THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDAY, JULY 22, 1874.

Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1850, 22 July 1874, Page 2

THE Grey River Argus PUBLISHED DAILY WEDNESDA Y, JULY 22, 1874.

In our' telegrams' of Monday, it was announced that the Hon. Mr Waterhouse had made anothei attack on the Government Immigration and Public Works policy, but very few of his arguments were made known to us. Since then we have received a summary of them, to the following effect :— He first of all regretted the increasing indebtedness of the Colony, and said that four, years ago when the Public Works policy was initiated, Mr Yogel had Said that eight aud a-half millions were to be spent over a space of ten years,, or including immigration, nine and a-half millions, which, however, was to be reduced : by the sale of three and a-half million: acres; but that in seven years only, Parliament had authorised an expediture of £9,816,000, and had only about one thousand miles of railway to .show for it. This sum would '■ make the total indebtedness of the colony over seventeen millions. .The question to be considered was, whether any increase to this would not make too heavy a taxation necessary. Still there was, in his opinion,* nothing alarming at present. He thought there wa3 only more caution required, because we were apt at present to underestimate the weight on our shoulders. This feeling was attributable to three causes— first,- the unprecedented prosperity prevailing ; second, because the. full burden of interest ia not yet felt, in consequence of the interest being deferred till the lines are completed ; third, because the colony is not paying the full burden impt-sed upon, it; in consequence of Native troubles. He thought there would be alarge. expenditure yet in connection; with the Native question, but he advocated its being borne, out. of the public revenue. As for the railways now in course of construction, he thought they would repay interest, and develop industries ; but ,to r plunge too recklessly into, them would render a taxation an the industrial resources of the colonynecessary, which would" defeat its own' object He considered that they had increased the indebtedness of the colony,, asfar as was consistent with sound prudence. The Government, would have replied to these 'arguments,; but for the. fact that the 'financial' statement wpn>l be made in the Lower Rouse in a feW-'.u.ys, aud.th'ey had no-wish to disclose tin-r policy before the proper time, but there is do doubt 1 .that- when that .time arrives Mr Yogel •will give 1 a full and ample reply to Mr iWatVr'touse's double attack. : We have on, many occasions lately con demned the loose manner in which immi- • grationi was conducted, but now that Mr jVogel has superseded Dr Featherston as lAgent-General, and has taken charge r of. jthe Immigration department, until Mr Russel is; ready to accept r , that '■ office, we :think that Mr Waterhouse ought to have: lernained silent at least until the' financial ■ statement was made, and the 1 future policy jof tho Government in that . direction shadowed forth/ 1 By the' receipt' of the ifirs^fc riuinber of Hansard last night, >ye are, in possession of a full report of Mr Water- ' |house's 'first attack /on the Government, from which it appears that he must have ; [watched the progress of Mr* .yogel's^our ■,'. jthrough the colony with great interest |and that he noted all the. incidents with!miriute care. He tells us, .for instance, .that after the " champagne speeches "at Dunedin there were long confidential communications between his Honor the Superintendent of Otago and the hon, the (Premier, which texcited in the highest degree the curiosity of all politicians— t l" What was the nature of the -arrange- ' ments then arrived at we have never been able satisfactorily to decide, but we do all know that 1 whenever his Honor the Superintendent of Otago and the hon. the Premier put their heads together, it bodes ill for third parties. Probably the announcement that we are" shortly to be favored with a proposal for a loan of half a million from ; that : locality, accounts to : some extent for these long and interesting interviews." - In i this fashion, Mr Mr Waterhouse follows the Premier all round the colony, winding up with the general remark that "there has been some understanding arrived at between- the various'., provinces and, the General Government, the result, of which, will show itself during the : session." It is in every respect probable that an understanding has been arrived at, ; but what then? Why should the Premier not have used the opportunities which his' tour afforded him 'to promote cordial relations between the General arid Provincial : That^ so far as we remember, was publicly announced as one of the reasons why he had undertaken journeys to Canterbury, Otago; Nelson, and Auckland. Having; assumed the administration of the Immigration depart-ments-Mr Yogel found ii absolutely necessary to communicate personally with the several Provincial 'authorities in order that ' arrangements might be made by which local management could be vested ia' the latter; Such arrangements were satisfactorily completed 1 in each case and the' Colony .has :been the gainer. ; Mr Waterhouse' is greatly alarmed about im-, migration. .„ He says the administration of the department has been '^reprehensible i on constitutional grounds and on grounds of public , policy." /He,; argues that Mr Yogel, on: nis own responsibility, made provision! fp^.,thefvintro.duction of 35,000 immigrants immediately after the General Asgembly-fose in October last year* when he.was not (authorised; to bring in more than 12,500. This he calls unconstitutional. It remains to be; seen whether, and to what extent, Mr Yogel has exceeded the vote of ! the Legislature. 1 'We know already that;; he devoted himself

with great energy to the administration of the department, and it will probably be found that Mr Waterhouse has discovered a mare's nest. [Since the above was in type, we have received the telegraphic report of the Treasurer's financial statement, a perusal of which will show that Mr Yogel has made use of his opportunities, and has at least made an attempt to meet the re--1 ments of the various Provinces ; but we shall have to refer to the statement, in detail, on another occasion.]