The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1883. DEFEAT OF THE GOVERNMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1133, 11 August 1883, Page 2

The Temuka Leader SATURDAY, AUGUST 11, 1883. DEFEAT OF THE GOVERNMENT.

I'hb Government have experienced t«o crushing defeats during the last few days. Their gallant leadar, M «jor A'kinson, neglected to raise the usual war cry of no confience,' an! hence tl e d'/eats. Had he only hinted that the Ministry would consider their position if the vots went against them, the Government would have it all their own way. Bit he did not, and so members Yoted not as they were bidden l»ut as their ..wn idßtiiK-ts dictat<d. Ths first defeat tie Government met w\h was over tbe direct steam qd«stion. Some time ago they invited tendeis for a direct Steam Service with Great Britain, but failed to get any of the shipping companies to tender. They then enteied into negotiations with the New Zealand Shipping Company to the effect that for a subsidy -f L 30.000 a year for five years, the Company would put on a Una of steamers. Before this arrangement wis finally settled, however, Messrs Shaw, Saville, and Co., offered to give the Government a steam service without <ny subsidy at all. Thus, if the Government had then thrown up the arrangement with the N.Z. Shipping . Company, and accepted Messrs Shaw, Saville and Go's, offer, they would have saved to the Colony L 30,000 a year, fhe Government did not do this, but adh«»red to the arrangement with tbe 5.%. Shipping Company pending its ratification by Parliament, and when the subject came up for discussion a few evenings ago the result was that they were defeated on the point by a large majority. The defeat was a disagreeable one, as it showed dissatisfaction with the administration of the Government; was it what may be called a * nasty knock,' but at the same time it was not of sufficient political importance to cause the Ministry to resign. There is something very curious about this affair. It looks very strange that not one of Vie Shipping Companies tendered when invited to do so, and that in a month afterwards they were cutting each other's throats about it. Tbe probability is that there was some sort of a compact between them so that they misht get something worth while out of the Government, acd that when the N.Z. Shaping Company did not adhere to it, Messrs Shaw, Saville and Co. got annoyed, and so as to be avenged offered to do the work for nothing. However, the action of fhe Government cannot be said to have been altogether wrong. Before they had received Messrs Shaw, Savi'de and Co.'s, offer they had partly arranged with the New Zealand Shipping Corapanv, and they could not very well do otherwise than carry out their agree ment.

The defeat on tha Gold Duties Bill is far worse. It will necessitate the readjustment of the whole ache ne ot finance for the year. It will be necessary to make up from some other source the revenue which the abolition of the gold duty deprives the Government to. To increase the Property Tax will not go down very well, to impose a land tax H ngainat tli« political religion of Ministers, and so the Mtna'ion is ratlxr complex. However, Wt» dare say the Ministry will wriggle out of it, and that there is no danger of their resignation. Whatever inconvenience the passing of this Bill may cause the Government we

are not sorry to find that it has been cwried. The duty on gold was nothing more or less than a tax oil a local industry, and it ought to have been swept away long ago. We hold that it is an extremely stupid policy to impose taxes on local industries, because it c'jeeks the development of the resources of the colony, and retards progress and general advancement. The wisest policy is to let the products of the country go out of it free, and to mike the products of other countries coming into it pay taxation. It was this policy which raised Fiance to the degree of prosperity it enjoyed under Napoleon 111, and it is this policy which has enabled America to pay off the greater part of her enormous national debt. We are glad therefore that the duty has been taken off gold, not because we in this district have 4i>y interest in that industry, but because it gives us hope that ultimately our ru'ers will open their eyes to the advantage of fostering and encouraging local institutions by relieving them of taxation if they do not go to the extant of giving them protection against foreign importations.

