THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1869.

Cromwell Argus, Volume I, Issue 6, 15 December 1869, Page 4

THE Cromwell Argus. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1869.

Thh speech of his Honor the Superintendent at the meeting of the Council on the hth inst., gives prominence to two subjects that deeply affect the interests of this part of the Goldfields, as well as those of the other portions collectively. We allude to those parts of his Honor’s speech which deal with the land question and a water supply for the Goldfields. It is the first time that so much attention has been attracted from a provincial point of view to the latter question : there has always been a kind of half-earnestness about the way the subject was taken up before. Now the subject is boldly grappled with,, and

the necessity of doing something practical acknowledged. Wo are, perhaps, indebted for this portion of his Honor’s address to the existence of two facts—one, that it was becoming fashionable in certain circles in Dunedin to sneer at the Goldfields, arid depreciate their value. This feeling, though confined to a class, had supporters powerful in influence, arid under its ban the Goldfields have not,received that a,mount of consideration which they deserve. His Honor, therefore, is on these grounds to. be thanked for his outspoken expressions ; and he does not place one whit too high a value upon our auriferous resources and the position they should occupy in provincial estimation. We may augur for the future a little more justice and consideration. The other fact, which is the probable cause of attention being given, is that the General Assembly has vigorously taken up the matter of a water supply for the Goldfields. As to how that supply should be given—whether by pledging the Goldfields revenue, by loan guaranteed by the General Government, by appropriation from the revenue, or by other plans mooted—we do not to-day enter- into.- -It : will be advisable, however, to let his Honor’s speech on this head be fully understood, and we therefore give it currency in another column. As to the land question, we are glad to see the action the Council is taking. Anything and everything that will tend to render access to the land more free, is to be approved of—whether the means chosen come up to or fall away from the standard of free selection and deferred payments. The debate on the subject promises to be an interesting one, and we hope to see the Cromwell memorial figuring in it, with its bold demand for the extension of the agricultural leasing system, as contained in the Goldfields Act. The country should have seized the opportunity to make itself heard—and it is not yet too late, as it wilt, engage the attention of the A,w;,' u ’oiy ne xt session. JWh«y v;nave the declaration .0* Mr John Cargill at Tokomairiro (one of the leaders of the land monopoly party, though erst a professed land reformer), that he is strongly opposed to these leasing regulations, we know that an attempt, as hinted in our last issue, will be made to expunge them from the statute-book. It is therefore advisable that steps should be taken to impress upon the authorities the desirability of extending these leasing regulations by the purchase of entire runs, and then treating them the same way as at the Wakatip. namely, throwing them open to sett!eni^.. u under the agricultural and the depasturing regulations. The squatter would not then have to complain that the best of his run was taken from him : as ho would be paid for all, be would be equitably treated. He would be only making way for a larger and more increased settlement than his own has been, and which his party have ever declared thendesire to promote. We believe that this would, so far as the Goldfields are concerned, be the best mode of solving the difficulty, and, while promoting bona fide settlement, of acting fairly to all interests. The debate will be one worth studying, and we hope to see that our governors will display a little less of that petty cliqueism which is the ruin of Otago’s interests.