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Evening Star, Issue 3128, 27 February 1873, Page 2

We cannot say that Mr Stafford disappointed us at Timaru. His speech was just what might have been expected. He could not help admitting the country’s prosperity, but lie bids us look out for a change. Wo have not much to find fault with in what he said about railway matters. The facts are against him, so far as what he terms “ political railways, in proof of which wo recommend our readers to refer to the patchwork scheme marked out by Mr Donald Reid during his short term of office, compared with the schedule adopted by the Fox-VoUEL Government. Mr Stafford gives very sound advice as to husbanding our resources, but does not, we think, take the opportunity afforded him of showing the mismanagement in the shipment of railway plant, by sending rails without chairs, engines -without carriages, and other plant piecemeal, so that no portion of a rail nay can he completed and brought into reproductive working. We could have made a much more faultfinding speech. In fact, he deals very tenderly with matters generally, and evidently has changed his mind, or is vacillating on many points. It is rather amusing to read his self-glorification about Native affairs. It must have been amazingly soothing to him to have received assurances of confidence and invitation to take office by several Native chiefs: it would not have enlightened ns much as to the value of their testimony had he given their names, nor have increased our confidence in his ability to manage the Natives. It is quite possible to agree with him that there may be more than one man in the Colony capable of conducting Native affairs, and yet to believe he is not that man ; nor do wc see anything to be gained by removing one who has proved bis ability to do so, to make room for one who must have changed, if bo is now able, or For one of whose capacity nothing is known. In Native matters, as in all others when well conducted, true wisdom is shewn in “letting well alone.” As for the prospect of increased taxation, it is only a repetition of an old warning. Such a necessity may arise through obstructing the progress of the works, or through mismanagement in not bringing them rapidly into reproductive utilisation. But we do not share Mr Stafford’s apprehensions on that head. Increase of revenue through increase of population, and decrease of interest through railways paying like the Dunedin and Port Chalmers line, will obviate the necessity for increased taxation; and as for men being thrown out of employment when all our railways are made, it is mere nonsense, which we cannot think had any other object than to foster popular apprehension. Mr Stafford is now no chicken, and must know better. At any rate such a prediction is utterly inconsistent with the great future prosperity which he, in common with everyone else, foretells for New Zealand. That prosperity depends upon a thorough working out of the Public Works and Immigration scheme, and it is the interest of all parties to see to it, that the public weal is not sacrificed by obstructions thrown in the way through party opposition. We see nothing fresh in Mr Stafford's Timaru effort. Had it not been for the pleasure of meeting his constituents, he might have saved himself the trouble of speaking, by placarding on the ball door, “ For speech to-night, refer to old speeches in Hansard.”