DAIRY FACTORIES,

We have frequently pointid out to farmers the desirability of preparing for the Hairy factories. The great importance of the Buhject must be our excuse fur referring; to the subject again. The results that were obtained at Ashburton last year show beyond doubt that it in Wiirth the while of farmers to cultivate this industry, ami that they can only d<> by improving their breeJ of cows, and by paying due attention to them in al necessary ways. In about six or seven weeks time the Temuka factory will be ready to receive milk. Are the farmers ready to supply it 1 If they are not a day wiil come when they will regret it. They will ruin a raeano by which the* 1 could greatly increase their income. I» a few months the GeraMine people exppct to have their factory in readine-s. They have done well. They have worked far more energetical y than Temuka, and we should not be surprised t > see them produce better results in the end. W« have heard, however, that ilia question of the price of milk is agitaing their minds still, and that it is likely to lead to some complications. We have written and re-written, and argued anc* re-argued, and thrashed and re-thrashed this question so frequently that we feel almost ashamed to refer to it again. The cry now is, notwithstanding all, that ffurpence per gallon will not pay. To this we answer that at fourpence per gallon a man in Ashburton during seven months of last year received between L4O and LSO per month for the milk of 20 cows, and that a man with 50 acres of land received aa high as L3O. But it is useless to argue with such people. Th« only way to deal with them is to let them alone until they see their neighbors making money ' hand over fist,' by selling milk at fourpence per gallon while they are starving on the few shillings a year they make out of their sheep. We will put it to them now in this way. Four sheep will eat as much grpss as a cow ; the value of four sheep for a year is L2, or 10s per sheep; the valua of a cow by selling her milk to the dairy factory at fourpence par gallon, at the lowest calculation is LlO. She i 3 a very cow if she does not do rno<-e than that. If there is a man with these facts before his eyes, who cannot see that it is better to keep cows than sheep it is no good arguing with him. He must be allowed his own w»y till he gets tired of it, But worse than anything is the combination which we are told certain individuals are trying to form to compel the factory to give a higher price for milk. We are tolri for a positive fact that there is a move ment on foot to get the farmers to refuse to hell milk at fourpence p«r gallon, the idea being that if there is a combination of this sort, the factory must give whatever price farmers like. The idea is as mischiovous as it is foolish, and if it i* carried cut to any extent it will simply ruin the whole concern. The man that throws any impediment in the way of the industry, at any rate for the first year, is an enemy to it. Every latitude should be allowed the directors until th»y have the thing properly started ; and every farmer ought to give them an much assistance as possible, because the farmers will be the gainers in the cud. Now, what will be the result of a combination to axtract from the directors a price which they cannot give. It will simply be that the directors will not givo it, they will have to shut up shop, and ' the unholy alliance' of fanners will be the losers. We warn firmTs against S'ich a course. L :, t them assist the directors so far as thry ca'i at any rate for the fiiaf year, until tiie industry is pro-

purly tested ; thou, if in the c>mso of' time it is fouul that the directors are not giving dich a prica as they can afford, there is a way to deal with them. There must be an election of directors every year, an 1 then is the proper time to deal with them by throwing them, out of and [tutting in their stead men who will do justice to the producers.

THE COUNTY COUNCIL. When the Ganldine County Council at its June meeting resolved to dnfer the payment of half tho cost of the Rangitata Bridge, until its stability had been tested by a flood, we pointed out to them that it was useless for them to try to gei out of it. We stated then, and we repeat it. that if tha brilge had bean swept down to the sea beach, the Geraldine County Council would have to p«y its share of tue c>st of its construction. There is no way out of it. We Inve seen, and read, in the office of tho Ashburtm County Couiuil, documents which give full power to that body to construct the bridge, and to charge the Geraldine County Council with half the cost. When this power is possessed by the Ashburtnn Council , what is the use of quarrelling over the matter? Is it not as well to pay cheerfully, as to pav ifter fiavin* baen compelled to do so by i Court of Justics ? At last Wedneslay's meeting of the Geraldine Council a letter was read fro n the As'ibm-tin Council's solicitor demanding piyme'H witiiin fourteen days. This fell like i bomb shell on the members, but what else ctull they expect. One >vas for rescin ling the former resolution, •mi', paying directly ; another was for referring the matter t> a brace of Engineers, the eff-ict of which would be

to increate the complexity of the question ; another was lor this, and unotlicr was f»r that, and fin illy they agreed t> <end a deputation to A?liburton. Wha object they can have in view in the deputation, it U a difficulty to m »!»ine. If they think they can induce the Ash burton Council to forego its claim, they make a mistake. The Ashburton Council holds the best trump, and it will lead it. We are pretty well pure, alar-, that neither the Garaldin/i nor the Mount Pee! Road Boards will open their purgi-strings to the extent of paying £IOOO each, as Mr Talbot's resolution suggested to tlwrn. Both of these Boards have a thorough appreciation of th.< value of £IOOO, and will not hp coixed into giving it away very easily. Mr John Paterson, in his quiet way, tool the mist practical step of any. He yay.t notice that lie would, at the next meeting of tha Council, move that a special rate be struck to nay the debt. When the deputation, after having incurred considerable expense, return from Ashburton, they wil' quiotly *it down at the next meeting and vote for Mr Peterson's resolution, and there will be an end of it. We feel sure that though (he Council has occasionally indulged in little eccentricities it will not go to law, and that it will in ihe end sit down quietly and pay the monpy.