The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1880.

Temuka Leader, Issue 256, 8 May 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, MAY 8, 1880.

As winter approaches the centres of population nj*e becoming al-rnied at the si at <* of trade and labor market., - Many had a hope that as 1860 advanced, and flie rrice of wool k'-pl Tisliig,, it only wanted a good harvoxt to secure a re'urn to that prosperity which so intoxicated

1 i;-nd jobbers, money lenders, tradesmen, and speculators tliroughout tlio length and breadth of New Zealand, which existed (luring the glorious days which followed the introduction of the Public Works Policy. Unfortunately, although we have had an Unprecedentedly abundant harvest well garnered, stagnation not o ly continues, but is daily becoming more intensified. From Invercargill to Auckland the cry of distress is now heard In commerce nothing can he done that will realise a profit. In land (at least in the Middle Island) no .transactions can be entered into except nt a considerable reduction in price. Stock, except sheep and pigs, are almost unsaleable. Property, particular.}’, town property, is reducer 1 in value from a third to a half;|nnd the labor mar &•» is glutted. This latter, wc hoped, would bring such a reduction in wages as would lead to "expenditure ini improvements, sufficient to absorb the surplus labor, j jThe opposition to a reasonable deduction' was, however, carried too far; the result is. that when labor can bo got at a moderate rate, the money is all gone; No one scarcely is able to embark in any enterprise that would entail expenditure, consequently our towns'nre crowded with idle men, clamorous for bread. Trade is completely paraylsed, and winterjj already stares us in the face with want and misery on every hand. What is the cause of all this? In a land literally flowing with milk and honey, many families are bordering on star vation, and seeing no prospect Of improvement as the cold, short days of winter approaches.

Why should this be ? Tne colony is not over-p-.pulated ; no commercial disaster has overtaken us; our lands are teeming with abundance, yet the people starve. This is an enigma. Who will solve the riddle ? What is the cause ? We fearlessly say—an imbecile Government. Instead of grappling with the difficulty like statesmen, they carry on a letter-peddling pettifogging, party trading in Government patronage, such as no noble-minded men would think of. But can we expect anything different from them 1 Looking at the origin of soma of these would-be statesmen, we find them transplanted from the hilly country of England to these fertile plains without a knowledge of the world or life beyond a cotter’s fireside gathcricg; no mixing with men of large minds ; no idea of honor j bo knowledge of the grandeur of the nobility of mind which keeps our true British statesman from. displaying that mean revengeful feeling so often noticed in some of our would-be great men. A place is allowed for such within their * manly frames ; others are taken from school to the sheep cot, or the bullock’s tail, without even once exchanging words with men of position in England, or any other country. What can we expect ? Is it to bo wondered ai ? The wonder is how they scrambled up to the high pinnacle they now stand upon. When a great depression existed some 12 years ago, our then Superintendent seemed to think the fact that he I.ad a few thousand pounds in the treasury chest os a matter of much greater importance than that of a few thousand workmen being half-starved for want of woi k. It was laughable to see the self-glorifica-tion that the individual referred , to indulged in. Some placed it to his want of experience, but we were like the la wyer who thought there was nothing in the crater, and we were right. Mr Bolleston, we repent, is not, and never will be, an able statesman ; I.mind i s too warped and contracted, If there is anything in him, it is neutralised by that determined doggodness which caused him to make such exhibitions of himself asso commonly happened to him a few years ngo. He is just and honest tjn a fault, and only on public grounds do| we point out his faults. As he wished to become a public servant, the public have a right :to criticise his actions; Canterbury has nothing to be proud of in her share of the present Ministry, who daily give evidence of their want of ability to guide the State ship. Sometimes wc meet with this remark ; <l Well, we admit that the Hall Ministry is not composed of men of great ability, but show us the men of ability on your side able to take their places ” Wo confess that New Zealand Is lamentably deficient in able, public men. Almost every man of mark prefers nut to mingle with the lot of place-hunting, spiteful leaders of the Tory crew, who acted so disgracefully last session. Who that has a name to lose would care to come into contact with such an unholy brotherhood ? The want of a Vogel, with his largeness of mind, is remarkably conspicuous at the present junction of affairs. Even Mr Stout, less experienced though he be, is a gentlemen who has proved that he possesses startling qualities, such as will yet enable bim to make his mark upon the labl’-l of New Zealand history ; he must again be called to tbe front. Possibly, if Mr Hall could shake off the weakness that leads him to such favoritism and party intrigue, lie might servo bis country to more purpose ; but Ida early training is against him ever doing so. He cannot divest himself of that weakness which betrays itself at every turn —that of rewarding bis friends and rejoicing at every opP‘>r' unity that offers to punish orspite any one Mi.it sb uld speak nr writ' 1 .against him Silly, childish < onduot ibis fur a Minister of the Crown ; but this is not following

