The Evening Star TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume IX, Issue 2620, 11 July 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star TUESDAY, JULY 11, 1871.

"We cannot agree with those who think Mr. Barton ’a resolutions introduced

yesterday into the Provincial Council respecting expenditure on Maori wars useless, although as the Hon. Mr. M'Lean truly said, they should have been adopted eleven years ago. They are precisely what we have advocated for years, but what have been altogether ignored by the section of the Colonial Parliament with whom Mr. Reid constantly acted, and with whom, judging by his observations yesterday, he is again prepared to act. He expressed himself doubtful of the result, because those members who took part in the deliberations in “ another place ” would find it impossible to refuse to give protection to life and property in every part of the Colony. We quite coincide with Mr. Reid in that idea. It is one of the functions of Parliament that arrangements shall be made for that purpose ; but that does not affect the gravamen of the question. The fault always has been that in making those arrange ments, the people who reaped the benefit did not pay the cost. On many subjects Mr. Reid’s , views are much modified and improved. He has adopted more rational opinions on public works and immigration, and appears to be travelling towards something like a practical idea of what may be done to give employment to those labourer’s who cannot find work during the winter. But on this question of the appropriation of Middle Island revenues to North Island protection we do not discern any advance. Where he was five years ago, he remains. When Mr Reid tells us of the duty of the Government to protect life and property, he loses sight of the fact that this is purely a question of police. Take away the word “ war,” and substitute “riot”; instead of calling the Maoris “enemies,” call them “insur- “ gents,” or by any other name that points to local disturbances, and it brings us at once to the idea that as every Province pays its own police, the North Island Provinces must pay for the maintenance of order within their borders. Mr Barton drew a comparison between the price paid for land in the North Island compared with the average in the Middle Island. We do not place much stress upon that. The difference in price is nothing when the safety of the one investment and the risk of the other are taken into consideration. The fault of all previous Governments has been that they have encouraged settlement in risky localities, on the faith that the occupiers of the land should be protected at the expense of the Colony. Persons settling on such land should be subjected to a special annual tax, because of the necessity for special protection. In this extension of settlement we, in the Middle Island, have not the slightest interest beyond supplying a few cargoes of wheat annually, or haply a few barrels of beer. Even in this trade wc have to compete with our sister Colonies and North America; and Cor this paltry advantage we have had to pay the greater portion of eight or ten millions of money wasted in wars, that a sound and judicious process of Colonisation would have prevented. We say advisedly eight or ten millions of money, for the cost of those wars must not be measured by the amount of the loan. We have no hesitation in saying that lor years the North Island found its profit in the war expenditure. We know that it was strenuously denied by the inhabitants ; that in the public prints and in Parliament they paraded the distress brought upon different districts by Maori raids, and year after year claimed compensation for injury done. In our own Province the philanthropic members, to whom was entrusted the task of representing us in Parliament, used to lecture us on our duty as Colonists, and point out how shameful it would have been on our parts to have left our fellow-settlers unprotected. It was almost enough to brand a man as a traitor who had the courage to ask what right those people had to place themselves in danger on the faith that others would protect them. Yet this is really the gist of the whole question, and indicates the course that should be taken in future. The motion of Mr , Barton points distinctly to the localisation of expenditure. It gives directions to our members who will shortly proceed to Wellington, to see to it that henceforth the arrangements for maintaining order in the North Island shall be a local, not a Colonial charge. Let it be understood that whatever extension of settlement takes place in the North, the risk must be taken there too—that we in the Middle Island will not allow our progress to be impeded by the un-recouped expenditure of any further portion of our revenue there. If a goldfield is opened there, let them pay their own police as we do ours. There is plenty of unoccupied land in the Middle Island, that men may work profitably to themselves and the Colony without running the risk of Maori outrages ; and the folly of our system has been that wo have offered , premiums for men to place themselves in danger instead of im-

posing a check upon such rash investments by taxing them to protect themselves. Moreover, it is most unfair that the hard working, enterprising people of the Middle Island, should be absolutely taxed for the purpose of raising up competitors in the North. Every squatter, every farmer, whose flocks and produce are increased through being shielded by Middle Island money, is a competitor in the wool, meat, or grain market; and helps to reduce the profits of those who are taxed to take care of him. It is idle to say that this enriches the country, for his gains depend upon the reduction of other men’s incomes. Every pound of wool, every bushel of wheat, raised in risky districts, costs ten times what is obtained for it. We do not blame the present Government. They have done what no other government has done towards the establishment and maintenance of peace. They have inherited a bad system, and are quite prepared to initiate a better, but they must be supported by an intelligent effort on the part of the House of Representatives, The best security for future peace is to make the North Island pay for its internal defence.