CO-OPERATIVE LAND COMPANY.

Globe, Volume XXII, Issue 1830, 3 January 1880, Page 3

CO-OPERATIVE LAND COMPANY.

To the Editor of the Globe, Sie, — Your article on our Land Company does credit to your geniality of mind, but it is clouded with mistakes ; no doubt yon will allow the company to put themselves right both with your esteemed self, and your readers. The by-laws of the company, which are partnership clauses, have got mixed up with proposals for a block of laud. Taking the by-laws first. The clause about lawyers means simply “that as the company possess legal advisers, no individual partner shall introduce a strange lawyer to fight with the company’s lawyer.” The company being a partnership of labor, it follows, if one withdraw his labor, all may and the partnership would end. Hence labor is forced. The committee retire every three months in rotation, but not so did the Venetian Ten. The five Spartan Ephors were the Cabinet Ministers of the Dual Kings of Lakedaimon, and of the Assembly, In modern history they parallel the Hons Hall, Rolleston, Bryce, Oliver, and Whitaker, while the Dual Kings are seen in his Excellency and Sir Michael. The Geroasia is the Council. History repeats itself quite other than yen thought. The members really expel themselves by withdrawing their labor, or by crime. There is no “ imperium ” intended, for Hon, Rol-

leaton was stopped in his speech, when ho misunderstood the company that way. He was told “ No! The company merely ask Government to use them as servants in the different departments if possible.” The whole thing is simply a partnership of labor and consumption, upon land held as tenants in common under the Act, All crime rests under the Minister for Justice. In the “ Lyttelton Times ” you will see the offer to contract was one per cent, under any other contract. As to 80,000 acres, the company number shareholders residing in Dunedin, Oamaru, Timaru, Ashburton, Rakaia, Eaiapoi, Oust, Amberley, Wellington, Wanganui, and even Mount Egmont itself. There is, therefore, no monopoly, for they can absorb all the unemployed, but it was represented “ that the company were open to modify the proposals in any form which the Spartan Ephor might wish, that is, if suitable to the one great principle, viz., a partnership of tenants in common, getting their wages fund out of the public works and repaying to the treasury by price of land, all the money coming out of the treasury. As to reserves, the enhanced value of all reserves would in three years give the Government (as wo saw lately at Waimate South) the means of putting up all public buildings at Waimate North without taxing the people of New Zealand, or running to the London Pawn Shop. I frankly avow that I agree with the late Sir John Larkins Richardson, Speaker of the Council, “ that the composition of the New Zealand Legislative Council is foreign to the spirit of the Zealandian people and Constitution, and must be altered.” The Dual Kings (i.e., Governor and Home Colonial Secretary). The Gerousia (i.e,, nominated Council for life). The Assembly (i.e., House of Representatives). The Ephors (i e., the Cabinet). Why it is barbarous old Sparta and Lycurgus all over again. Now soberly, is not the old annual Regni Commune Concilium better, with a revising fourth for a Council, and localism instead of centralism ? I thank youjheartilyfor the genial tone that pervades your leader, and when the Zealandian Ephors and the Dual Kings read this, let them not frown, but receive it in kindness. Yours, &o , J. W. TREADWELL, Hon. Sec. Land-Company.

[Mr Treadwell ia in error. The by-laws of the company were never at all confounded in our article with the proposals for a block of land. la point of fact, what Mr Treadwell calls by laws are conditions of membership, a vastly different matter. Our article pointed out that no body of men would lorg hold together working under the conditions proposed. The Spartan Bphors were not Cabinet Ministers of the dual kings of Lacedaemon. Mr Treadwell is apparently not well acquainted with what their real functions were. Their functions were at first limited, _it is true, “ but in the end the whole political power became centered in their hands. They were thus the real rulers of the State, and their orders were submissively obeyed by all classes in Sparta. Their authority was of a despotic nature, and they exercised it without responsibility.” “They dismissed, at their pleasure, subordinate magistrates, they even arrested the kings, and either fined them on their own authority or brought them to trial before the Senate.” We quote from a recognised authority. Until the Hon. J. Hall arrests or fines on his own authority either Sir Michael Hicks-Beach or Sir Hercules Eobinson, we shall confess to being unable to see the parallel drawn by Mr Treadwell.— Ed. Globe.]