The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1885. REDUCED IN PRICE.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1371, 28 July 1885, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, JULY 28, 1885. REDUCED IN PRICE.

In our met issue we announced that we had lowered the price of this paper to 15s paid in advance and £1 if booked per annum. It is now within t he reach oi al). There are few who caanot afford to pay 15s a year for a newspaper, and few we trust will be without it. Considering the size of the town, and the depressed condition of trade and commerce, we think that it will be generally admitted that this paper is a frood one, and well worth the price at which it is offered to the public. There is not in New Zealand a town of the same size as this haring so good a paper. Our readers will, we are sure, recognise that it cannot be produced without a good deal of expense and that the proprietor of it cannot carry it on unless it paj# him to do so. The proprietor is not a rich man, who does not care what the ccst may be so long as he has a paper to represent his own riews. Thera are many papers in the colony owned by rich men who do not care whether they pay or not so long as they hare them under their thumb to advocate whatever policy suits them. TheTimaru Herald, for instance, is owned by a company of rich men, who belong to the moneylending class, and whether it pays or not, they are bound to carry it on. Such is not the case with the proprietor of this paper. He is a poor man, dependent entirely on what he can make out of the papar for his living, and if it does not pay he cannot carry it on. The reduction in the price of the paper appears very small when looked at with regard to one paper, but when 600 papers are taken into calculation it con easily he seen that it is a very serious item. Our readers can therefore see that the reduction must result in a loss if the circulation does not increase to an extent that will compenga'o for it. We sincerely trust that it will, and that the public generally will recognise the desirability of supporting the paper. We base our claims for support on the following grounds ;—The paper is good value for the money. It gives employment to five men and four boys, on whom others are dependent. As a local industry it is therefore of importance. If the paper were not in existence these nine persons would be swelling the ranks of the unemployed or away from the district altogether. Those who have taken any interest in local industries will admit that the paper has been very useful in advocating (heir establishment. The National Bank and Cheap Money Scheme originated in its columns hare now been taken up throughout the colony generally, and will we aie convinced be given legal effect to before long. If this scheme should he carried into effect, every man in the district will be benefited to an extent that would pay for the paper for the next 20 years. Is it worth while to give 15 shillings a year for a paper of thatkind ? We have also originated the idea of Homes for Working Men, and it has been adopted as part of the policy of the present Government, The Government have altered the Scheme, and in altering it spoiled it ; but the idea was originated io this paper, and consequently we deserve the support of working men. It is a mistake to think that a paper is unnecessary to a district. From time to lime many things crop up thatrequire advocacy, and the local paper can attend to them much better than papers published in largo centres of population. The big paper must first of all look after the town in which it is published, and, if necessary, advocate the interests of the town when it clashes with the inferrsts of the outlying district. If an occasion arose—as it must often arise—that the interests of Timarn and this district clashed, the Timarn Herald would have to take the side of Timaru, If on such an occasion no paper existed in this district, it would hare no one to represent its rights. On these grounds we claim that a local paper is a necessity, and we trust this district will never be without one. We claim that the paper is well worth the money for which it is offered ; that it has proved useful as a local paper ; that it is entitled to the good wishes of all New Zealand, on account of the new schemes which have had their origin in its columns ; that it has always been conducted respectably and free from scurrility, and on these grounds we ask for it general support. CHEAP MONEY. In criticising Mr Twomey’s candidature for Gladstone, the Ashburton Guardian characterised Lis scheme as ,l colossal ignorance of the first principles which govern the circulation of money.” Since then, however, the scheme has been taken up in Parliament, and the Guardian sees no objection to it. When it was first enunciated by Mr Twomey it was “ colossal ignorance,” according to the Guardian: when it has been taken up by the Hon. Mr Bathgate, M.L.C., and Mr Macandrtw, M.H.R., there must be something in it. So much for the discriminating capability of the Guardian. The Ashburton Mail and the Oamaru Mai! were both asked to take : the matter up, but they would not touch it : now, when it has been taken up in | Parliament, they speak highly of it. It is with pleasure that we notice this : j t is a pleasure to us to see that (hose

who scoffed at the scheme twelv* or eighteen months ago are coming round to adopt it, because it leads us to con elude that it will before long be given legal effect to. But this is not all. We have had the satisfaction ol receiving congratulatory letters from all parte of this Island, of which we select the following as a sample :—>

