The Lyttelton Times.

Lyttelton Times, Volume XI, Issue 659, 2 March 1859, Page 4

The Lyttelton Times.

■■.-"■ Wednesday, March 2. It is not often that Wellington politicians deign to notice any affairs beyond their own boundaries, that do not directly and immediately affect their own Province. The manly and outspoken press of Wellington generally finds subjects enough to exerciso its courage upon, after its own fashion, close at hand; and, to do it justice, it takes them as they come without being squeamish in its choice. We ought then to take as a peculiar honor a long and very "earnest" notice in the 'Wellington Independent' of a few remarks made more than a month ago in our columns apropos of Immigration into this Province. We might wonder a little at it, it we were not conscious of having offended our contemporary by some recent comments upon its style and tone. It was scarcely to be expected that the ' Independent' would confess its sins, still less that it would defend them; but it was pretty certain that it would find some excuse for giving us a specimen of that spicy style, for which it is famous, by way of retort courteous. It did not much signify what the text might be. It might in these degenerate regions have been considered more manly on the part of the f Independent' not to mask the real reason for attack under pretence of giving us a lesson in political economy, but to come straight to the point, and either to rebut, if possible, the charges brought against it, or to show that it was unjust to make them. We are well aware that there ate strong grounds for excuse to be adduced, although not for justification; and we thought it probable that the real leaders of the l Independent.' were not to be held responsible for all that appeared in its columns as editorial matter. We know ourselves from experience how articles may appear in print without, the cognizance of those who are generally held responsible for them. But our contemporary is determined to be consistent 5 like Mrs. Skewton, it expresses its longing for more { heart;'—like that lady insinuates that it possesses a great deal of that organ, —and then bestows some of it upon us in a most affectionate manner. It is not to be wondered at, when the subject of debate was only chosen for the sake of attack, that the tenor of our remarks should have been misrepresented and the comments upon them exceedingly commonplace. Nobody will be found now-a-days to : maintain that the price of labour does not depend on the proportion which the supply bears to the demand. The article from which the ' Independent' ' has quoted, dwelt upon the necessity of increasing the supply to meet the increasing demand. The remarks by which our contemporary's lecture on political economy is provoked are quoted without their context. They were written on account of local circumstances which were tending to lessen the demand for labour which otherwise would be far greater. Unskilled labour had .been standing out for a rate of wages which simply had the effect of checking farming, as it was so .wholly disproportionate to the price of produce. This is an anomalous state of things which can be remedied only by constant immigration. We pointed out that this disproportionate'rate of wages was injurious to all parties and that it could in the end. benefit none, because the enterprise of the province was checked. It became unprofitable to develop our resources to the uttermost. As soon as immigration keeps pace with capital,-—as soon as supply keeps pace with demand, —so soon must the price of produce have an effect in regulating the price of labour. We recommended the subject to the consideration of the Farmers' Club. No-" body disputes the .propositions the 'Independent' has taken the trouble to expound. They may be found in any hand-book on political economy. It is characteristic of our contemporary to insinuate a wish on our parts for legislation on the subject. Even in those dark ages when such legislation was common, it would have been held base to insinuate what a person did not believe. Although the 'Independent' admires "smartness," we are bound to take it for granted that the writer of the article before us really did understand us to express such a wish. We must also put down, in charity, to extreme want of accuracy, the example adduced by the ' Independent' in illustration of its comments upon our remarks. We spoke distinctly of unskilled labour as related "to produce j our journalist wishes to make a striking point, so he assumes that we said 'skilled' labour, and adduces the case of printers with wages regulated according to the price of produce ! By-the-bye we hope that the wages in the printing office of the :' Independent' are not regulated by the swamping process alluded to by our contemporary. The.' independent' has given us some advice j now let us give a little in return. Less flippancy, and more honesty of statement would give its opinions far greater weight with the public than they now carry.' We confess to an indisposition to 'heart'and 'earnestness' as understood by our contemporary. But we never have and never will be backward to promote what we conceive to be proper objects for earnestness and will. We admit our contemporary's claim to a very considerable but much abused talent for fun, and we strongly recommend him to carry out in earnest, what was only the conditional intention of a far wittier man, viz.; 'to purge and leave sack and live cleanly.'