The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1880

Temuka Leader, Issue 283, 19 August 1880, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, AUGUST 19, 1880

When the Loral Industries'Commission was anpointed, we rsked what information it coald give that had mt already been given, «r could without expense be given by local bodies, such as County Councils, Chambers of Commerce, Road Boards, Municipal Councils, or others. Each of these holies, move or less, have to make it a part of their business to find out what will add to i's revenue or multiply its wealth ; consequently it- is the interest, »B well as the duty, of those bodies to keep their eyes about them, and be much more vigilant than any Royal Commission that may h? paid to roam about the country. Tin's being our opipion at the thqe the Local Industries Commission w.js appointed, we are not surprised that it. has turned out worse than a waste of public money. Those ori the 6th,er hand, who were so sanguine as to expect that some startling discoveries would be made known when tins Commissions report was brought up, must be fearfully chagrined, in scanning it over, to find that it is composed of the most silly twaddle that could haye entered into the heads' of even babies in arms. That men could put such childish rubbish upon paper one could not have' i)3lieved. The ignorance of the Commission on commercial matters, as ex-

| hibfrcd ;by the report, is so supreme ,thnt; any sensible business man /must turn away from it to enjoy a good laugh ; but laughing is not so ;ready at command . when we have present with <is the thought that we have to put our hands into our ; pockets to joy tiiese stalking horses sent out as a blind by their Conservative hoods That any good would come of it we never believed. Tfcat the Hall Government expected any good from it we did not believe. That they are disappointed with the re : ult therefore we do not believe. That their chiefs should applaud them to the skies, for all that, is simply acting in aiffordaniee with their previous procedure in public matters, alighting everything that eminates from any other source than the Government s: ring, and magnifying a hundred fold every little incident that tells in its favor. It is impossible, howev?r, for any, even the most sceptical of good, to be other t.h:m disappointed with the result of the expenditure of so much money in trying to establish or assist new industries. One prominent feature in the /epoi't is the glaring ignoiance of commercial mutters by the very men who ore sent out ostensibly to put commercial trcatteis right Any school boy could demonstrate, with his ten fingers, greater knowledge of commerce then this Royal Commission, composed for the most part of gentlemen who claim being something in the General Assembly. One of the members of the Commission we have known for the last fifteen years, and tver, with many others, believed he had « shirgle loose j however, acting upon the "maxim that ignorance is bliss, he plodded on until lu managed 1 to make himself an acceptable tool for the EMI party to do their di»ty woik. Another member was considered a staid son of the Land ot Cakes, rather thick in the skull, and not. having the advantages of a warm climate. He was never brilliant nr dfishing, but we thought there was something in the creature if it could get through that thick head. It seems it cannot get'ont (if it ever was there to make the attempt, whL-h we very much doubt.) But the chairman, the dashing y< ung sergeant ; surely there is something in that sloping forehead, although it may be very far back, It has sometimes come across our minds that, this gentleman, in his speeches, lesembles a saibr throwing a log. He the line off at a great rate, until all at once he strikes the ground, then there is r. halt ; he his s'«unded the depth and can go no urther. We fear the Chairman of the Local Industries' Commission has soanded the depth, aid is now begnn to reel up again during the present session of Parliament. HiR mind has been so occupied with the of the great amount of information he would give the Assembly and the country, that he had not time to think of his constituents or of the meaoures before Parliament. What then must be his surprise when he finds all this great sweat of intellect, all this depth of thought, all this confibs with old wives and herd boys, is so coldly received by the public. Try again f the spider fdl more than once. Let go Johnny Hall's coat tails ; you are old enough to go alone now. If you cannot accomplish it now you never will. Never mind the insects and the little birdies ; you know Dr. Buller is competent enough to protect them, aye, and great birdies too. Let theiin alone, Teddy ; fly higher. It is a pitv to mix su«h gentl blood, or so prime and elevated ideas, with the swinish multitude. Spread out your wings, ape the eagle ; soar above these !ow nasty things, keep your eye upon the Ministerial Benches, poise yourself well, end you may light upon one of these nice cushions that would suit so well your gentle downy covering. Leave these nasty commercial things alone Teddy : you do not understand them. Try. to get a cheque from some ot'ier source, and leave business matters alone. You know in the old country noblemen and gentlemen do not mix with business. Why should youSeriously, the locul commission is a sham and a mockery, one as well as another. As Messrs Hall's and Rolleston's schemes become nnfolded they betray more and more the want of eUlesmen ability _ Often one feeds astounded at the blunders or the Hall Government. Most men gave the head at least credit f>r shrewdness and penetration. Such lamentable want of foresight as is manifested, as one after another of Mr Hall's schemes ma tiyp.n, c.annot bi*t alarm, hi? Y C, \Y friends, and lead them, tf> thin.k there. \s something gping wrong in the u,p,p,er story, that there are more pld women in the 1 House than Sir George Grey although they may not he so engjly recognised by thefr open fice. How- \ ever, whatever mar "bofal ur we trust f

there will be nomore Local Industries .Commissions sent out to spend the public money in the loolisli manner tii,nt tjjxe present one has done.