SIR JULIUS VOGEL.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume VII, Issue 1648, 29 August 1887, Page 2

SIR JULIUS YOGEL.

TO TITE BDITOB. Sir,— l attended Sir Julius Vogel'B meeting last week, and I have also read your excellent report thereof, and 1 write to ask some of thoae worshippers of Sir Julian Yogel, who are always reminding us what a groat man he is — " head and shoulders above everybody elsa "—what it 1b they see to admire m him ? I did not hear a solitary sentiment from his lips worthy of being remembered. I challenge the aforesaid worshippers to point to one sentence m the whole nix columns whloh will be handed down to posterity with the remark, "The great Yogel gave utterance to thla " Without a doubt it was the holloweet and most unsubstantial deliverance ever lnfl cted upon a long suffering assembly. We, In Aahbarton, have often been told through the looal press that " Sir George Grey is the admitted chief of the art of high sounding hollow falutin," but Sir George must now take a neat near the door, for he can't huld a oand'e to the great Yogel. Sir Julius Yogel oommenoed with the Land question. The idea he wished to convey is hidden m a host of generalities, but as far as I could see It was "That if we adopted his protective duties there would be suoh an increase of population that the whole of our surplus agricultural produce would be consumed within the colony The prioe of agricultural produce would then rise to such a figure that the farmers would be able to pay a larger prioe for land, a higher rate of wages, and make more profit " Let as examine tbis proposition. The total agricultural production Jb £10,830,000 (I takb his own figuree). Of this £6,000,000 is consumed within the colony. Of this latter amount we may safely assume that one half Is consumed by thoae directly engaged m agricultural pursuits, the remaining £3,000,000 being the consumption of the dwellers m towns. Sir Julius Yogel is m favor of such duties aa will lnorease the people m towns from the present number, represented by their consumption, £3,000,000, to suoh a number as will consume the whole of our present surplus. That is, increase the town consumption from £3,000,000 to £7,830,000. "What m the name of fortune are these people to do for a living ? "Make staroh and sago from potatoes," say a the great man. Well, what then ? Who will consume this starch and sago 1 We are told "the people of this colony are to be proteoted against the pauper laborers of other countries." Therefore we must not think of exporting these useful articles, for if we require proteo tlon againtt them how oan we think of meeting them on their owd ground. Ah 1 happy thought ! Why not fatten fish with the surplus sago ? The question what to do with the lish when lattened arises. Well, Sir, we might manure our potato land with the surplus fish. The whole thing then resolves itself into growing potatoes to make sago, to feed fish, to manure land to grow potatoes. A truly great man. — I am, eto, Vooklam.