The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, MAY 5, 1877.

Manawatu Times, Volume II, Issue 57, 5 May 1877, Page 2

The Manawatu Times. SATURDAY, MAY 5, 1877.

The utterance of the Premier has been for many weeks looked forward to with an anxiety such as the mariner might be supposed to feel while directing his eyes towards the compass on a perilous stormy night. The Press has said quite sufficient to rouse people to an apprehension of the fact that a piece of difficult political navigation has to be accomplished ere the Colony reaches the calm waters of financial prosperity. The few members of the Assembly who have addressed their constituents, have not lessened this apprehension, nor have their opinions as to what course should be pursued been sufiieientlj r m harmony to make the future clear to the public. It is, therefore, with an interest amounting to something more than curiosity that a declaration of Cabinet intentions has been looked for. Light has at length shone upon the situation. The Premier has delivered a speech — a post prandial one, aud has indicated " the broad lines upon which the Government propose to travel." As was generally expected the policy proposed is not a profound one. It consists mainly m picking up the tag ends of the Acts of last session, and moulding them into something like shape and finish. This is not an ambitious work to sketch out for a parliamentary session, but it is undoubtedly of greater practical utility than would be a dozen grand schemes. The circumstances of the country at this time require a corrective rather than a creative legislation, and the nimple programme of the Premier is

more hope inspiring than would be one of a more imposing character. The Major has no notion of obstructing the Public Works policy of the late Ministry. He intends to modify it. He wishes to pause aiid look back and repair the defects m past work, so that the country's progess may be so far real and complete. He will hold m abeyance new operations involving expenditure until the old ones are completed and become reproductive. The fact of public expenditure being m excess of revenue is not m itself alarming provided such expenditure is going on to produce certain ultimate results on the credit side of the balance sheet. But no expenditure m excess of that involved m a thorough and vigorous prosecution of the public works already m hand will ensure such result, and none other will the Premier tolerate. He proposes that the colony shall spend its energies m an attempt to rise to the level of present responsibilities before incurring fresh ones. This is a version of the Yogel Public Works Policy suited to the times, and it will undoubtedly meet with a very general approbation. Major Atkinson's remarks upon the land law are somewhat vague, nevertheless, we believe him to be on the right track. If he fulfils his promise of facilitating the settlement of a yeomanry population it matters little whether the settlers purchase their land from the Government exclusively or from the natives also. We trust, however, that m the facilitating process the Government will not forget the preparative construction of roads through the various blocks to be offered for sale. The increased value of the laud would prevent the Government from suffer- ' ing any loss from this work, while settlement would be promoted perhaps more by this than by any other one measure. The subjects of primary education and local government are disposed of very summarily m this twenty-five minute speech. Education is to be secular, and administered by local committees. This is so far good, but the success of the scheme will depend very much on the meaning attached to the terms employed. Secular may imply one thing or another according as it is regarded from a Protestant or Romanist stand point ; and the efficiency of local committees will depend very much upon the measure of power vested m them. The hou. gentleman considers the county system correct as a system, but requiring amendment m its application. This is obvious enough, as indeed are most other things that he said. His utterances were not sufficiently vigorous to greatly exercise either friends or enemies. We are thankful to have his views, and still more thankful to have them m apparent agreement with public interests, but we think that, for the occasion, his address was very bald. A more detailed statement was expected of him. Perhaps this is yet to come m a more formal address to his constituents.