TO THE EDITOR. Sir, —Having lately read in the Mechanics’ institute here some of your articles upon the desirability and possibility of establishing a National Bank for New Zealand, and having well considered the subject, I am thoroughly convinced that such a scheme would not only be a perfect remedy for the present stagnation and depression in all kinds of business, but, also, that it is “ within the range of practical politics.” Permit me, Sir, to congratulate you heartily upon having originated so noble a scheme. I consider that you thereby merit, and will assuredly reap, the thanks of all “ unextortionate” New Zealanders. But it took the inhabitants of the earth a long time to discover that the world is round, and it will probably require a great deal of energy to convince the people of New Zealand of the advantages to be gained by the establishment of a National Bank. Besides the inertia of the people, there is another difficulty. It lies in the “ powerful opposition” of those who are interested in maintaining the present extortionate rates of interest. The question, however, resolves itself simply into one of Right v. Wrong, and if you will allow me to join you in the advocacy of a “ National Bank” 1 shall esteem it a great honor. I have been reading the New Zealand Farmer, Bee and Poultry Journal recently, and have been delighted with it. There are in it some capital selected and original poems. I have been charmed with one, entitled “ The Farmer’s Wife.” The pathos and simple beauty of it is delightful. The following is what might be called a parody of it, but I don’t mean it to be that exactly. Imitation is the sincerest flattery. Genuinely admiring it, 1 have taken the liberty of slightly altering it for the amusement of merchants, lawyers and mortgagees ! The author of the original would, 1 am sure, excuse the liberty taken by me,

for he’d certainly see That the mortgagee Is more like a wasp than a bee, And that extortionate interest is the enemee Of the farmer’s and his wife’s industree. The reader of my altered edition would oblige me by buying the January issue of the above periodical, and reading the original poem in its unadulterated simplicity. Here is ray edition : THE FARMER’S WIFE. The farmer came in from the held one day, His languid step and his weary way, His bended brow and his sinewy hand, All showing his work for the good of the land ; But ho sows, And he hoes, And he mows, All for the good of the Mortgagee. By the kitchen fire stood his patient wife— Light of his homo and jov of Ins life— With face all aglow, ana busy hand Preparing the meal for her husband’s band ; For she must boil, And she must broil, And she must toil, for the Mortgagee’s rack rents the soil. Sun shines bright when the farmer goes out, Birds sing sweet song*, lambs frisk about, The brook babbles softly in the glen, While lie works bravely for the good of men. But he sows, And he mows, And he hoes, All for the good of the mortgagee. How briskly the wife steps about within, The dishes to wash and the milk to skim, The fire goes out, and the flies buzz about, For dear ones at home her heart is kept stout; There are pies to make, There is bread to bake, And steps to take, All for the sake of the home. When the day is o’er and the evening has come— The creatures are fed and the milking ia is donefarmer takes his rest ’nealh the old shady tree, But 'tis spoilt by the thoughts of the mortgagee. Though he sows, And he hoes, And he mows : Yet he “ owes,” But the faithful wife from sun to sun, Takes the burden up, that’s never done; There is no rest, there is no pay— The mortgagee takes all the cash away, for to mend the frock, And to knit the sock. And the cradle to rock, All for the good o£ the homo. When Autumn is here, with chilling blast, The fanner gathers his crop at last; But the Merchants, the Lawyers and Mortgagees, Take all his profits in commission, percentage, and fees. While it snows, And it blows, The interest grows— Of all his foes There’s none like the mortgagee. But the willing wife, till life’s closing day, Is the children's and the husband’s stay. From day to day, she hath done her best, But death alone can give her rest, For after the test Conies the rest With the blest, Where the merchant, the lawyer and mortgagee Can neither hope nor wish to be. Cockatoo. Rangiora, July 10, 1885. N.B. —I’m not speaking of all merchants, lawyers and mortgagees. I’m perhaps a little prejudiced but 1 fancy most of ’em in Kew Zealand are just a leetle too covetous. Anyone reading this can see at once that the writer is a man of culture, education, ami ability. We have never belore met uitli a “ cockatoo ” that sang so sweetly. His theme is a pad one, but

it is one that must appeal to the sympathies of all. We may say that the author of this contemplates publishing a pamphlet on the Bank Scheme, ami, if he does, we have no doubt but that it will be a success. H« has alio suggested to us the advisability of publishing a monthly periodical, to be emitted “ The New Zealand Stockwhip,” f -r the purpose of advocating the National Bank, and some other reforms equally desirable. We have the subject under consideration, and, if we can see our way clear, we shall issue it in the beginning of next year. The object of this will be to educate the people from Auckland to the Bluff on points such as the National Bank. The Trades’ Protection Associations in Christchurch and Dunedin have adopted the National Bank as a part of their programme ; the Chamber of Commerce in Dunedin have recommended it to the attention of the Government ; and Bir Julias Vogel, speaking in Dunedin, said it was quite competent tor the Government to adopt it. Under these circumstances, we think that, unless it is given legal effect to sooner, it will be the principal question at tho next general election.