The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1878.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 80, 21 September 1878, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER 21, 1878.

Referring to our remarks upon the late meeting in Timarn re the High School we are glad to find the time devoted to that subject has not been time lost. We observe the friends of education (north of Timaru at least) are m and doing, and we predict that the parties who took such an active part in that scheme, of spoilation will not find the case -a walk ovn:. It certainly was a most humiliating-and disgraceful spectacle 'to see three town members of the first''Board ot Education for South Canterbury sitting down and deliberately planning to rob the country districts of their birthright. It is also painful to have in addition to record the name of a School Inspedtor, 'whose duties we understood *to be to see«to the proper working 6i' -the educational machinery in South Canterbury generally, figuring-as a seconder of such an infamous resolution. We hope we will not again have to chronicle such a piece of selfish injustice perpetrated by any public body. We hear that active steps are being taken to push a measure of the nature referred to through Parliament: This will be a test question for our Geraldine member. His sincerity or otherwise in this and one or two other matters will show his constituents whether or not he can bo trusted. Hitherto we have nothing but rumors of insincerity, which we do not believe have any foundation, but before this session is over we shall have ample proof ot the truth or falsehood of such rumors. We shall consider it our duty to watch over the interests of this district, not only in educational, but in all other matters, and our readers may rest assured there will be no parting with any enemy of this district under whatever disguise he may show himself.

The old saying of risking the u hazard of the die" was never so practically expressed as in the present state of colonial society. The first--step af emigration was in itself a venture, a- speculation on the result of distant contingencies. Many certainly were -forced through the ;i struggle for existence " in older countries to seek fresh pastures, maiiv through the W'e of adventurf> and

foreign h.ivil, hut tlioKc wliu form the in 1101 f ol oui population en :no to these n< vt counlnos on the chance of improving tlieti e-utum-tanu s, The gold fever uhith '-pit ad its inkction over the civi- sf lised globe vwis the fiist inspiring: cause oi emulation 'I Lis had the effect of nw.ikmmg .ill the latent speculative m the people of the west. The boldest sjiiiits vuie naturally drafted* off to the new ftl that were opening up. The speculative spirit was cupendered by them dn the maids of the most , ! timid nnntil/the whole fabric''of colonial' i society was penetrated with an unconj trollahle unpu'se to risk something for | the chance of a future benefit " on the ! hazard of the die." Tliis'passTon," when j properly- Controlled ; and educated into legitimate channels, leads to. the most •desirable' results, it was a noble development of the speculative spirit that induced Columbus to hazard his life, •and what was dearer still, his fame, on the result of what was little more than a. mere, theory. Vaseo de Gam a risked 1 his own'life, and that of his brave crew on'the chance of finding a new passage 'to the Hast, and now in our own day gallant lives -are being sacrificed in the interests of commerce on the chance that exists for a, quicker passage to China and the East through barren polar regions. The discovery of the law of gravitation was the outcome of frequent speculations, taking speculation in its -subjective sense. The bold theorists are like the pioneers of our 'colonial life, risking their reputations on '{helmsis. of an hypothesis, as-the early -settler risks his health and life in the prospective chance of a lucky venture. It is uniortunate that this originally pure impulse of the human mind should, like the remains of Cajsar, be debased ■ancl corrupted to ignoble uses. It is not--alone one clrss of society who have caught the avri sacra fumes, and hazard often their very repu'ations on the "east of a die," but from 'highest to lowest f'i ■wll ave csea pi -d th ein fee 11 on. When our legislators' motives in the .framing *<>f cur laws'can be questioned wJth'im-punfty-fmd the vilest charges of corruption, heaped upon their devoted heads, when our ministers of the gospel are sometimes'discovered to have been invo ved in "shady tiansactioiis," and some of our richest landowners aire supposed 'to lißve their price, as every man had in the days of Walpole, surely there is something rotten in the state of Denmark. This is the unhealthy product of over speculation. If vow wish to purchase land money is not ■& sine qua non-; your signature will do, and as, the unearned increment is sure to crease you can sell to advantage, befonf, the convenient kites cease to fly.vjTs •there ;«. now insurance company |or bank being floated,'apply for shares,' pay the deposit, wait the rising ot tlie tide, and watch for the flood that leads on to fortune. U there a thousand pound "consultation" on a race,, go in the swim here also, and you will be sure to " strike oil some day." Is there a church bazaar on the tapis, go like a lamb to the slaughter,-yon may draw a fool's cap fur your pains. What will colonists not speculate in ; what wilt they not bet upon ? Mark Twain's Yankee, who would bet upon how long, a straddle bug would take to travel from the States for Mexico, and follow it up too, could be reproduced athousanc times over in our communities. But we have faith that this corrupt state of things would not endure if all our teacheis of religion and all our public leaders and educators* would set the example to the people of living good and upriglit i'\ ves.