THE PATEA MAIL. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays, WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1875.

Patea Mail, Volume 1, Issue 31, 28 July 1875, Page 2

THE PATEA MAIL. Published Wednesdays and Saturdays, WEDNESDAY, JULY 28, 1875.

Tuk speech put into the Governor’s hands for delivery by Ministers on the fiijfch. bears the usual roseate tint of such comjioaiiions, and tells the colonists a flattering tale which, in the main, we have no cause to doubt the truth of. After indulging in a few platitudes a neat the pleasures derived from a series of hurried visits to a few of the larger centres of population, His Excellency pisys the Government’s best trump, and refers in glowing terms to the satisfactory relations now existing between the Maori race and their pnkeha rulers and friends. The 1000 meeting between His Majesty King Tawhiao and Sir Donald McLean is hailed as the breaking up of the mischievous Kiagito party, and its opposition to the work of colonization. No one acquainted with the facts can for a moment deny to Sir Donald the great credit due to him for his patient and successful Iwatmonl of the Native race, which has been, an observed in a fV.-nn.vr article, the main stay of the Government of winch Bir D. McLean j~: so abld ti rGf'mbdir. II;.' lias done for the settlors of New Zealand what perhaps no other man in las position could have done, and there are but few who will grudge him the great mood of praise to which ho is so justly entitled, and. which baa been so grace fully recognised by his Sovereign. True the cost of this success has been heavy, but it lias not been so heavy as the maintenance of hostilities, which besides costing millions, have clone so much in timers past to cripple the progress of the Colony. . We must judge of the work as a whole, and while freely prepared to condemn runny of the details not shut our eyes io the general success of the policy. The lately signed mail contract, although subject to the ratification of Parliament, is the next theme of His Excellency’s praise. There can Le no doubt of the grout benchts arising from a trans-Pacihc Mail Service, but there is such a thing as paying too dearly for one’s whistle, and •we think the price a screed upon for this particular boon is fully high. However, if it is properly ■ carried out the Colony will nor "bo a loser, nor the Government disentitled to credit for having secured us efficient performance. It is to bo regretted, however, that while so much has boon done to secure frequent nnd regular oceanic mail communication, there has not been a -corresponding improvement in that .between the different parts of the Colony itself. Wft uuitft endorse Ills Excellency’s expression of satisfaction' respecting Sir Julius Vogel’s agreement with the Telegraph Company for the purpose of securing to this Colony telegraphic communication with Australia and the Home country, at so small an outlay as tho guarantee of nCiO, p«r annum, is a yeiy nominal one, considering the amount of revenue such a cable will derive from tho use of its wive. The assurance that the year’s revenue is in excess of the estimate is no doubt a pleasant one in some respects, but it has its drawbacks, as it shows plainly we arc being heavily taxed for the necessaries of life. As the taxis to a great extent indirect, we do not feel it so plainly as we should .were tho tax gatherer to visit us individually and demand our annual contribution towards the revenue of the Colony. We are lulled by the honeyed words of those in office, and fail to realise the exact extent to winch we are called upon to contribute towards the funds, out of which the work of Government is maintained. It is not our present purpose to draw any closer attention to this skeleton in the closet, but it is as well our readers should think of it occasionally, and not he soothed into the blissful belief that all tho money now being spent in the Colony by Government is furnished by creditors residing ’out of it. We had with satisfaction the evident inclination of Government to deal with the abolition of Provincialism as a whole, and

trust that in tho event of Minis tors' making, out a good case, and showing themselves equal to the task of adequately providing for the efficient and more economical performance ol the existing functions of the various Provincial Uovemmants, the House will by a largo majority declare in favour of the total abolition of Provincialism in New

Zealand. Ho oilier decision will satisfy the. bulk of oar follow colonists, and wo sec.no good purpose to be served by any further delay in carrying into effect so laudable a reform. The promised readjustment of tho doctoral divisions of i.he Colony ana amendment of the laws relating to the qualifications of voters, will be hailed with satisfaction throughout tho Colony. Wo trust that when the redistribution of seats is made that ibis rising and important district will be nilotti.’u a representative. It hamstrung cbiinm for such being granted, and we hope, Hint the different members for the West Cons! of tiiis island will press them on tho l;o we when the Bill is being discussed. Bills to amend the Plump Unties sud insolvency laves are also promised. The latter sadly wants amendment, as tho Insolvency Court is at.present the refuge for reckless traders and dishonest debtors. It is to our mind quite demoustvatcablo that the commercial stability of the Colony would bo greatly strengthened by the abolition of both insolvency and other laws affecting debtors, as in their absence the present reckless system of giving ail but unlimited credit would cease, arid with it the strong temptation it holds out to foolish and dishonest traders to contract debts far in excess of their means of repayment. Iteekiess trading la far too vile in New Zealand, and it is high time something was done to put it down.

Tin; last batch of Gorman immigrants are moving off very slowly, and wo fear those with families will continue to occupy the .Barracks for a very considerable period, unless ‘removed to a more favourable field for their labours, or employed by the Government upon some public works in this district. It is cruel in the extreme for any person to draft, oil' a lot of foreigners to a place like Pa tea, to search for employment wi'tn the eneiimbraiicos winch the late arrivals have appended to diem, and t'ii:& fj.-hh'd to tiu-ir muiv r.co of the English language, acts as a complete barrier against their obtaining employment in this district. The nude portion of the immigrants arc particularly anxious to secure work at any remuneration in order to be relieved from Choir present idle life, but settlers and others who are badly in want of labourers do not care about employing persons with families, as their houses possess inadequate accommodation for their own comforts. What tin's district requires is single men ami girls, and had Captain Wray not been .absent we feel certain that the lace arrivals would not have been forwarded to this .quarter, it is most unreasonable on the part of the Government to expect the labour of this class of immigrants to be absorbed bore without cither creating employment in the way of constructing public works as in other parts of the colony, or affording them facilities for settling upon the land. We have a splendid back country well adapted for settlement, and if the Government wore only to offer encouragement to a number of iho recently arrived immigrants to form a special settlement, wo have not the slightest doubt but that it would be eagerly taken advantage of. The location of all new arrivals appears to bo directed to only one end of the Province, "namely, the Aioa Block, near New Plymouth, instead of judiciously settling them in different pans of the Province. We learn that -ill- Brewer, Immigration OUlcer of Wanganui, is to a great extent blameable for saddling this district with the present unsuitable lot of immigrants, as he weeded out the single women and men for the Wanganui market, and drafted off the unmarketable labour to Pa tea. In future we trust precautionary measures will bo adopted to prevent this officer’s interference, and that our immigrants will be sent direct from Yv r elliugtou or Taranaki to this port. Great anxiety is manifested by the breadwinners to secure household accommodation for their wives and families, (the majority of whom are entirely penniless;, and of securing any sort of employment in order to provide support for those depending upon them.