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Evening Star, Issue 4273, 6 November 1876, Page 2

Iris very difficult to please our contemporary the 'Daily Times.' This morning it expresses much regret that the Waste Lands Board Bhould have refused to sanction the "hill-tops" job, because the consequence has been that the Provincial Government, in order to find money, has lately disposed of blocks of valuable land at prices considerably below their real value. Yet, in the. same breath, it abuses the General Government for their interference, because, forsooth, the Hon. George M'Lean, who is here on other business, having had it represented to him that there were complaints made that another block of agricultural land, and nearly our last remaining one, was about to be disposed of under the orders of the past rigime, comes forward and says, on behalf of the General Government, "Do not feel obliged to sell that land if you think, it inadvisable to do so. We are now responsible for the debts of the Province, and will find the money it requires rather than see this fine land fall into the grasp of monopolists instead of into the hands of bondjlde settlers." It is well known that the new general Land Act places the dia posal of Crown lands under the unfettered direction of the local Land Boards, so that our contemporary need not fear to scent in this benevolent interference of Mr M'Lean a scheme for " working " the Otago Waste Lands Board. One would have thought th it a paper which can glory in thinking of the days when

None were for a party. And all were for the State,

would have been delighted that at last an end had come ,to the style' ot busineßS followed by Provincial statesmen usually ailed "burning the candle at both ends "