South Canterbury Times, FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1881.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2595, 15 July 1881, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, FRIDAY, JULY 15, 1881.

The Tiraaru Harbor Board Endowment Bill met with a bad reception in the House of Representatives yesterday afternoon. The measure was introduced by Mr Turnbull, and it may be safely assumed that he used every endeavor to place the Bill in a favorable light before members. There is no member of the Assembly more respected than the representative of this constituency. But in the matter of a land endowment the Fates were against him. There has been such a squandering of the public estate for works of doubtful utility, that Parliament has determined to put a stop to land grants for what are termed local works. It is true that a good harbor at Timaru would be a matter of colonial concern, and it is equally true that the feasibility of an excellent harbor being constructed at this port at a moderate cost has been amply demonstrated. However, members of the Legislature are not in a temper to discriminate between the good and the bad. A hundred thousand pounds or so have been wasted in attempts to improve the harbor at Napier and twice that amount is now being rapidly swallowed by the sea at New Plymouth. Timaru must suffer for the sins of others. There is no doubt that if the Bill had been put to the vote, it would have been thrown out by an enormous majority. Perhaps not half a dozen members would have followed Mr Turnbull into the lobby. The members of the Assembly may be of opinion that a few hundred thousand pounds might be expended at Tiraaru with advantage both to the district and the country. But they deemed that there was a principle at stake. If they passed the Timaru Harbor Endowment Bill, the House would be flooded with Bills of a similar nature. It would open the door to a revival of that shameful log-rolling which had disgraced the New Zealand Pa filament for years, but which recently has exhibited very decided signs of Abatement. In the matter

of grants of land or money, it is unfortunately the case that no claim can be permitted to stand upon its own merits. Local jealousies are all powerful, and for the House to keep itself free from wrangling and squabbling over grants for local works, members appear to be of opinion that there must be a denial to all. The good, bad, and indifferent are subjected to the same classification. The Bill was saved by the suggestion of Mr Wakefield, that if it did not meet with approval in its present shape, the objectionable clause could be struck out in committee. On that understanding the measure was read a second time. The objectionable portion, of course, relates to the proposed endowment of 100,000 acres. It is needless to say that we down here regard that as the essential principle of the Bill. It was never for a moment deemed that there would be any objection to the people of South Canterbury being allowed to borrow money on local securities for local improvements. The settlers might well say to the General Assembly :—“ Honorable gentlemen, we thank you for nothing.” Hamlet is a small part in “ Hamlet ” compared to the endowment provision in the Harbor Bill. It is the quintessence of the measure.

The Ministry, of course, opposed the Bill. South Canterbury need expect little favor at the hands of the present Government. Mr Hall is a Canterbury man, but he is a woolgrower who resides within an easy distance of Christchurch. His interests are no more identified with this district than they are with the Bluff or the Bay of Islands. Neither do his sympathies lie this way, now that the agriculturist has succeeded in obtaina footing on the soil. In the old days it was different. Mr Hall was then a prominent member of the Provincial Government. There was a large extent of unalienated land in South Canterbury, and Mr Hall’s policy throughout favored the accumulation of large estates. The land was monopolised at a tithe of its value. The squatter lorded it over all Canterbury, and the present Premier was their ready and willing instrument—-a tool whose interest was bound up with the squatters. The Premier yesterday stated that this district appeared to hare resources, within itself to do the work proposed. No doubt it has, but it would hare been in ten times a better position today to carry out the work had the Provincial Government of Canterbury done its duty by the people. The bulk of the best land in South Canterbury was originally purchased at £1 per acre. Had it been reserved till such time as the country was far enough advanced for agricultural settlement, the aspect of affairs would wear a different complexion in South Canterbuiy at the present time. In despite of a fearful handicapping, the farming interest has come to the front here. It is now far and away the leading industry. But how did the farmers obtain the land ? By paying from £8 to £2O per acre for land which Mr Hall and his friends sold within a comparatively recent period for twenty shillings per acre. The capital of the agriculturist went into the pockets of the land grabbers, instead of being sunk in substantial improvements which would enrich the country. With such prices as are now asked for land, is it any wonder that vast tracts of rich country are still held by the sheep-farmer ? Had an intelligent disposal of the public estate prevailed in South Canterbury, the whole country would be dotted over with holdings varying from a hundred to five hundred acres. Production would have been five-fold, and there would have been a corresponding increase of wealth. In that case, the making of the Breakwater would be a mere bagatelle to the people of South Canterbury. At the present day the resources of the district are under lock and key, and a crushing penalty will be exacted of settlers before they are permitted to' develop those resources. Mr Hall should have been ashamed to mention anything about the resources of South Canterbury. The natural wealth of the district was the same when he and his squattocratic friends, for their own private gain, alienated for a mere song, and closed for agricultural settlement enormous tracts of as good land as is to be found in all Australasia.