the argument out that“jWo set out with. The colony is fast drifting into bankruptcy. As a remedy the Government propose to stop all public wuiks, dismiss a lot of low salarised public officers, secure a good round sum to the credit of the colony when Parliament meets,(and then boast of what they have done. How much better this is than an empty exchequer. This was Rolleston’s policy when Superintendent ; and what was the result? When Otago was filling the province with good roads and stone bridges, ample reserves for educational and otlrr purposes, our Worthy Head congratulated himself upon the state of the bank account, and the wealth of our landed estate. Now, let us carry the contrast a little further, and what do we find? Canterbury’s land was taken and sold to buy an estate for the North Island. The province is filled with rotten wooden bridges, and the few education reserves serve as a bone of contention for the Educational Department to about, gv Our Land Fund is gone ; the country is filled with a lot of decaying wooden salerooms,and no money is forthcoming to replace with more substantial material. Courthouses, Postoffices, and other public buildings are totally unfit for the purpose to which they re put, but the Hall Government say they must do. Taxation is toe only panacea prescribed for the numerous ills we are suffering under. The Property Tax is the most inquisitorial and expensive to collect of any tax. Already a complete staff is organised for carrying the Act into force. A deputy Commissioner is appointed at Timaru at a salary of L4OO a year, with a staff of clerks and other subordinates. This is the economy practiced by the Hall Government! A canard in one of the evening papers mentions a Mr Clinton as engaged as Secretary to Mr Wakefield at L3OO a year. Inquisitive persons puzzle their brains, and think what a lucrative billot is provided for the member for Geraldine to give him such a rise in the world. My friend, Mr Hall (everyone believes), keeps his eye ever upon his devoted friend, and look in every morning paper announcement of the appointment something likely is in the-wind ; and this announcement of an assistant at L3OO may cnly.be.put out to pave the way for a more important announcement of this great chief at a salary of three times three hundred. Human nature is strong in the Hon. John ; no doubt Ids bowels yearn over his kinsman for his unwavering fidelity. These little matters suit the Premier’s standard of intellect much betn- r than devising any scheme for delive r,n g the colony from its troubles, which is so far beyond hia grasp. Wo have pointed out the remedy prescribed by this great physician —taxation, nothing but taxation Now, in the case of a merchant or a commercial firm —when the partners find that their account is overdrawn, and the money must be got, they do not lax their customers, or press them, but they begin by realising upon their property, and to do so until the firm has redeemed its credit with the bank. Our Government is not yet in that state ; it has still one million at least of the five million loan on hand. It has also a million pounds’ worth of Treasury Bills still unnegotiated. This, if expended in public works, would go far to right the State ship, even if she is on her beam ends. Then, there is the railway stock. Why not sell it to English capitalists ? They would be only too glad to get such an investment for their money, and they would bring money into the country. What objection is there, then, to selling the railways ? Even the Rakaia Gorge lipo might go with them.

Some may say that the Interior lines would be used as feeders to increase the dividends of the shareholders of the main line. That could be prevented by selling the interior lines also, and expending the money upon public works, opening up the country, and in increasing the population. The Premier would not consent to this, as it would offend the monied class, and that would not do. Capitalists put him into power, and he must do their dirty work ; but he is in danger of speedily coming to grief, if he studies the rich and opposes the poor. Let him take warning from the fate of the Member for Geraldine, who, so long as he obtained the sympathy of the few, did not care a jot f< r the mass ; and now the few are disgusted with him, and the mass have thrown him overboard, Mr Hall is playingr the same game, but the rats that placed him in power may turn on him, and then he and his incapable army will have to flee from the foe.

At present, the colony is socially and politically quiet; but a crowd of hungry men with starving wives and children on the one hand, and a crowd of over-taxed farmers and sma’l tradesmen on the other, will make their voices heard before many months are over. The suicidal policy of the Ministry in cutting off public works when the labor market is glutted, displays the inefficiency of the Government to manage affairs. .We have said, sell the railways; if the present policy is persisted in, they will not sell soon, traffic will cease, population will leave the colony, sheep farmers’ stocks will increase and consumption decrease, property will decline in value, until the people will hurl the unskilled helmsmen from the charge of the State ship, and a new crew placed on board to bring the vessel out of every danger. .