New Zealand Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1874.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4244, 27 October 1874, Page 2

New Zealand Times. TUESDAY, OCTOBER 27, 1874.

Me. Wales has not been so fully reported in the Dunedin newspapers as wo could have wished, but from our exchanges we are able to gather the import of what he said at his meeting on Wednesday last. While agreeing with much that he said, wo should be slow to endorse, all.. Mr. Wales has a somewhat crude idea of general politics, but no doubt his opinions will be considerably modified should ho remain in the Assembly. He is in favor of Protection rather than Free Trade, and : for that reason he would have continued, the distillation of. spirits, which the Legislature, in our judgment, wisely prohibited.- “ We have “ the raw material lying at our hands,” ho said ; and “ ho believed in equalising “ the tariff, so that the competition might “ be a fair one between the locally manu- ‘ ‘ factured and the imported article. ” In our judgment this is rank political heresy. It will not stand the test of investigation, but we admit that it is plausible. Taxes should only be levied for revenue purposes j and the House reverted to that principle, which it had foolishly departed from some few years ago, when it resolved to repeal the Distillation Act, and compensate distillers. Mr. Wales also appears to us to bo in a fog in relation to the land—the public estate of the colony. He objects, as we gather from the report before us, to the alienation of the Crown land, and thinks that it should only bo leased. Now, whatever may be said in favor of this theory, (and again we admit that it is a plausible one,) it could not now be Carried out in Now Zealand. .But granting that were the Crown lands leased instead of being sold outright, how could that circumstance benefit the people at large? Doubtless there would bo a considerable revenue derivable from rents, but the departmental cost of managing the Crown Lands Department would

absorb a large per centage of the annual receipts. Again, it would be impossible to construct roads, build bridges, erect schools, and sustain charitable and other institutions on a large scale, if the territorial revenue consisted merely of ,’rents. New Zealand would have been at this day only great sheep and cattle runs, if the land laws had been based upon the principle of leasing. Its inhabitants would have been few in number, consisting of station managers and their families, with a handful of shepherds and traders. It would be impossible to promote settlement under such a system ; wherefore, although there may have been mismanagement of the Crown land here and there, the general result of the land policy in New Zealand has been beneficial. New Zealand is a rich and prosperous country just because its Crown land has been sold to persons who turn it to the best paying account. But again, the leasing system is objectionable, because it would create a powerful class, whose interest it would be to usurp political power, and pass laws in its own favor. Mr. Waxes, and several other public men, object to the politi cal influence which Crown tenants now exercise as members of the Legislative Council ; but let us ask, what would be tho state of things if there were no freeholders in the Colony 1 Surely the consequences would be most disastrous, assuming that the objection to Crown tenants having seats in the nominated chamber is well founded! Why, it is as plain as possible that within a very few years they would manage to convert their leaseholds into freeholds, on their own terms. History furnishes many examples of this kind of thing ; but Mr. Wales need not go beyond his own province of Otago for an illustration in point. What became of the improvement clauses in the Otago Waste Land Act, under which so many thousands of acres of the most fertile land in the province were taken up at 10s. an acre ? Were the conditions of sale enforced ? Is it not a fact that the selectors acquired sufficient political influence within four or five years as to get the improvement clauses repealed, to the great loss of the public f And Otago is at this moment cutting a political rod of the same kind to scourge itself. We mean the wholesale disposal of its public land on the deferred payment system ; —a proceeding widely is likely to result in combinations of which its promoters little dream at present. That the public will be tho ultimate loser by that system, we have no doubt whatever. Better far sell the land at its highest cash value to purchasers, and expend the proceeds in works of public utility, than to part with it at a much lower rate, on conditions which invite combination to “amend the law” in favor of the holder. What has occurred once in Otago is certain to occur there again, and that on a much larger scale than before.

Mr. Wales thinks tho colony has nearly touched the limit of its borrowing powers, and is of opinion that it would not be prudent to go much farther As .we are not aware that it is the intention of the Legislature to sanction any further loans than it has already authorised, we need not discuss this question. It is, however, open to dispute, whether the limit of our borrowing power has been reached. As that depends upon so many things, some of which the colony cannot- control in the least degree, -it-is useless speculating upon it at present. The Argus thinks that the large New Zealand loans have impaired tho credit of the Australian colonies ; but that is an absurd assumption. New Zealand borrows upon its own security ; it has no connection with the Australian colonies in any shape or form which could at all affect Victorian or Sydney securities; but the fact that New Zealand can float its loans and that Victoria cannot, is to bo traced to other causes. New Zealand stands higher, in public estimation in England, than any of the Australian colonies. Its legislature has a far higher reputation ; its enterprise is conspicuous; and its loans are expended in promoting immigration and in great colonising works. The London Press has made the British public fully acquainted with the fiscal and general policy of Victoria, and it is to this circumstance mainly that the failure of its loan is due.

Beverting to Mr. Wales’s speech, however, we have to state briefly that ho would abolish indirect taxation, and bring the Government face to face with the taxpayer. This is an impossible proposition, and therefore wo shall not discuss it. He would discontinue free immigration, except in the case of persons r.ominated in the colony. The tendency is no doubt in that direction, but itwould be unwise at present to stop.free immigration. The country needs far more labour than it has available, and, although a few undesirable persons may have been introduced, on the whole the immigrants have been of a superior class. Mr. Wales professed his desire to abate the drinking habits of the people, but as a proof of his active sympathy with the reformers, wo may state that ho spoke in favor of the demoralising bottle license, which has been the occasion of more drunkenness in Otago than all the public-houses in that province. In conclusion, Mr. Wales said that he was in favor of Mr. V ogel’s resolutions for abolishing the provinces. “ They would all admit that they did not “ require ten governing powers for “ 300,000 people —a proposition which the meeting cheered. “In 1871,” Mr. Wales continued, “ his Honor the Super- “ intendent [Mr, Macandebw] wished to “ substitute just two Governments for “ the ten, and had then stated that this “would save £22,000. If the whole of “ the provinces wore abolished the saving “ would be proportionately greater.” Mr. Macandebw will find it difficult to rebut this argument; and his ally in the Lyttelton Times may take it as a rough attempt at a trial balance, for which he has been so clamorous for weeks past. “ If a Bill wore brought in for the aboli- “ tion of the provinces,” Mr. Wales further remarked, “■ making thorough pro- “ vision by Bead Boards, &C., for the ■“ proper government of the country, ho “ would support it. The government of “ the country would go on quite as well ‘ ‘ with Boad Boards as with Provincial “ Councils, which, meeting every year, “ aped the forms and manners of the “ Imperial Parliament.” A vote of thanks was recorded at the close of the meeting. ■ '•