South Canterbury Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2504, 30 March 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 30, 1881.

After the lame and impotent efforts of Major Atkinson to vindicate the financial policy of the Government it is refreshing to peruse an address like that which has been delivered by Mr Hutcheson to his constituents at Wellington. A condensed report of that gentleman’s address appears in another column, and it deserves the careful perusal of every man, woman, and child capable of reading and reflecting on what they read, who have the slightest notion of making New their permanent home. There is a bold, manly, independent ring in the sentiments expressed that stamp the address as one quite out of the usual order. Major Atkinson paraded himself in the character of an old vocalist sadly out of tune. Twelve months ago he appeared in sackcloth and ashes and sang the song of the owl ; a day or two ago he tried to dance to a merrier tune, but his antics were deplorable. Mr Hutcheson has led the way with an air that is destined to grow in popularity as it becomes known. Those who are inclined to differ in opinion with him will probably accord him credit for having spoken out frankly and fearlessly. The voice of the people, as proclaimed from the hustings has been hushed or distorted of late; Mr Hutcheson has bioken the stillness. He has sounded a key note that will be caught up by the electorates ; whose echoes will outlive the coming general election. In the first part of his speech Mr Hutcheson is severe on the present holders of office. He declares that the Ministry no more represents the people of New Zealand than it does the people of England. This is a figure of speech intended, no doubt, to shew that the Ministry does not represent the majority, Mr Hutcheson would have spoken with greater accuracy if he bad said that the Ministry is an excellent exemplification of the Hare system—the representation of the minority. This, however, is a matter of opinion which the general election alone will resolve. But a somewhat imposing bill of indictment is presented against the present occupiers of the Treasury benches. They are accused of having imposed on the Governor, Parliament, and the country, a programme which they either had not the courage to carry out, or which they never intended to proceed with. And that the last session of Parliament was a lamentable fiasco cannot be denied. The Ministerial platform, composed of a substantial array of legislative planks, collapsed towards the end of the session like a house of cards. The palatial edifice constructed on paper, for his Excellency was as delusive as Professor Pepper’s ghosts. The only things that survived the session were Dr Pollen’s pension and the property tax. When everything else was consumed

these two black cbimnies remained, and the people looked on and wondered. But the most serious charge brought against Ministers is the depreciation abroad of the credit of the colony. To this Mr Hutcheson attributes the serious commercial crisis through which thecolony has passed. Although we cannot go so far as Mr Hutcheson, we cannot ignore the fact that the colony was deliberately damaged in the estimation of British investors, and that many hundreds of thousands of pounds would barely represent the injury and loss thereby sustained. We do not believe that the absurd croakings of the Colonial Treasurer and his sympathisers produced the commercial crisis which wrought so much disaster, but that it aggravated that crisis and prevented the colony from recovering itself is beyond a doubt. There is one point in Mr Hutchinson’s speech that deserves special attention. We are told that “he advo- “ cated the establishment of a Govern- “ ment bank of issue to render the “ savings of the people available for “ public use, and save the people from “ institutions which gave money freely “ when plentiful, and in hard times “ came down on them rvitli an iron “ hand.” This is the broad principle of co-operation. The colony of New Zealand lias for years been playing into the bands of absentees, whose interests are in no way identified with those of colonists. At the present time the colony is heavily mortgaged to the capitalists of Great Britain. Mr Hutchinson indicates a way out of the difficulty. He says, in effect—we have been depending on the help of others, and paying dearly for it ; we are able to help ourselves, why should we not do so ? The remedy he suggests is a sound one, and we believe it is quite equal to the emergency. The establishment of a Government bank would give immediate relief to the colony, and taxation and the ability to pay would go hand in hand. Before New Zealand can be rendered secure the flow of capital from her; shores must be stopped. The people must be enabled to borrow from themselves and depend on their own resources. Another excellent result of the establishment of a Government Bank would be to break the neck of some of the monopolies that are operating so prejudicially against the thrift of the masses. There is scarcely an industry or an institution in the colony that is not fettered in some way by the monopolies to which we allude. A general election has ceased to be a fair fight. This was made patent, not so long since, when candidates found to their cost that they had not to contend with ordinary weapons, but that the battle was one in which monetary institutions and popular privileges had taken up opposite grounds. The monopolies to which we refer are the upas trees beneath whose shades political virtue is declining, the Press of the colony is becoming corrupted, and the industries of the people are withering. They have been a blight and a curse, and if the electors are true to their interests they will take the earliest oppartunity of dealing with them. To attack them successfully they must go to the fountain head. Parliament is an Augean state that requires cleaning out, and the work should be done thoroughly. It is impossible for the work of the country to be performed satisfactorily with unclean bands. So long as members of Parliament are allowed to foster their own privaate schemes at the expense of the country, the colony cannot expect to thrive. Have we not land jobbers making land laws, the holders of portfolios past and present leasing the mails to themselves, and trafficking in the carriage of civil servants, members of Parliament sweating the current coin of the ratepayer as it passes through the Treasury ? Is not the colony in the position of a Japanese tree, dwarfed out of its fair proportions by the monopolies that are fostered by the State ? As long as we have an unclean Parliament and legislation administered by foul hands, and as long as the fountain head reeks with jobbery and corruption, beneficial legislation need not be expected. The great curse of New Zealand has been her unscrupulous, trading politicians, and these,' at any cost, the electors must endeavor to get rid of.