The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1878.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 69, 14 August 1878, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 14, 1878.

The ‘ Timaru Herald ’ in its loading article of Saturday last, makes some Interesting statements with regard to the Timarn Breakwater Scheme. It will be recollected that at a meeting of the Timarn Harbour Board, a resolution was passed, authorizing the Chairman to telegraph, asking Mr Turnbull, Member for Timarn, Mr Teschemaker, Member for Gladstone, and Mr Wakefield, Member for Geraldine, to support a measure for granting an endowment of five thousand acres of land for the Timarn Harbour Works. When the promoters of the Milford Harbour first brought their scheme before the public, there was not wanting those who said the Temuka people were entitled to a share of the large sum of money lying at interest in Timarn ; some even went the length of saying a petition should be got up to the Governor, asking that the money should bo laid out at Milford, backing their request by a static mentthat L60,0()0 belonged to this When this wa § people of Timarn an j cry against this at&nipt to spend the money where it would be of most use to South Canterbury. The acrimony exhibited on that occasion was very strong. After a time the counsels of the more moderate party in the Milford Camp prevailed, and a decision was come to to let Timarn spend the money, on the tacit understanding that Timarn would let the promoters of the Milford Scheme alone. This tacit understanding made a great change in the tone of feeling exhibited by our Timaru friends; some even going the length of admitting that it was after all possible do make a harbour of Milford Lagoon.(Leaving alone Timaru, the Milford Committee took immediate steps to have Sir John Goode’s opinion of their project, undertaking the responsibility of Sir John Goode’s charges for the same. The Government was asked to invite that gentleman to inspect and report upon Milford Lagoon. Thus the matter stood at the commencement of the present session of Parliament, excepting that in the meantime the Government considered it advisable, to temporarily reserve a block of 40,000 acres of land, as an endowment for Milford Harbour. This was too much for Timaru, it could not stand that. It was all very well for them to call for tenders, and decide to spend the money Avhich belonged to this district, but this would never do.) They must prevent Milford from obtaining any such assistance for carrying out the more useful, the more practical, and tireless expensive work. A hole and corner meeting of a portion of the Timaru Board was held, and a decision arrived at, that steps must be taken to prevent the Milford Gommitteeytaking the wind out of their sails in this way. An application was consequently made to the Governor to reserve a block of 50,000 acres for Timaru Harbour Works. This, doubtless, was considered the most likely plan to prevent the Milford Committee being successful. The Government, not seeing its way 7 to place so great a barrier to the success of the more practical scheme at Milford, declined granting this request. One would think this would have been sufficient to put an end to any further parleying, but not so. At the meeting of the Timaru Harbour Board held last Thursday 7 , the action stated above took place. However deficient the Board may be in ability, however deficient it may be in a sense of justice to others, however deficient in unity of purpose, or in faith jn the ultimate success of their pwn

scheme, with one qualification they seem to be largely endowed, and tliat is, Cheek ! They not only ask their own member 1o support their demand for this endowment, but they telegraph to the member for Geraldine to put his shoulder to their wheel. Now, from whatever light we view this action of a portion of the Timaru Harbour Doard, we can come to no other conclusion than that it is an unwarrantable piece of pertinacious opposition, which has seldom been surpassed, even by a Timaru Board. We are glad we have not to record the names of the members of the Board ->n this side Timarn as amongst the number. It is to be hoped, however, that the Government will resist this audacious action of the Timaru Board. Turning to the article in Saturday’s ‘ Herald,’ what do we find ? a complaint amounting to almost a threat, that if the member for Timaru declines to su; port this movement on the part of the Harbour Board, no matter if his conscience tells him it is is not right, no matter if it upsets the Milford Scheme, no matter if it leads to the 40,000 Government reserve for Milford Harbour being thrown out, as it may be if Government are not firm in their opposition, Mr Turnbull must swallow his own convictions, But what about the member for Geraldine ? Not a word by the 8 Herald ’ of wnat be is to do in the matter, The Board has decided that Mr Wakefield is one of ourselves. Has ho not been careful of our interests hitherto? Did he not look after the Timaru and Gladstone offices business for ns? Did be not obtain the railway workshops for us? Did be not obtain a Board of Education to sit in Timaru against the wishes of the outlying distrretsfor us ? Why should we doubt bis loyalty ? Poor Wakefield, clever as bo undoubtedly is, be will have his hands full. We will not enter upon the question whether or not his conscience is more elastic than Mr Turnbull’s ; or whether Mr Wakefield has any object in view in attacking Mr Turnbull. Doubtless the member for Timaru will be aide to give a good account of himself. But what concerns us, is to know how the member for Geraldine will act in this matter of a Timaru endowment. Ho will, doubtless be able to call to recollection the decision of Sir John Coodo, that any work would be useless at Timaru unless an open space is left between the breakwater and the shore. He will doubtless bo able to remember tliat the people of Timaru would not invite bir John Goode to report upon the harbour, fearing that he might upset the whole thing. He will doubtless be able to remember bis own glowing article upon Milford, and be is quite capable of reasoning on the matter thus:—“ Well, Sir John Goode has expressed bis opinion that the shingle travels northward, he has proved this, even at Timarn.” He will recollect Sir Goode lias visited Milford, given orders for additanmJ^jjgJ^ly S alu | soundings, and. a pi uns ‘ o f the M: Ifc rd ieli additional ‘works wlicost several hundred pounds. He will bo able to reason with himself whether or not it is likely that Sir John Goode would put the; people to all this trouble and expense if be had not a notion that a harbour could be made at Milford Lagoon. |We say Mr Wakefield is capable of weighing in bis mind all the , pros and cons of both places. lie mist feel that be is sitting between two stools. Our advice to him is to be careful that he does not fall down between them. H'hc member for Geraldine is clever, but the history of the world tells us that the cleverest men, like the willing horses, have often to carry the heaviest burdens. The member for Geraldine has bis residence in Timaru, and, financially, all bis interests are centered in Timaru. Is it reasonable to expect him to sacrifice a], this, and abjure the popular favour, and a chance, however remote, of being the honoured

