The Evening Star. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1871

Auckland Star, Volume II, Issue 560, 26 October 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star.

THURSDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1871

" For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrong that needs resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

One of the most ridiculous associations ! ever organised in Auckland is holding its weekly meetings at tho British Hotel, under the dignified appellation of the "Agricultural League." We cherish the utmost forbearance for every kind of movement that tends to infuse a spirit, of progress into the community, but; really this thing is too much for us. The professed intention of tho Leaguers is so to mould legislation as to confer exclusive benefits on the so-called farmers of tho province; and the supercilious spirit in which they speak of <; the gentlemen in Queen-street," the "importers," and " the "old-di fTP*ers," is calculated to lead strangers to suppose that these babes and sucklings in political economy constitute the very bone aud marrow and muscle of the colony. Iv fact, they have iv their manifesto declared that " the settlers are the only real colonists," and that all others are but " birds of passage." It is really difficult to bear patiently with the glib talk' of. these debt-ridden people, who, while essaying to alter the politics of the colony admit that the majority of them are so smothered with mortgage?, that they cannot call their souls their rown. Under the pressure of incumbrances which their own extravagance has caused, the expression of tlie Leaguers' views is one long, melancholy wail, which would appeal to our sympathy if it were not for the acerbity with which they speak of nil other interests but their own. They speak, for example, with contempt of the gold digger, by which they design to indicate the miuing interest of the province. Why, there is more puMio good conferred by one gold digger than by a dozen of these so-called famci's who are trying to tickle the ground, to make it smile in harvest; and instead of putting their hands to the plough, spend the greater portion of their time in hanging on about the public-houses in the city, making believe that they are ; " doing busiuess." A quaint old authority says, that " he that by the plough would thrive, himself must either hold or drive;" but these people, hanging on to the skirts of respectability, and pretending that they arc- gentlemen farmers, are above their boots, and only retain their connection with agriculture so long as the money-lender will enable them. " We are told by some of the oracles of the League in their published statements, that sofarfrom having merely to pay £2 per acre rent for land to grow potatoes, there are large numbers of our farmers, who from rent,mortgage,or otherwise, pay even £8 per acre for potato ground!* In the name of all that's astounding how ever can these people hope to live by farming ! However can they hope to compete with fanners elsewhere ! or what earthly rescue can they have but the Insolvent Court ? But when to such a state of things w Te add that these people will not fix their attention on potatoes, and have publicly expressed their contempt for " growing turnips," and go in to help themselves through the agency of the legislature, verily the force of impudence can no farther go. What possible " protection" could benefit men in such position, unless the " protection" of Sir George Arney ? It is right that these people should know this distinctly, and at once ; nor have we the smallest sympathy for the maudlin sentimcatalism that would pat these so-called farmers on the back and say, " Persevere, and Parliament will help you." There is not the smallest chance of any Colonial legislature paying the debts of any class of people, and the wiping off the mortgages from every farm in the province of Auckland would only perpetuate the evils of tlie past. The class of men who are at present pretending to farm in this province are incorrigible ; and if their debts were paid—which is really the covert object iv the League's advocacy of the " .Drainage Act"—and if their farms and tools and furniture were all redeemed by a paternal Government, they would in six months after be found, as before, osciiia-. ting between tho door of tho moneylender and of the public-house. The only hope for farming in this province is to sweep the rural districts with the besom of the Bankruptcy Court and place the farm-! in the hands of men who know how to farm and will not spend

three-fourths of their time in attending

markets when they have neither aught, to sell nor money to purchase. We have no desire to deal unkindly with the members of the " Agricultural League,"

but really their actions so belie their professions as to move that contempt for humbug which is inherent in the breast of every true colonist. The Leaguers speak of encouraging local industries. Who, of all classes of the community, do so little to encourage local industry as the settlers in our country districts P Not so long ago an enterprising and excellent practical worker in iron began making double furrow ploughs at O .abulia, in v very brief space ho was put out of the field by another settler becoming agent for a home-manufacturing firm and importing double-furrow ploughs in large quantity ; and, what is morr, the oilier settlers supported the importer because he supplied tlie article cheaper. Our Leaguers speak of making Mr. Cawkwell a member of the League and encouraging the production of his whiskey. W. dp not hesitate to say that they will affbrjl :that encouragement dnly l._-nil:.-- Mr. Cawkwell can supply the article olic-iplyj. though in this cbiin<v-lr>n we wdttld add that if they had afforded les-. cneotiragdment to this cl;-vs3 of i-duslry in the past our fanners woi-h! not n -w I avie been uttering such a doleful howl of distress. . j

Talk of supporting local industry indeed! Why the Vice president himself is an importer of ploughs, single and double furrow, horse-rakes, reaping and mowing machines, chaff cutters, steamthrashers, corn-dressers, and other farming requisites, while local work men are idle aud starving-, 'phis is the support of i local industry with a vengeance ! This is the League that would " stop importation " and commit Other freaks of a crude

undigested political economy! The Leaguers would also take- Williams, the blacking man, amoncst them. U tliey j were true f..r_.*-v-3 it would be their pride to have no blacking on their boots. lint though, from their constantly hanging about town, they are obliged to polish their boots, we venture to say that there is not. a cake of Williams's blacking to be found in one of their houses, or if there is, its production is encouraged there, as in the case of Oawkwell's whiskey, only because it is cheap. If the Leaguers would only confine themselves to themselves, their grumbling might be tolerated. But when they in their ill temper and ill luck, arising solely from their own misconduct, talk of their betters sneeringly as "the gen I lemon of Queen-street," and the " birds of passage,' they must boar to hear truth in reply. Tkej talk of our encouraging Californian flour, though it "stinks on the table." But these querulous charges will not alter the course of trade, nor yet the tastes.of the people, and if our " farmers" will not supply us with Hour that does not " stink," we must e'eu be fed from whatever source wc can. "Birds of passage" though we be, we could nibble up a good deal of their wheat, but the idle fellows will not grow it, but prefer the role of the "loafer in the streets." iln conclusion, we would recommend ' tho League to close. We would commend the attention of its members and our local farmers generally, to the new country thrown open to settlement in the Tauhoa blocks. Let them shake off the hand of the mortgagee from their throats. Let them eschew Cawk-well-'s whiskey aud Williams's blacking, and go away far from towns, and taking spades in their hands, let them begin the world with a resolution to be independent. Let them show themselves to be true colonists—not querulous grumblers, dabbling in political economy, a science of which they know nothing, and which i would'not profit them if tiiey did. Let them feel that **1 ito is red, life is ear-

nt'sfj" and- should not be frittered away in bar parlours and cattle t-aie-yard?) ; and leaving behind the "wretched past," with its burthen of duns and mortgages, let them set to work in new scenes, with a determination to succeed animated by The pride to rear an independent shed, And give the lips they lovo unborrowed bread.