THE Mount Ida Chronicle SATRUDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1876.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VII, Issue 403, 2 December 1876, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle SATRUDAY, DECEMBER 2, 1876.

The political apathy so much remarked upoii in Canterbury, and somewhat bitter ly complained of by ardent Provincirihsta in Otago, is worth looking into. The Ontrali-sts maintain that this apathy ia extreme content. They say the ptvjjie are well satisfied with the General Government of the country, and therefore see nothing to induce thorn to ruffle their political feathers. No doubt there is much in this. Our General Assembly is a representative body, and, although the representation is not a very fair one, yet it is ten times fairer than it has been for many years in England, Scotland, and Ireland. The whole structure of representative government is centred in the principle that the majority should rule. It is therefore, from this point of view, quite right to be politically apathetic—to be confident that, having roused themselves to due pitch at election times, the battle may be left to the elected of the people, while the constituents, oblivious of all that is going on, attend to their own business. Phiß apathy, or righteous confidence, does not exist where it might be most expected to. The slow-going farmers of • Hago are the men who are most politically alive at the present time. The more excitable, and generally wideawake, population of the Interior Goldfields are the least active in political thought. In Canterbury the only purely agricultural representative returned was the only member that consistently opposed to the end the new reign of Centralism. The remainder of Canterbury's representation, returned by the prestige or influence of the Crown tenants, represented the political apathy of Canterbury.

The Americans hold to a strong opinion, thai the root of patriotism is property in land. If the converse to patriotism is indifference, apathy, righteous confidence in the infallibility of one or two men—term it what we will —our present experience justifies an endorsement of the American position. Our Interior Goldfields population has, to our disgrace as a Province, not been allowed to obtain property in land. The impolicy of this land conservation is now patent. The Goldfields, population, if not indifferent, are for the most part willing and anxious to be privy to the destruction of the system which might have done so much for them, with such promise of return, yet which did so little. The absence of property in the land has destroyed inc : pient patriotism in the birth. In Canterbury the bulk of the agricultural settlers have now great difficulty in obtaining freeholds in their own right. With a system of free selection, apparently of a most liberal kind, the wage-saving population have to take land, on Bucb best terms as are possible, from the large freeholders, who have secured the fronts in every direction. The alternative is settlement faraway from market, where too often the outlets and sources of water have been most systematically secured. The large freeholders who are now constituting a huge system of landlordism, have at the same time, for the most part, a greater interest in retaining the pastoral country in their hands until it can be secured by better title, and so cast their influence, in spite of their inclinations as freeholders into the treacherous and unwieldy car of Centralism. Auckland again has always been administered so as to settle the immigrants on their own land, It is now essentially a Province of small holdings, and certainly is not the least patriotic in regard to the conservation of its own rights and liberties. Political apathy, be the cause what it may, is always a bad sign of the limes in which it exists. The very virtue of Representative Government can only be sustained by healthy thought and agitation, flowing through the ordinary channels of public opinion. Poliiical apathy is too often the forerunner of those very unconstitutional disturbances which the Otago Convention was accused of fostering, but which it was determined to wholly ignore. As the Convention did undoubtedly represent the political life of a great part of the Province, the apathy of the minority of Otago may not be of a serious nature. At the same time we regretthat that minority should receive such strength from the Goldfields.

The question of who is to be the Chief Commissioner of Waste Lands came up at the Board last week. Mr. Bastings thought the Government should appoint a gentleman to the office at once. Mr. Heid ia reported to have said that he thought it would be as well not to say anything in the matter just at present. It is not easy to understand all tliis shilly-shallying. If Mr. lleid is to bare the appointment, we quite agree that he should at onje take it. This waiting for a suppositious public indignation to cool is at the best but a poor shuffling way of doing business. Every one admits Mr. Eeid to be the best man for the office; but, however, even he is not indispensible. Certainly we object to Mr. Maitland, as deficient in meutal stamina ; but plenty of men are to be found quite capable of filling the office as well as it has been filled before. The Board can put up with it as long as they like, but the public have a different idea as to this putting-up-with business. Every week some blunder ib made, or gross injustice perpetrated, which no one can be held responsible for, while poor Mr. Strode is kept stretched on a bed of nettles, .which, nnHirallr be -is most

anxious to escape from. Let the Government and Mr. Keid make up their minds, and shilly-shally no longer. It should be Yes or JS T o.