member for Timaru ? Is it not, on the other hand, asking more than flesh and blood is capable of performing, to ask him to oppose the Timaru Endowment Measure, and warmly support the Milford Endowment Measure. We say again that we pity the member for Geraldine. We believe that if he were a resident in the district he represents, and had the same interests in it as he has in Timaru, he would make a most valuable member. We believe he could show up to a nicety the numerous weak points in the proposed Timaru Breakwater Scheme. | in short, we have no hesitation in saying he could, in a few sentences, smash the whole thing, but, unfortunately, his hands are tied by an over-exacting, selfish, blind, unreasonably determined set of men, who, like their prototypes of old, see nothing good out of Timaru. Mr Teschemaker we know little about, and will give' him the credit of being open to learn. This much we would tell him, that it is possible the people of Timaru have not that faith in their scheme which would lead them to rely upon the enormous income from extensive five storey warehouses, glass-roofed railway stations, manufactories erected upon the reclaimed land, or they would not be so anxious to secure more money. They would not be so anxious to destroy the hope of the Milford settlers. They would not be so anxious to stifle the convictions of their own member, or to palm what they do not themselves believe, upon other, and independent members. We noticed our contemporary, the ‘ Timaru Herald/ supported us in giving advice to our Mackenzie Country friends, not to oppose the 40,000 endowment. How comes it that it now takes the most effectual" steps for its destruction ? ( The ‘ Herald ’ knows pretty well there is no

chance of 90,000 acres being granted ; it knows also that Timaru does not need it. How then this action ou its part ?

The tax on cnlohiai beer introduced in such a hurry by Government, appears to us a very bad one. The tax would be as fair as perhaps a tax can be if" all consumers purchased directly from the brewer, or in large quantities. Bo far as this is done, it is a fair tax, but with respect to the large proportion of malt liquors retailed by hotel and tavern keepers, it is eminently unfair. It will not fall upon the cousumeis as intended. The brewer, or the wholesale dealer can, and will charge the tax to the purchaser, but can the bar keeper do so ? It is evident that the price per glass, or per pint, cannot be increased in proportion to the tax per gallon. Then, if no alteration be made in the size of glasses, if measures are properly tilled, this tax, so far as all beer so retailed is concerned, falls entirely upon a small class—*the licensed victuallers. It is not at all to the point to say that they can well boar it. The tax, if Government say what they really moan, is not meant to be a tax on this class, but upon beer drinkers. But is it likely that the retailers will submit to be so heavily taxed? Will they not try to recover the amount from the public in some way, as by using smaller glasses ? It is plain th it they cannot alter the size of their glasses so that they can recover exactly three half-pence per gallon ou the beer they sell, if they do not lessen them sufficiently part of the tax must bo borne by themselves, if they' lessen them too much the consumer will be taxed more than three half-pence per gallon, the retailer pocketing the difference. This tax, then, so far as retailed beer is concerned, is unlikely t > fall fairly upon the right shoulders. If the brewers do not charge to their customers, it becomes a tax on brewers ; if the retailers make no alteration in their prices, nor in the size of their vessels, it becomes a tax upon this class. If they do make either of these changes, the probabilities are that the consumers will be taxed to an extent beyond that indicated by the Ministerial proposa', and, consequent! y, that the retailers will be beuefitted as well as, and probably more than the revenu >. We take a glass of beer occasionally, and do not object to pay a tax to the revenue of three half-pence per gallon on what we drink, but we do object to pay to the retailers, in addition to this, a tax of indefinite extent. Since writing the above, we learn that the brewers of Dunedin have passer the following among other resolutions, entirely corroborating our opinion that the tax on beer retailed will not fail where

it was intended that it shoul the tax must and hotelas the consumer cannot be m ire than he at present pays. Therefore this is class legislation, and defeats the ends for which it was imposed.” The Licensed Victuallers of Auckland have formally resolved :

“That this meeting is of opinion that the pries of beer cannot be rais'd to the consumers, and as the Licensed Victuallers are already heavily burdened, they request the brewers to reconsider-their recent resolution, and supply beer at (he old price. ” We repeat the closing sentence of the Dunedin brewers resolution—“ Therefore this is class legislation, and defeats the ends for which it. was proposed.”