The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1864.

North Otago Times, Volume II, Issue 41, 1 December 1864, Page 2

The Oamaru Times, AND WAITAKI REPORTER. THURSDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1864.

The guv stiou whether the ports should be opened for the importation of cattle, in consequence of the high price of meat, is a most important one. The price of beef, especially in Dunedin, is most exorbitant; and strange to say, it appears extremely difficult to discover the cause why it is so. The butchers say it is not their doing; the stockholders disclaim the imputation of exacting too high a price for cattle; and yet the fact remains that beef is at a price which to many is prohibi-

tory. It is not to be wondered at, therefore, that there has been a very brisk agitation on the subject of late, that the Superintendent has been compelled to act, and has licensed the importation of cattle from Southland, and appointed a commission to enquire into the whole matter. We must confess that we look upon free trade, as it is called, in cattle, as a very hazardous step. It is well known that that fell disease pleuro-pneumonia was imported into this colony originally from Victoria. Many maintain that if the ports are kept closed, its extirpation is possible, and that it is in fact decreasing; but once open the ports again, and its perpetuation may fully be looked forward to. But we object to it on another ground—one of political economy. Every means should be taken to encourage the raising of sufficient supplies to make the colony independent of foreign assistance, and this applies not to cattle only, but to breadstuffs and other necessaries. Our country is, admirably adapted for supporting numeious flocks and herds, and for raising all kinds of grain, fruit and vegetables. The importation of these serves to continue an unnecessary dependence. Breeders of cattle are discouraged by the competition, and the country is impoverished by the loss of the sums paid for necessaries which might well be raised within its own borders. Nor does it appear that this and the adjoining Provinces are unable to supply the markets were their energies sufficiently roused. It has been ascertained that Otago and Southland between them contain .0,000 head of cattle—surely, if not a sufficient number to keep beef at a moderate price, at least such a number that in a very short time will become numerous enough by natural increase to render these Provinces independent. There is something in the argument that the small jobbers who buy from the stockholders and sell to the butchers have the lion's share of the profits, and that they are instrumental in maintaining the high prices. The ■' Wakatip Mail" on this subject has the following: —

A well-informed correspondent says —" It has been repeatedly assei ted that the high price of meat is to be attiibuted to the exorbitant piofits lequired by the retail butcher. This is not the case, nor does the fault lie with the bona-ficle squatters, but is owing to the speculators and stock jobbers, who act as go-betweens, buy the cattle at a reasonable price from the squatteis, and indirectly fleece tho poor digger and community generally by extorting a fabulous price - at tho rate of about 100 per cent. I know a gentleman in the district who has lately entered on this jobbing system, who actually boasts that he is making £10 on every head of cattle he sells here. Now it is a shame and disgrace that any individual should have the power to so monopolise a market like this, and live on the fat of the land at the working man's expense. If the squatters will not conserve the interests of the people, the sooner our ports aro thrown open to all comers the belter, The scarcity of cattle will not hold good in justification." On the same subject the same authority reports:—"The beef-eaters of Otago and Southland will be glad to learn that one of the many grievances of which they have so much cause to complain has been removed, and through which only about a fortnight Bince, this district was placed at great disadvantage by the prohibition of a mob of cattle to cross fiom the Southland side into this. A proclamation ha. been issued by the Superintendent, authorising the landing of cattle free from disease fiom Southland at the port of Dunedin, and also authorising the driving of cattle from the same province into any part of this that is declared infected. This is the first step in the right diiection."

A correspondent of the "Daily Times" points to another cause—the land regulations. He says:— Compare the "10-acre Agricultural Leasing systom with the facilities afforded by other colonies for obtaining land, and it will be seen that for permanent settlement it is worthless :— 40s a year for ten acres for seven years without any privilego of purchasing or compensation for improvements at the expiration of the teim. The fact that about a hundred of these lots have been taken up in tliis district only proves that if fair terms had

been offered, 1000 or more would have been nearer the number. But the cattle and sheep interest is too strong at head quarteis for any concession to be made except what is forced upon them. The stockowneis know that the small settlers would keep a few cows, that the cows would have calves, which in time would be fit for the butcher; and if Government encouraged these "cockatoos" by letting them have land on reasonable terms, a body of six or seven thousand such small stockowners would for ever spoil their "little game " of high priced beef. Depend upon it that however much it may be necessary to open the ports to deal with the piesent emergency, the only real and permanent reduction in the price of meat will result from the sale of land, and the passing of a sensible and practicable land law.

The appeal made by the Dunedin party to the Governor was somewhat uncalled for, and will probably end in a reference back to the Superintendent. It would have been wiser to have waited to see what effect the opening up of Southland would produce, and what the Commissioners may report on the subject. We repeat that it would be rash to open the ports again, which would let pleuro pneumonia in like a flood, interrupt, or rather put down cattle breeding in the Province, rivet our dependence on other countries, and bestow all the profits of the trade upon them. It is always a bad principle in political economy to give away capital when it can be kept at home, and to rely upon others for what we can produce ourselves. Better to eat mutton for a time, and endure the evil with patience until our own herds shall be sufficient to supply the market, not forgetting to open up means of communication to enable owners of cattle and sheep to forward supplies. At present we have reason to think that Dunedin would be much better supplied and the prices

lowered if only"distant parts of the Province —like Oamaru—where there are uninfected cattle, had the requisite facilities for shipping them or their carcases to the markets.

