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South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1882.

.The Greatßetrenchers who" hold the reins of government over us just now, haves "done quite enough to deaden enterprise and kill credit in. New Zealand. Their one watchword is Save, :Save, Save,!/ and; the country, while it recognizes the necessity which, led to retrenchment in the first; instance, now finds the cry very monotonous and "dismal. Moreover,, people have grave doubts of the fairness, of the,scheme,of retrenchment; propounded in 1880, and consider; that the saving policy should now be carried out much more discreetly. It is possible to cariy it to extremes, and to paralyse the industries,and spirit of the people by cast-iron rules and regulations,* and economy that degenerates into short-sighted meanness. This is apparent in the refusal of the Defence Minister to sanction the employment of the Government steamer in conveying • the Wellington Volunteers to an Easter encampment a|; Requested by i them ; and that after the Government, was, partially pledged to it by the expressed willingness of the Colonial Secretary. Mr Bryce, however, does not see how he can face Parliament if he allows such wasteful .expenditure as the laying On of the steamer would involve.. The Defence ; Minister need not be so thin-skinned ’ and scrupulous over a trip of the Hinemoa. He may surely recall to mind some other items of expenditure which a censorious public might possibly characterise as wasteful/ but that the public, remembering Mr Bryce’s | Napoleonic majesty of appearance at Parihaka, and regarding him and his white steed with fervent but respectful iadmiration,, refuses to. ; be censorious. ; Apart from this inconsistent conduct, however, the fact'remains that this refusal of Mr Bryce is simply an instance of defective and injurious policy. Ilf the Volunteer force ought to be kept up, it ought to be kept efficient, and every, facility should be given to corps desiring to perfect themselves in .military,matters, if, on the other hapd/ the Volunteer force is not needed, it ought to be abolished, but it certainly ought not to be just kept alive and gradually reduced, by'a process of starvation, to a- condition of utter uselessness. When, ./some,,months .ago, wye saw every prospect ‘of serious hostilities, and d’ call to arms was made,.Vblun-!; : teers.'from all -parts responded with : alacrity, cheerfully marching off. to,, what,, for .all they knew, would be tjieir . death in the field. And the forces that , went to Parihaka were no .mobs of hobbledehoys/but trained and. skilful soldiers. We do not know when the Mother Country may be involved: in serious complications, and hgr colonies threatened by a foreign foe. .' As 'we have before pointed out, the colonies would have, in such a case, chiefly to rely upon their own effective men for defence. How contemptible, then, is the policy which would, in the hour of safety, permit that effectiveness to be weakened which is to be our chief support in the hour of danger. We are quite sure Parliament would never grumble at a moderate and well-controlled expenditure in this direction"; or, if they do, all we can say to them is, “ Get you gone,- and give place to "more sensible men.”

We have always hoped thatwhen the water was actually laid on to the town the noisome stinks that are so characteristic of this town would be considerably abated; Wo regret to say our hopes have not been realised, but that the air is still heavy with unsavory odors. Back yards are still the abiding places of ancient muck, and the houses and persons of many of -our fellow citizens are still draped in dusky nastiness. It is surely, the province of a journal desiring to guide public opinion aright, to call attention to important matters, and nothing presents itself to us of greater local importance than the cleanliness of. the town and its population. We have quite a sufficiency of epidemic sickness, and we all know how readily

disease takes root where there is a good bed of dirt in tyhich' -it may lurk. iSgch nurseries of fever are too common:in Timaru.. There.are too many, houses in which the walls and floorsremain unsernbbed from week to week. The: plea of the slatternly housewives used to be that they could’nt afford to waste water in scrubbing—but now that plea can be urged no longer, and the omission of the work is a gase of simple laziness. - When the .Wintry viands are blowing, an extra mantle of dirt, is,.perhaps, not worth mentioning ; but,.,assuredly, when the summer" comes round again, fell disease will fasten greedily upon its prey among these negligent persons. If the people themselves will not attend to these matters, the authorities must pass and enforce stringent regulations to compel them.to do so;

Permanent link to this item
Hononga pūmau ki tēnei tūemi

https://paperspast.natlib.govt.nz/newspapers/SCANT18820311.2.6

Bibliographic details
Ngā taipitopito pukapuka

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2797, 11 March 1882, Page 2

Word count
Tapeke kupu
784

South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1882. South Canterbury Times, Issue 2797, 11 March 1882, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, SATURDAY, MARCH 11, 1882. South Canterbury Times, Issue 2797, 11 March 1882, Page 2

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