The Evening Star SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1869.

Evening Star, Volume VII, Issue 2048, 27 November 1869, Page 2

The Evening Star SATURDAY, NOVEMBER 27, 1869.

Some one has said that he learnt more from his failures than from his successes. 111-natured people might perhaps suggest as a reason that his failures must have been many and his successes few. Perhaps so : but, admitting that to be true, every man who succeeds in anything new, does so after repeated failures, either of plan or practice ; and the knowledge gained is through examination of the causes that lead to non-success. It is an old saying, “ It “ is no use crying over spilt milk but that does not mean that men should not see how and why the milk was spilt, so that the loss may not bo repeated. Much therefore as we may regret the failure of the Otago Agricultural and

Pastoral Society, the experience thus clearly purchased has disclosed the real state of affairs and suggested a remedy. Amongst the very few arts that have been studied and brought to perfection in New Zealand, the art of log-rolling stands pre-eminent. Its most accomplished professors are to be found in the General Assembly —perhaps because there the talent finds its widest scope. Were it not so detrimental to the best interests of the Colony, it would be very amusing to notice the various ways of purchasing help for achieving particular schemes. Stripped of all its gorgeous array of words and reduced to American vernacular, one can imagine Mr Stafford saying to the Auckland members, “I say, Auckland, Ive a “ tarnation big log to roll over here in “ Otago—you give us a lift, and I’ll “ see you get five-hundred thousand. Up jumps Auckland, just before conspiring with Otago, to turn Stafford himself over , but the quid is too large to be resisted, and though Otago proved too heavy for the Stafford and Auckland gang, Auckland got at least a portion of the money. On a scale graduated according to the numbers concerned and the emoluments to be reaped, log-rolling descends. It proceeds on the principle divide et impera. A phalanx that would be irresistible wiien united for a common purpose is rendered weak and self-destruc-tive when their hands are turned against each other. Canterbury united was a powerful and influential province, but when log-rolling was brought to bear upon a portion of its territory its independent action was marred by the craving dependents of the County of Westland and the Timaru and Gladstone district. The effects of log-rolling are to paralyse legitimate efforts and to bolster up petty interests at the expense of the general good. Whether it is brought to bear upon the disposal of an Island Block, the obstruction to constructing a railway, providing under a sounding title a snug well lined nest for a member of a family with large political influence, or sharing in funds set apart for scientific purposes until the object of their appropriation is defeated, logrolling is pernicious. Socially and morally its effects are bad. It narrows men’s minds until they can only see good in that which concerns themselves or their immediate neighbours; it leads to the sacrifice of general for particular interests ; it teaches public men to sacrifice honor, integrity, and common sense for prospective or immediate profit, to laugh at political honesty, and to reduce the public service to a market, in which place is secured to the highest bidder. Log-rolling has broken up the Otago Agricultural and Pastoral Association. Instituted for the benefit of the Province, it has been made to serve the interests of particular districts. With the usual narrowness of the bucolic mind, the farmers in the country districts could not bear to see a few hundreds of pounds spent in the capital of the Province, although for their special behoof. Their reasoning was, Why should the Dunedin Society have the Government grant, and the country districts not share in it 1 By the money spent at the agricultural and pastoral shows, the innkeepers and shopkeepers of Dunedin are benefitted : why should they have all the harvest and the country innkeepers none 1 So they set to to log-roll, and every petty district had its agricultural and pastoral show, and obtained a share of the Provincial Government grant. They spent the money in competition for local prizes, and, like every other similar proceeding, completely defeated the end and purpose for which it was voted. The failure of this Society points to the remedy, which is clearly and forcibly set forth in the report published yesterday. The Province is too sparsely populated and too partially cultivated to derive benefit from local competition. What is wanted is that inducements shall be held out for the exhibition of the finest productions of other provinces or colonies, so that we may not be bounded in our ideas of excellence by a Provincial ideal. But this end cannot be attained except by concentration of resources. The suggestion that the principal annual show of the season should be held in rotation in different central districts, is one that should be insisted upon in the Provincial Council. No doubt there will be attempts at log-rolling to defeat this proposition. But the frittering away of the annual vote in aid of a number of petty shows must be resolutely withstood. If hamlets will have local shows, let them be got up with local funds j but if the Province is asked to assist, let the appropriation be for Provincial and not for purely local benefit.