but In that censure let also be included thoso who forced his hand and who joined m tho reign of extravagance whioh they had f( reed on him and on the country. " The men who had become rich," he said, "and but for hlB polioy would have been poor, were those who now attacked the author of the polioy which had enriched them." After malnta'nlog his position In comparison with that of those now clamoring for his place, on the original polioy, Sir Julius proceeds to an enumeration of the doings of the Stout- Vcgnl administration ; and sustains with startling force that it has been an economical end retrenching one m very favorabe comparison to those that had gone before . The encouragement of local Industries, of settlement, and of mining, is a praise of whioh no other ceed attempt to rob them ; for their record is m the public mind. They have entabllabad friendly relations for ever with the natives, whoever may claim to have paved the way ; they have absolutely stopped land sharking m native lands, and h*ve won, thereby, untying enmity on the part of the enemieß of the people ; they have placed the porto m a position of defence ; they have saved the colony from the entanglements, of a stupid one-Bided federation with Australia, Into whioh we bad nearly fallen ; they have BUcceded m making New Zealand — and we bope Auckland— a naval station for the South Pacific ; they Jiave protected by their firmness our postal rights, whioh were being insolently evaqed by tbe Postal ! authorities In England under back-door pressure ; they have firmly defended one telegraphic rights agalnßt the impudent attemps at enaction ou tb,Q P&>t of a huge and unprincipled cable monopolysaving the colony from an extortionate subsidy demanded £5000 and the humiliation of being bounced ; the new parcels post, the delayed telegram system, are the offering of Sir Julius' busy brain ; the encouragement of fieherlea, the preserva-. flop of forests, the $'lrst Offenders' Probation Act, and other wise and thoughtful projects, whioh have been bub "fads" In the estimation of the "stupid Party," have commended themselves to the exlsliog Ministry as deserving of their efforts; and indeed, taken altogether, their meißures have been charaotised hy literal, a progressive, and- a tbojroaghly democratic tendency such' as has never been eho\xn m the policy, of any previous administration. .. Thes» are facts that are now forcing themselves on the minds of the* people as distinguished from the monopolising, selfish, and would-be "governing classes"; anjj now that the unreality of the re* trenohment ''roar " is being laughed at, and people are becoming awake to the fact that suspicious efforts were being made to hound thtm on to play Into the hands of monopolist!), the re- action has already set In, To this end the magnificent and telling speeoh of the Colonial Treasurer will gire a powerful stimulus. It will be observed that a vote of confidence m htm was carried amid great enthusiasm.