Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 1882.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume X, Issue 1128, 21 August 1882, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. Published Every Evening. MONDAY, AUGUST 21, 1882.

The North Island Loan Billl has, by the carrying of Major Atkinson’s amendment, that the money shall not be raised until the route has been determined and the line surveyed, been practically shelved. The amendment, to our view, seems like a determination to carry the route from Te Awamutu, through the King Country to Waitara, or, if that cannot be found practicable, not to attempt to extend the line South at all. It is well known that Sir George Grey, Messrs Sheehan, George, Tole and other Northern members were pledged to the Te Awr mutu-Waitara line, and of course such a determination exactly met the views of Southern members, who may now take credit for having voted for a North Island supply, without having incurred, or being likely ta incur, the onus of having run the country into on? single penny of debt. How Jong it will trke to soft soap Tawhiao ; how much money will h- ve to be given to the ownei-s of the King Country before even their consent is given for the ror ;e to be surveyed, and afterwards how lo ig it will be before the survey is actually complete, and what period of time must necessarily be allowed for raising the money after the line is surveyed, are calculations abstruse enough for the compilers of Bradshaw's Guide, and certainly place the chances of the completion of the connection between Te Awamutu and the Southern lines far away in the dim vista of the future of possibilities. It was certainly clever on the part of the Go verinent to introduce the North Island Loan before bringing on the £3,00,000 Loan. It was a sop to Cerberus.and Cerberus did not forget to make a grab at it. But Cerberus has not got the sop for all that; a wise and beneficent Government having taken great care that the sop should be kept within his sight, but carefully out of his reach. Not that it matters much to us 1 in Poverty Bay; we can resign ourselves to ■ our fate ; which simply means continue on as we have been doing for years piwt, working and slaving, and contributing large sums of money to the general revenue without being able to obtain anything in return. There can be no blame attached to Mr McDonald, who has striven hard to obtain justice for us, but whose efforts in face of the obstinate determination of the Government to render us neither justice or favor, have been practically futile. We have been unfortunate in the fact of the Opposition having been so divided among themselves. Had they done what they should have done and consented without hesitation to serve under the only man among them who is capable of leading, Sir George Grey, we should have been in a better position to-day, but with body a political where no unamity exists and where ignorant and illiterate men are pompously engaged In futile discussion as to the allotting ot prospective portfolio’s under a weak and incapable leader, we fail to see how the result can be otherwise than it has been, ridicule and contempt, No matter what Government is in power, our hope must be in a powerful opposition. This district only returns one member, whose work, compared to that of other members must necessarily be onerous and perplexing ; he has manfully tried to do hfs duty by fils constituents, and his failure is no fault of his own; we in Poverty Bay have not strengthened his hands in any oue way, but by diversity of opinion and feeling, have doubtless caused him trouble and anxiety in his endeavors for the general good of the district, and the result is that we have stultified ourselves. And so it will ever be the case in Poverty Bay until these wretchedly despicable cliques ami parties are put Jov i with a strong hand. Cliqueism is the fool’s cap which has made us the laughing-stock of the Colon}' for years past, and Cliqueism is the political obstacle to our obtaining our just rights at the hands of the Legislature ; while it exists, it keeps us down like a hideous nightmare. Let us get rid of it: get rid of its supporters : clear them out of the place, lock, stock, and barrel I They are no good to anyone save themselves, and not much then ; consigned to their proper Limbo we may have some chance of asserting our rights, but only then, and not until then, can we fairly look for right and justice to Poverty Bay.