Poverty Bay Standard. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. GISBORNE : SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1883.

Poverty Bay Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1353, 8 September 1883, Page 2

Poverty Bay Standard. PUBLISHED EVERY TUESDAY, THURSDAY AND SATURDAY MORNINGS. GISBORNE : SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 8, 1883.

L’he report of the Dakgavile-Atkin-son Committee has resulted in what all thoughtful men clearly foresaw, viz , the full and complete failure ot substantiating the charge of corruption. No other result could possibly be expected when it was seen how ami by whom the enquiry was to be conducted. The grave and numerous charges which Mr Dargaville made during the discussion of the Property Pax Billon the 31st July, occupying as they do some six pages ol 11 i/ihu/m, were finally condensed and cut down to the following short and terse dimensions ‘‘That the Government lent a sum of £325,000 of trust funds, over which the Treasurer has control, to the Bank of New Zealand without security for a term of years, in a manner not coniemplated by law, theregiving undue advantages to one banking establishment, closely allied with the present Administration ; and, further, that Parliament has not yet been informed of the transaction.” The Committee, after enumerating and explaining various transactions bearing upon the above specific charge, came to the conclusion that “ the evidence, with regard to that transaction, wholly fails to substantiate the charge, and that the allegations of political corruption based upon it, is therefore, entirely unfounded.” The whole affair strongly resembles a stage struggle, where, for the sake of appearance, some sham resistance must be offered to give it a real appearance to the spectators. And yet this piece of jugglery has wasted the pr.-cious time of this short session, and cost th-- audience very dear indeed. The whole affair tends to confirm the opinion tnat the legislative government of this Colony is rotten to the core. Can any one, not wilfully blind to the fact, fail to see that jobbery of the worst description underlies our financial system. What other can be expected of money-lenders and chiefs of large pawnbrokering establishments when they attain to the position of being virtually above all law, and where, as in the present instance, non© but subordinates can give evi- 1

dence against' them. Can it be wondered at that Government should refuse a Royal Commission to enquire into the transactions of a Company who have been openly, clearly and distinctly charged with unlawful acts of a most grave and serious nature, when they themselves are so constantly being charged with being “the slaves and tools of a particular institution,” to wit, the Bank of New Zealand. Who can say what will be the ultimate result of this evil, the ramifications of which penetrate and permeate the remotest of our small public institutions, and from thence to our very private lives, can only be surmised. One thing is clear, that the life, progress, future divelopement and growth of this young and promising colony is being most seriously jeopardised by a swarm of parasites and usurers, that are sapping its very lifes biood. We know the evil exists, but. we can see no help, no deliverance while the “ almighty dollar ” rules supreme.