The Evening Star FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1876.

Evening Star, Issue 4109, 28 April 1876, Page 2

The Evening Star FRIDAY, APRIL 28, 1876.

We have a word to say to Mr Donald Reid, to which if he gives heed he may become somewhat of a gentleman. The editor of this paper, on behalf of the people of Otago, protested against the proposed sale of certain waste lands of the Crown, and in so doing only fulfilled a public duty. He has quite as much right to form an opinion upon the matter as Mr Donald Reid, and probably, through early education and long business and political training, is quite as capable of forming a sound judgment on the matter as he. The protest was not a political one, nor for a political object; it was respectfully worded, and not one of the reasons given for objecting to the sale of the land has been gainsaid. Yet Mr Reid chose to make its presentation an occasion for a most unmannerly personal attack upon the editor of this journal, to state that he had affirmed an untruth; and because in times past he had opposed him on a matter very different from that before the Board, Mr Keid endeavored to show on that ground that his opinions were not worth consideration, We freely ao-

knowledge that, from our youth up, our companionship and associations have totally unfitted us for competition with Mr Reid in bullying. It is not, therefore, our way to try to atop mouths by telling people with one breath that they are liars, and with the other acknowledging the truth of what we denied. But exactly this was what Mr Reid was guilty of. At the Land Board meeting on Wednesday, he had the consummate assurance to say that it was absolutely untrue that the Board would This week be asked to sanction the sale of several large blocks of so-called pastoral land, on conditions of price preconcerted between the Provincial Executive and the leaseholders, for the declared purpose of relieving the Provincial Government from debt.

Yet in the after part of the day every word was verified out of Mr Reid’s own mouth, excepting that “of relieving the Provineial Government from debt.” He acknowledged the Government needed|the money to prosecute certain works, he acknowledged that these sales had been arranged, he based his plea for selling the land on the ground that it was purely pastoral, and went so far as to endeavor to coerce the Waste Land Board into sanctioning what they believed to be wrong, by telling them that “a grave responsibility rested upon them ” —that of risking throwing a number of persons out of work. Where, then, is the untruth with which he charged this journal 1 If he refers to its columns he will see that in no one instance has it been guilty of the fabrications he charged the Press with. Even for its severest condemnations it has accepted the statements and quoted the expressions of contemporaries, one of which is supposed to be especially cognisant of Executive plans, although we confess it is a curious advocate of the opinions Mr Reid entertains. Nothing so severe has ever been said by the Evening Star as was first printed in the ‘ Guardian’ and * Daily Times,’ and for opposing the sale of land in large blocks reasons have been given which were not even attempted to be controverted by Mr Reid. There is also good reason for thinking that the reservations contained in Mr Reid’s resolution were consequent upon the protest put before the Board by the editor of this journal, as they were identical with several of the objections specified in it. If, however, they were entertained by Mr Reid prior to the publication of our protest, they have his concurrence, and therefore should not come under his condemnation. Mr Reid’s zoological comparison should have been applied to himself personally, and not to a political opponent that has for years consistently opposed the timeserving Vacillations of which he has been guilty. We cannot see the aptness of comparing the attributes of the chameleon to changeful policy, for zoologists tell us its color changes are rapid and beautiful; but Mr Reid seems to forget many personal experiences of which it would be quite possible to remind him showing the inconsistency of his words and deeds. But we Mr Reid resembles the cartridge of a needle gun—prick him and he explodes with a stinging report, and we do not wish to do him greater injury than he has done himself. We believe that in our advocacy of a non-political Waste Land Board, we had Mr Reid's approval, and it therefore ill becomes him to try to coerce their actions and to make them the scapegoats of Executive mismanagement. It was not and is not, for them to devise the means of finding funds for the Provincial Treasury. They had a duty to perform which they have conscientiously and bravely done. They were asked to throw away public property to meet a temporary exigency—property that only requires time to multiply many times in value. They refused, and have done their duty, and they deserve the thanks of every inhabitant of the Province. Does Mr Reid forget his refusal to bring the land laws into operation, and that he claimed public approbation, notwithstanding the stagnation'that ensued It was his duty at that time to find money for Provincial liabilities; but he refused, and he might have done so and served the Province; and yet he condemns the prudent action of a Board whose functions he knows are nonpolitical but whose action he has attempted to control for political ends.