The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1878.

Temuka Leader, Volume I, Issue 106, 21 December 1878, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1878.

Mr Studholme, who is a candidate foi the sent for the Gladstone District, vacant through the death of Mr Toscliem-ikei', has made his debut before a Waimate audien<e. Like a good rooster he can crow well upon his own dung-hill. What he has spoken and written, when a member of the General Assembly or of the Provincial Council is it not written in the chronicles of the country's great men. Little room do they take up in the 'niche of our country's archives. Following him a little fhe begins with denouncing cl-iss legislation, yet in the very same breath he propounds the old doctrine of tax what else you like but don't interfere with the large landholder. We are astonished that Mr Studholme's good s nse (for we will allow he is not devoid of ability in matters which affect his own interest) permits him to fall into such errors as lie did, and which are so glaringly transparent as : will >not admit of their being glossed over. The whole speech, from beginning to end, is nothing but a series of assertions unbacked with any proof. , Tt is all very good for such men as Mr Studholme, buying land at ten shi'lings an acre, and bush land, which in the boasted good old times of Provincialism each had a chance of helping another to, blowing about his success in business and condemning meu who were not fortunate in having the Government at their back, to tax the people to make roads and railways to enhance the value of tlHr property. It remains to be proved that Mr Studholme is possessed of superior ability as a business man to prevent him succumbing to the disasters which abler and equally honest men with himself have had to contend with, and fell before. The public works policy has b e i the best blessing that could have been sent to these large landholders, by providing them with railways at the public expense to enormously increase the value of their estates. It is bad taste of the ctndidale for honours to come down upon the present Government because they imposed a small'.tax. upon land that had been so increased in value. Mr Studholme is opposed to the Grey Government. This is but natural, coming from a man who is the owner of land that would bo valued at hundreds of thousands of pounds. Like the teetotallers motto, taste not,"touch not, tax not is his creed. AU he wants is to secure the unearned increment without incumbrance. Speak ing of the oppressed agriculturist ! Much he cares about the agriculturists ; all he wants U the largest price.he can obtain for his land. Another reason he is so down upon the Grey Government is because he sees by the owners of land being compelled to pay a moiety of the taxation justly claimable upon their holdings it affects the value of their property when put in the market. Talk of class legislation ! This is class legislation with a vengeance. .We were prepared for all this and more, from what appeared some time ago in the 'Timaru Herald,' the well known organ of Mr Studholme's class, even to the very paragraph upon larrikanism his speech is an exact copy. Another feature in Mr Studholme's speech is that of his views regarding education. It is to be regretted he did not in plain language say he would favour denominational education because our Catholic friends desire it. Secular education lias displeased some parties, but we do not see that because it has done so it should be condemned, the members of our community who belong to the Roman Catholic Church petitioned against the Bible being used in our. public schools, the prayer of their petition was gran'ei, it is not too much to ask them to be now satisfied if other denominations are satisfied with the exclusion of the Bible from the teaching in our school?. We do not see what further, ground the Catholics have for complaint, they are the minority in the country, it is not reasonable for them to ask that every institution should be altered to suit them, or any other single class of religionists. If the clergy of the various denominations would only do their duty by devoting a portion of their time to the teaching of the children who attend these schools the doctrines of the Bible we do not see there would be much wanting. Our experience of Bible teaching nt public schools did not leave a favorable impression of its usefulness upon our minds. If Bible teaching is to lead >to denominational endowments, and as a consequence a starving of the poorer districts, then we say we are opposed to denominational .education. The handle made by the 'Timaru Herald' of a few uproarious boys in the streets of Timaru we put down as an excuse for another turn of the wheel, of that wheel-about journal. It is simply a means used for a purpose, and Mr Studholme has taken up the cause. Much as we revere the Bible, which has stood the attacks of infidels, scientists, and sceptics, of every age for the last, eighteen hundred years, we are yet not prepared to destroy the usefulness of our public schools by introducing a system of |Sectarianism so

distasteful to the'grunt majority of the people of these-islands for th* sake of teaftlsirij&r -ai" few" maxim** on morality. Only get our clergy to do the duli's for which they are pa ; d by their various pirishioners,. and the ory of want of religious' training in our public schools will soon ce;'se. The ca::d date, like the ex r ; poser of larrikinism! referred to, lias a pnr- ! pose to serve, honce hi- readiness to be ! all lliings to all 'men, and if the truth could he told, it would be found the very party which he wishes to conciliate would in lliei- inmost thoughts .. despise his abje-'t servility. The election of a member at the present time will be merely a walk over for Mr- John Studholme.. The short term of office, the necessity that is staling every one in the face for looking after their own business, will deter others from taking the Held against him. On the occasion of a general election it will not be so. The only redeeming feature iD the whole speech, which may be said to be full of inconsistencies from beginning to end. is the avowment that he goes in as a declared opponent to Sir George Grey and his Ministers. On this point Mr Studholme is very clear. Some of the reasons for this opposition we have pointed out, and others might have been mentioned did space allow, or Sir George Grey's Government required it at our hands, but this is not the case. Notwithstanding all that the candidate has spoken against Sir George and his Ministers, it will be found when the time cunes for proving it arrives, that he reigns in the hearts of the people,' his aim being to destroy' monopoly in land, and his earnest desire to see people settled upon the land instead of sheep, his determination to make the owners of land who have profited so largely by the expenditure of public money contribute a share of the expense, should never be lost sight of by any elector in South Canterbury. When the time comes for defending Sir George and his policy let every man- see to it that they do everything within their power to uphold him in offieo when the time conies to need their help, and the working men in NewZealand need never fear a few land jobbers of the Studholme type. Mr Studholme states that many are driven away from this country .because of taxation. If he had said many were driven away because the land is held in large blocks by capitalists like him who hold for a ransom, he would have been nearer the truth. By a fair distribution of taxation over land as well as oth"r property, the value of Ja'id wou'd be more clearly defined, and the enormous profits now obtained by these ten shilling an acre men would soon become athingof thepast. Open up the land for settlement by eveiy lawful means within their power, then may we be able to draw population to our shores, not otherwise. Instances are known of men who have come from the mother country, have travelled all over the colony, compared values, calculated returns, and have come to the conclusion that they could do better in the old country, and po have returned. This class of small capitalists arj likely to steer ciear of New Zealand until this large landholder's system has come to an end, and land comes down to a fair value, to allow a margin for profit to the hard . working agriculturist.