THE Mount Ida Chronicle THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 1877.

Mount Ida Chronicle, Volume VIII, Issue 416, 29 March 1877, Page 2

THE Mount Ida Chronicle THURSDAY, MARCH 29, 1877.

The development of the interior of Otago appears likely to be seriously retarded by the experiment of local nonpolitical GoTerament. It is impossible to suppose that the eyes of the people will long be blinded to the fact that non-development entails a great risk*of serious depression among the working classes. The extent of country under cultivation is not sufficiently great to employ all the surplus labor now released by the completion of railways, while at the same time it offers no choice of homesteads to the laborer who has obtained a small capital. It is to the interior that the laborer has to have recourse to supply inequalitiep in the labor market, and as being that goal towards which he can look as containing a home of his own, upon which he can settle, and which he can hand down to his children. The danger of the delay now before u?»is, that before it is found out that the Counties cannot keep open existing communications, much less extend or improve them, the necessities of the Colony will have forced large sales of the best Crown lands, at Buch low prices as to leave nothing wherewith the repentant people can redeem the error they glided into last year. The only way to check this wonld be a reserration of a large landed estate, the proceeds of which, arising in the ordinary administration of the land laws, should be kept sacred for railway purposes. By this means such a substantial guarantee would be given that ultimately the country would be open, that the lands would fetch something nearer their real value, and small capitalists would be contented to Bettle, satisfied with a living for a few years, being confident that their properties would be ultimately doubled in value, by being placed within easy reach of markets. Last session the Assembly refused to sanction this course, not, we think, understanding truly the necessity for it. Mr. Donald Beid, when at JTaseby the other day, unintentionally, but very neatly, pointed out the absurdity of the Government forsaking its responsibility in fayor of the Counties when he said that " one body who was respon- " sible could not hand over manage- " ment of the Public Works to another " that was irresponsible. The Govern- " ment would be very glad of the ad- " vie* of a board of miners, but would " have to act according to its judgment " for the best interests of the commu- ': nity and the whole Colony." Yet that is exactly what the Government has done. It is the custodian of the , Crown lands. The County Councils of Maniototo, Lake, and Yincent are composed of members who have the very slightest freehold interest in land at all, with the exception of the pastoral tenants, whose main interest for the present is adverse to that of the Government. The Government wants land to rise in value as speedily as prssible—the pastoral tenant desires exactly the opposite. The County Councils are not responsible in any way for the settlement of the Counties, or for the introduction into them of population uuable to exist elsewhere. The Government, if not responsible, at least acknowledge a quasi responsibility when, m compliance with agitation, finding labor for the unemployed. Yet the Government, in its Counties Act, in every instance has handed over its peculiar responsibility to bodies that are not only irresponsible, but powerless for good or evil. The very position Mr. lieid said was impossible in a small matter the Government which he haß joined has adopted in regard to a question second in importance to no other in the whole Colony—viz., The settlement and development of the Interior.