The Dunstan Times. FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1878.

Dunstan Times, Issue 847, 12 July 1878, Page 2

The Dunstan Times.

FRIDAY, JULY 12, 1878.

Benea*h the rule of men entirely just the pen is mightier than the sword.

The noble science of “ How-not-to-do-it” has always been, a favourite study of the Barnacles of the Civil Service, who, very properly, regard the people as their natural enemy whom it is their duty, no leas than their interest to vex, harass, and despoil- by every process which mis-placed ingenuity can possibly devise. In this respect New Zealand is not worse off than her neighbours; for great care has apparently been taken to infuse into every department a due proportion of high-toned officials, who have been religiously trained in the belief that the chief business of the common herd is to provide them with snug sinecures and genteel salaries, payable monthly. So far, then, ’we can hold our own with any colony south of the Line, and perhaps even with the Mother Country herself. But there is one point wherein we are justly entitled to claim pre-eminence. It has been reserved for New Zealand to develop a public body, ostensibly created for tbe public good, and consisting of non-officials (its weakly head excepted) which is able to accomplish more, and more effectual “ How-novto-doit-ism ” in a given space of time; than the united strength of all the officials located iu the ■ Wellington Asylum for incurables (euphernistioally, termed the Government Offices) could possibly effect. Need it be- said 'thatT wo refer to the Waste Lands Board•? •

The sins of this body are so many and so various that it is difficult to know where to commence their recital, and yet more difficult to decide where'to end.-. - For the present therefore we will limit our observations to a few salient, points, premising that there are plenty more of the same kind on haniand ready for use when deemed necessary. The first and most serious count in our charge is the readiness evinced by the “ Waste Lands Board ” to adopt any and every expedient calculated to prevent the settlement of the people. A wise Frenchman—Talleyrand will do, in. lieu of a better—is credited with the utterance of the maxim—“ Bad laws wisely administered are more advantageous than good laws badly administered.” It is precisely in their unwise administration of a good law that, we declare “ the Board ” to have been weighed in the balance and found, wanting. The raising of the upset, price of land sold under the deferred payment system is a case in point. The law fixes the price absolutely at 30s per acre, but “ the Board ,” went nut of the way to obtain an, adverse legal opinion on the subject. A “case ” which so far as we know, has never been made public, was submitted for the opinion of the Judge of die Supreme Court, and his ruling thereon —also unpublished —was eagerly accepted hy the sapient raemhnrsof “the Board,” who forthwith raised the price to L 3 per acre, contrary to the intention and expressed statutory will of the Loglslatui e. Having succeeded in putting this stumbling-block in the path of settlement, “the Board "went on to ceate another difficulty. By the law any man is entitled to acquire land not exceeding 320 acres in extent, under the agricultural lease or deferred payment systems But.“the Board/’ with ingenious perversity, has discovered away to defeat, the law. One of the clauses of the said Act directs that “ the Board” sha I keep a register of lands taken up under the deferred payment system, and the same danse discloses the reason for this direction—“ in order to prevent the same person obtaining more than one allotment of land.” Here there can be no doubt as to the intention of the Legislature, The word “ allotment ” has been, we admit, unguardedly used, owing to the vicious practice which prevails in our statutes of using one word to express several things. Bv the Interpretation Clause tlie word “ allotment ” is defined as meaning “ section ”, -, Therefore, the -.Board ” rules that no: man: can- have, 320 acres . unless- it is all..comprised in one section ! To. the ordinary mind inch a construction would never have occurred. It required the accumulated subtlety of “the Beard.”—the whole Board, and nothing but “ the Board ” to devise such an obstruction to setth - ment. The obvious meaning of the clause is. that to prevent any person obtaining more land than tho law allows to be held under the deferred payment svstem “ the Board ” shall keep a register; hut by no commonsense interpretation can such a direction he held to override the subsequent section of the Act, which allows .of the occupancy of the full quantity of 320 acres. As a pendant to this wooden ruling of “ the Board," it is noteworthy that the Survey Department, with laudable alacrity proceeded lately .to survey a deferred payment block at Macraes into sections of 340 acres—which is above the maximum allowed—and others of 150 acres, which is less. So that fight how he may no living being can possibly obfain the area which the law prescribes in a block professedly set apart for such settlement, j If this is not the perfection of “ How- | not-to-do it-ism,” we do not know where or how it is to be obtained.

One of time latest, and, but for its grave cons'e=quences, the most laughable doings ‘ -of this famous “ Board” is to be found in the recent report of proceedings, when two gentlemen especially sele—oted (we presume on account of tlieir superior wisdom) to report on the applications for land on the Mouter-« and Earnscleugh runs, gravely urgged the postponement of their visit trSill next Spring, because of the land her ng covered with snow ! It would be nr «ere waste of time to point out that snr>-w is an unknown quantity on the land iu question. But of what value can tfcne report of gentlemen so utterly ignczDiunt of the country be 1 Climate is rs_s important an element of consideration in this matter as the quality of -tithe soil. No doubt good soil could I>-e found on the top of the Garrick Rarsages, butc«i bonol Whether the illustriotiis Commissioners will succeed in post- p,oning their visit or not it would be cli Ificult to say. But it may perhaps be as well, and assuredly as beneficial fr--om “ the Board’s” point of view, if samples of soil and hermetically sealed bladders of climate were dispatched -=to Dunedin for inspection, so as to av< —»id the personal discomfort which secret a to appal the gentlemen selected for* ihe business. They will be as wise as capable of pronouncing an opiuSLon in the one case as in the other.