South Canterbury Times, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1882.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2794, 8 March 1882, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, WEDNESDAY, MARCH 8, 1882.

Our morning contemporary, a few days ago sang a psalm oyer the successful sale of the Otago runs. It Droved (very satisfactorily to its friends, no doubt) that the Hall Government had earned for itself a great deal of credit by permitting the sale, that the squatter is the heavenborn possessor of these large tracts, and that the fact of their having been bought in by the squatters at advanced p.ices showed unraistakeably that the runs were intended for their sole use and benefit. And, of course, it relegated every body outside of that privileged order to which, in the wise dispensations of nature, they belong, and from which it is impudent for them to attempt to emerge. The augmentation of the revenue, derived from the sale is undoubtedly a strong proof in their favor. But, in truth, there is no credit due to the Hall Government for this latest ;t move.” As a matter of fact the sale was a forced one, held without due notice. The country at large was not particularly anxious to reinstate the squatters. Had it been consulted it would assuredly have expressed a wish that everybody might have an opportunity of bidding. Why was not the sale announced long ago far more widely, in order that Australian and other capital might be induced to come over ? We are assured that, had the sale been fairly announced, there would have been a great deal of new blood among the bidders, and tbe New Zealand squatter would not have dropped so comfortably back into his old quarters. The Australians would have driven him bard, and tbe amount realised would probably have been greatly in. excess of that actually obtained. But the Government wanted no new blood, —they wanted, while securing a good return to the revenue, to above all things play into the hands of their friends, the squatters. With the Hall party there is no other class under heaven worthy of consideration except in so far as they minister to the flockowner. The country has had almost enough of this monopoly. It is useless to bolster up the affair as the “ Herald ” does. Anything the Hall Government have done in the matter they have done at the instigation and in the interests of the squatterocracy, and we maintain that this body is pampered in New Zealand to such an extent that it has at length become an obese obstruction. The “ old identity” business wants disposing of, and we should be glad to see some new blood and fresh energy introduced into the colony. If the sale of the Otago runs had been. postponed till after the first session of the new Parliament, the conditions attached to the sale could have been discussed by the representatives of the people, and advertisements could have been inserted in the leading journals of England notifying the proposed sale. English capitalists would have been induced to purchase, and the colony would have reaped the benefit. It is true that, with all drawbacks, the sale resulted in a large increase in the pastoral revenue of the colony, but how much greater would that increase have been if Government had considered the welfare of the public more, and their pastoral friends less.