The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1880.

Temuka Leader, Issue 263, 1 June 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JUNE 1, 1880.

The Governor's speech is short, and shall Ve say, sweet? Nay, rather let the Conservatives say so. It would be difficult to say what are the Government measures the representatives of the people will be asked to pass. The Premier evidont'y err joys surprises, and doubtless has several in preparation, which will cause the members to lift up their eyes in astonishment. Nothing, however, that Mr Hall will suggest in place of a moderate prosecution of public works will, so far as the Middle Island is concerned, be able to relieve the widespread distress that exists at present. It is quite possible that the Premier may, after his visit to the Auckland district, be able toprepare some comprehensive scheme for village settlement, and special inducements in the shape of land on deferred payments in the North Island ; but Mr Rodeston’s stubborn resistance to any alteration in the Canterbury land laws at a time when it was practicable to carry out this scheme profitably has passed away. Scarcely any good land is now available in Canterbury for settlement of the nature hinted at. What has hitherto been done in Canterbury, to settle men on land ou deferred payments, has been a mockery and an insult. Fifty to one hundred acres of shingly land, put up a* anciion with a condition of permanent residential settlement, is not giving working men a fair chance. Any patch worth buying was secured not by men who have only their bands to help them, but by neighboring farmers, who bought merely to augment their ho.dings. If liberal land laws had been adopted some ten years ago, when Mr Rolleston was Superintendent of Canterbury, perhaps thousands of men would have been comfortably settled in their homes, with happy families, instead of having to leave the province, or the colony, to establish a home elsewhere. If the cry of the people had been attended to then, we would not have had the tens and twenties of thousands of acres of the primest land in Canterbury held by specu latois at exorbitant prices. When this subject is brought up, our Conservative friends are ready to exclaim—“ Why Can. cerbury has more farmers than Olago ) which is larger, and who adopted this system?” Granted, but this dof s not prov e that we have twice or thrice as many The difficulties connected with settlement in Olago are much greater and more numerous than in Canterbury. The country is more mountainous, and access very difficult. Moreover, the lands are farlher from any seaport or market; there was also a counter attraction in her goldfields men would not (cave a lucrative business to settle upon a patch of land that had no roads to it, and no markets near for (he : r produce. In Canterbury, the case was diffeient, Hundreds of thousands of acres of good agricultural land was at the period referred to in the bands of Government, was quite acceptable, and would have aU been settled but for Messrs Hall and Robestoa’s determination to keep them for a class other than working men. Is it to be wondered at, then, that people get wrolh when the Government profess to favor liberal land laws ? No land law will now repair the damage done to Canterbury by this class legislation. On the other hand, we are much mistaken if the businessmen in Otago and Canterbury will tamely submit to a Hall Government to dram away the populalion of the Middle Island to propitiate the Auckland rats, who threaten to desert their conspirators. It may be possible, indeed it is very likely, that Mr Hall may have given a pledge to these reprobates that he would bring in a measure for settlement in the Auckland district, audit is more than possible that this was the object of his visit to their district by the Minister for Lands If, then, the policy of the present Government is to stop woiksin the Middle Island and to promote settlement in the North Island to employ the unemployed, wo hope the settlers in the Middle Island will rise as one man and hurl these dece tiul schemers from power.

The Government organ in Timaru som e liii'e time ago put out a feeler. Doubtless it uas hatched in tbe bra'o-chanibec cf Mr flail, and he likely was good enough to consult “me” on this important subject That it nrght be found advisable to follow ibe example of Otago, and sell large blocks of 1 net to relieve a pa- t of the hraochii distress. The bugle was sou need, but no response was made to He call No journal not even ibe Conservative otgans in the Middle Ishiod would lake it up, and so the mailer di’opped. It is not impossible, however, (hal a proposal of tb : s sort may be made as a choice between i, and a Pu pe' fy Tax Now that the Government see that the laitec must be abandoned, it wi", therefore, be the duly of the eleciois to watch the movemenls of their repieseniatives Tlie Properly Tax wdl press on many of tbe members pret y heavily, and when a man s rocket i* iouched he will do some queer things. M< - , Whittaker, also, tbe arch lan ! speculator, may have a land ring reaoy, and oven the Premier may see it to be “very fair indeed.” Of course, In* would not dirty bis fingers with it. What is intended as a substitute for subsidies to - local bodies we cannot even guess. If Mr Hall has been consulling Ids bo om friend on this subject, we may hear something about it. Wliat changes are in store for us connected with local government must also be waited for as one of the surprises. Perhaps we are to be allowed to tax ourselves, and make use of our own money. This would be a great step in advance, and a great boon to us all no doubt It would at any rate give a bone to pick at, while the great thimblerigging is going on in the North. Carefully scanning the political horizon all round, we see othing but dark clouds hanging over the Middle Island We shall bo glad, however, if these are dispelled by the magic baud of the political wizard, and that the bright sun of prosperity shines upon us once more. When we see him in his splendour we shall not fail to exclaim, “ Hail, glorious mor.i ! Resplendent orb, send us thy cheering rays. Dispel our doubts, and calm our fears, and Hall will get tbe praise.” Times without number we have said that the North Island will be the richest of the two islands ; at present, everything promises to make that an accomplished fact. The great Native war, that floated in the brain of the Conservative party when on the Opposition benches, of course, was not shared iu by the Greyites. Over and over again the great conquerors did their best to animate this ghost, but without success. Their Baal answered not : he slept, and would iot be awakened. Now that they enter upon other men’s labors, as regards this Native war ghost, they are happy to say ho is dead. The magician's wand was again siret bed forth over the tumbled waters, and there is at once a great calm. Consequently, the groat military roads that have been commerced need not now be gom- on wltn, unless to give access to the lauds that wo have acquired by the might of our power. Come ami see it any Government ever achieved such successes as ours. Instead of war, peace and prosperity prevails everywhere. The great Te Whiti, who so fiightened our predecessors, is now as docile as a little, child—nearly as submissive as the member for Geraldine. Perhaps he will reveal to us some of the events of the future, whether we are to retain tbe luxuries of office or be driven by the great popular Pro-consul from our warm seats in these frosty nights, and be like (he Unjust Steward, obliged to seek shelter from our friouds.