TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1881.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3195, 24 September 1881, Page 2

TOWN EDITION. The Daily Telegraph. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 24, 1881.

Parliament is to be prorogued to-day, and in bidding good-bye -to the session the country may rest assured that the hopeful prayer with which the labors of its representatives commenced has not been answered. It would be rank blasphemy to suppose that any higher power than man's directed the ways of our legislators during the iast three months and a half. It may, indeed, be said of our law-givers that they have done those things which they ought not to have done, and have left undone those things which they ought to have done. Whether there is any health in them rriuet be determined hereafter, but that they are miserable sinners there can be no doubt about. Ibe session has been utterly barren of anything approaching statesmanlike measures, and though next to nothing has been done it is satisfactory to know that the work has come to an end. The country will now experience the sort of feeling that the mother of a young family enjoys when the children are put to bed—a rest from turmoil and mischief. It is a comfort to know that with the prorogation comes peace and quiet from the temporary stoppage of the voices of those who have never done anything else but talk. The dissolution of Parliament, says the Wairarapa Standard, is the only source of hope that the electors have to look to for a better state of things. There are many questions of vital importance to the welfare of the colony, but foremost among these ie the one of local self-government. We are at present at a critical stage of our existence, and great caution will be necessary on the part of electors to choose men of sound common sense and unquestionable honesty. We are a long way from being out of our difficulties, and when we emerge therefrom it will be by slow degrees, but the dawn of future prosperity would be a long way off if things were allowed to remain as they are at present. The burden of taxation is laying heavily on our shoulders, and for thie reason it will not do to allow time to be wasted in idle talk in the House of Representatives, as has been the case in the past, a remedy must be demanded by the people. Besides the financial depression, we have evils to contend against which makes New Zealand anything but a desirable place to live in, and it is no wonder that men who have the means are leaving for other places, men whom we have perhaps paid £20 to bring here. Members of Parliament take little notice, and the Ministry are quite content so long as they retain office. No inducement is held out to retain these people in the country. Would it not be far better to add what has already been paid to bring settlers here, a few acres of land to retain them ? No attempt at anything of the kind is meditated, 20,000 of our best settlers can leave the colony and not a word will be said about it. But one or two hundred thousand pounds can be thrown into the sea to make harbors when we already have sufficient for present requirements. In any case new harbors are of no vital importance at the present time. It is, however, a different question with regard to our population which requires increasing, and the money spent in enticing and retaining desirable settlers would do far more good than at the present time spending it on uuproductive works. Let us put the colony in a more prosperous state before throwing our money away on works that however desirable will notgive any return only in a very indirect manner. Nearly four months have been spent by members of the House of Representatives fighting over and discussing matters affecting, to a great extent, particular localities, nothing has been passed which could be termed a matter affecting the whole colony, with the exception of the Representation Bill. The only conclusion we can come to is that the Ministry are either incapable of framing any useful measure or that they are utterly regardless of self-respect and prefer to be dictated to by the House rather than lose the chance of retaining their seats on the Treasury benches. The electors have the opportunity of rectifying this state of things at the next election, and it will be satisfactory if those who have a stake in the country insist upon a change.