Beyond all question ,l the Colony of New Zealand is at present in a very awkward position, in consequence of being placed under a double Government. "No man can serve " two masters," has been strikingly illustrated in the case of Sir George Grey. He has certainly of late shown aveiy decided leaning towards the policy of the Imperial Government, and has forsaken the counsels of his Colonial advisers; but the same authority says that "he will hold to the one and dcs- " pise the other." As tho Governor has gone quite in opposition to the mind of the late General Assembly in regard to the conduct of Native affairs, we think that it is but fair to conclude that he has had some cogent cause for doing so, and that the impulse has been derived from the Government at home. Without this, the late proclamation could never have issued just on the eve of the meeting of Assembly; and it is but fair to assume that it is derived from an Imperial source. Nor do we think that it is necessary to assume that the conditions of the proposed amnesty are at all likely to be accepted by the Natives, who are not the men to surrender their lands as requested. It may be, therefore, that this amnesty is intended to put the refractory tribes entirely in the wrong, and in the event of their non-acceptance, which is highly probable, that the war will be hereafter short, sharp, and decisive. The explanations which will be given early in the session of Assembly, will probably show how far these surmises are correct. One thing we know, that more troops are being despatched from England, which is in itself sufficiently significant. The Canterbury Press says : —

In this proclamation there is no future, no hope, no policy. It is a top to Exeter Hall for the time. Butit is more : it rs A proclamation of war. And as -urelyas cause piecedes effect, it cairies renewed war upon its wings. The Irish chieftain of old wrote to his too independent vassal: "Pay mc what you owe mc, or else

," The vassal replied : " I owe .you nothing, and if

." The Governor says to the Maories: " Thore is my paidon—cede mo your land." Does not the "or else" spiingto the mind immediately? And if all be true which we hear of the attitude of tho Maori people, may we not expect the reply, ''I don't want your pardon, and if I did I would not buy it at the pi ice of my land." We cleuounco this as a policy of wai, because it settles nothing, but leaves open the whole question. It implies that without the submission of the natives, and the taking the oath of allegianco, the present state of war is to continue. It proclaims to the Al vories that unless they submit and cede their land they will at any time be open to attacks fiom our troops. It incites them to remain in arms and make good their positions, for peace is only a distant and contingent possibility. More than this, it requires the submission fiist ami the cessation of land after. It maintains an ominous silence as to tho amount of lands to be ceded, and a still more suspicious silence as to what will bo done if the terms are not accepted. It places the Governor in one of two positions; either, on the ono hand, in the contemptible attitude of having the meicy of the crown -which the proclamation assumes to be an essential preliminary of peace—scouted and rejected by the tribes we are tiying to govern; or, on the other hand, it foice& on him the necessity of lenewing the war.

The following is from the " Army and Navy Gazette," showing, we think, combined with the transmission of troops, that at home expectation is that there is to be further action .* — It is very geneially believed that stiict injunctions have been sent to the Goveruor aud to the Oommauder of the Forces in New Zealand to abstain from attacking the natives in their pahs, but to adopt a nystem which never fails, of tak'ng possession of their ciops and .stoi ing them, to be given up again to them when they have ceased to rebel. At tho Cape of Good Hope we have been informed this plan was successfully followed, and that the soldiers were extnnshely employed in cuttiug down and storing the crops of the Kaffirs, which more contributed to the conquest of the countiy than all the combats fought with that brave race of savages. Tho best mode of warfare in New Zealand, as in Kaffirland, seems to bo to turn our swoids and spears into piuning hooks, or rather reaping hooks, ancl tamo savages in the same manner as wild animals. This may seem strange to those who have not heard, as wo have, how war was successfully carried on at the Cape. Sir George Grey cannot be ignorant of all this, and Geneial Cameron is too enquiring an officer not to have made himself acquainted with the modes of savage warfare in other places than New Zealand. We well remember hearing, at the time, some of our ablest officers, who were in the Cape wars, assert that, in hand-to-hand fight against our soldiers, armed and trained as they were, the Kaffir had the decided advantage; nay more, that in all our encounters tho savages had the best of the fight, and that we ultimately overcame them by starvation. Such, we believe, was the fact. Why not try tho same plan in New Zealand as was successful at the Cape ? Another contemporary says :— We understand that the tenor of the despatches received by tho Governor by the last mail is that the war is to be carried on vigorously to the complete subjugation of the rebels, and that on this condition the troops will not be withdrawn until that desirable object is achieved. Not having the confidence of his Excellency, we are of course not prepared to speak with any precision on the subject, but we believe that what we have stated will bo found to bo correct. Fight and subdue the rebels, or accept the alternative of agreeing to the withdrawal of the troops, are the terms said to be offered ; and we think tho colonists' representatives will not, if his Excellency the Governor has, havo any difficulty in deciding as to tho couiso that should bo adopted. That the effect of the despatches received by his Excellency is such is confirmed by the fact, which wo now state for the first time, that 600 of tho railitiry were, when the mail left London, under oiders to join their respective regiments in New Zealand. These cbafts are now on their way to this colony, in addition to the detachments of Engineers and Sappers and Miners, whose projected departure has been announced.

As for the subject of separation, which is again being agitated in the Middle Island,

we have little sympathy with it. There is no evidence up to this time that the war has been properly conducted, and it is unmanly to speak of forsaking the North. Island in the

hour of its trial. Moreover, one thing may be relied upon, that the Home Government will give us little sympathy or encouragement in such a course. Separation and union have both been tried and tested, long since, in the home country, from the Heptarchy downwards, and the results of her experience are known. It is to be hoped, however, that the result of the disclosures which will be made in the Assembly, and its deliberations during the present session, will serve to calm the public mind, and lead to some solution of the present difficulties in regard to double Government, Native affairs, and finance.