The Oamaru Mail. SATURDAY, SEPT. 25, 1880.

Oamaru Mail, Volume IV, Issue 1319, 25 September 1880, Page 2

The Oamaru Mail. SATURDAY, SEPT. 25, 1880.

The inania for retrenchment which suddenly seized the Colony when it realised the true position of its : finances has assumed the nature of a revolution. There has been no haif-heartedness about the proceedings which have followed our conviction that v.-y '.sere 20irig too fasi. As in physical sr-riwgies innocent, blood is frequently shed, so in the melee which resulted from a knowledge of our unsatisfactory financial position, principles have been sacrificed by the slashing-all-round policy of the Government that common sense and calm consideration would have protected from attack. Amongst other things, indiscriminate immigration was arrested. Wc approve of this, and we think that the people feel that the Colony will be all the better for its cessation for a time. They, too, hope that when the exigencies of the Colony happily necessitate an accession to our laboring population, care will be taken to adopt a system of immigration that will, if possible, cost less, whilst it will give a better result. But what we cannot understand is that the Government should have included in the slaughter the system of nominated immigration in its entirety. Becauseof theabandonmentof theindiscrisystem of immigration, which possessed the disadvantages of being costly, imperfect, and,">7orse than all, unnecessary and injurious as the Colony 15 at present situ-, ated, thefe is surely ho reason why the Minister of Immigration shoiild set his foot down apd jssup the decree that no assisted immigration, of whatever kind, shall obtain. The best features of nominated immigration should have been spared the unfortunate blow which was dealt without rhyme or reason. Had it not been allied tfl tup qther mqrp expensive and unsatisfactory system, it would not nave been so unfortunate as to entirely lose its character and 3!iare the rough treatment of the Minister. The action of the Government in this matter and in the matter of retrenchment in the Civil Service is similar. They virtually said to the Colony, "Yt-ii! ask for further rstpetubmen t than wo wq£2 prepared to effect, and you shall have it; but we shall punish you as much as possible for your interference with our prerogative." The same prinoiple of rendering the potion unnecessarily nauseous has characterised the whole of their policy. Their action regarding taxation is additional evidence of this ; and, now, because it is demanded that irflmircratjftii tjhall bp StffPPPd, until the G')loi;y has sufficiently reppvered to absorb the labor which is at present surplusage, nominated immigration, except, perhaps, of single girls, for which the Minister of Immigration seems to kir4"ly feelings that are the only saving feature in the whole of his policy, must be stopped. But what about the wives and children of those husbands and fathers who were induced to come to this Colony by the Government, through their agents / These men acted with caution that is creditable to tWern, when they separated themselves from thejr wjvQ.s'and children in order that they might pioneer the way for them in a strange, but, 33 they hoped, a better land. But they did not even dream of being separated for ever. They werenotaccustomedtosnchspasmodiclegisI lation as that which prevails in this Colony. Ti,oy were informed by the immigration agents thac they could come here first, and prepare the >yay fov ihpjr families, | and then send for theni. But they are now told by the Minister for Immigration ihaj; the Colony cannot assist them to bring out their ssivp? and families. AYiH not the whole Colony—with the lion, perhaps, of thy Minister for Immi- ; "ration—view this as a great hardship? We have a knowledge of several instances of what we refer to of such a cruol nature that we cannot help crying " Shame" to the Government that is guilty of such injustice and heartlessness.