The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1886. THE GOVERNOR’S SPEECH.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1506, 15 May 1886, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. SATURDAY, MAY 15, 1886. THE GOVERNOR’S SPEECH.

The Governor’s Speech has been drafted on the principle that “ the least said the soonest mended,” aa we anticipated. It is vague and uncertain, but there are in it suggestive little touches calculated to set one thinking. We ought, it says, to feel grateful that we are not so badly off aa other countries, but this is rubbish. Why should we, having one of the finest countries on the face of the earth, be so badly off as old overcrowded countries, where hereditary privileges tend to crush down people ? There is no analogy between our position and that of old countries. Over population is what is wrong with old countries ; we have not half enongh population in this country, and, with our extraordinary resources, we ought not to know what depression is. The remedies suggested in the Governor’s Speech are not new. They are the prosecution of public works and the settlement of the people on the land. As regards the former, our public works have outgrown our population too much already ; as regards settling people on the land, no one can doubt but that it is a sound policy, and one calculated to improve our position. It is, however, a cry that ha* been in the mouth of every political mountebank since colonisation began, but notwithstanding this very little progress has been made. In 1870 this was made a cardinal feature of the pubh’c work* and immigration scheme, but no sooner were the millions borrowed than it was forgotten altogether, and the land sold to speculators in large areas. If the immigrants as they arrived in the colony had been given a piece of land at a nominal rental, and made to settle on it, things would not be as they are now ; we should have a settled population, and no unemployed cry would be heard. Instead of this they were employed in making railways, and the high wages they got, as well as getting accustomed to living in towns, demoralised them, till now they do not care to go out into the country. References are also made to the development of local industries, but wo do not anticipate, after the experience of last session, that the Government will undertake to put on protective duties. If such is their intention there can be no doubt but that they menu to dissolve Parliament, and go to the country on the Protection cry. It is to be hoped they will not go to the country on this cry yet, There is nothing better calculated to save us from ruin than Protection. We cannot continue borrowing money to pay our way for ever, and to do our own woik instead of getting it done in other countries is the best way of turning the balance of trade in our favor and getting the means of meeting our engagements with our creditors. But we doubt very much whether the country is thoroughly educated in this matter yet, and if the issue were put to the constituencies now we are inclined to believe that the majority would be against it, To go to the country on that cry would, we believe, only do harm to the question of Protection. There is to he a general election next year, at any rate, and it is not worth while dissolving Parliament in the meantime. However, it is impossible to conjecture what the Government intend to do from reading the Speech, but let us hope that the prayer with which it winds up will be granted. - THE KIMBERLEY GOLDFIELD. The news from the Kimberley goldfield is extremely reassuring. According to reports it is expected to turn out the largest and best goldfield ever yet discovered in Australia. Some of the men who have gone there have returned to the nearest settlement, bringing with them large quantities of gold, some of the nuggets being 19oz in weight. The discovery, according to the Australian Register, was made by a man named Hall, who in January last applied to the Government for assistance to develope it. The Government readily gave him assistance, with the result that a great goldfield has been discovered. The locality, however, appears to very difficult to get at. It is situated at a place called Mount Barratt in the north-western part of Western Australia, and the nearest settlement is Derby—a small town of a couple of hotels and a few stores—at the mouth

of the Fiizroy river, which empties itself into King’s Sound. Although very far north, being situated in about latitude 15, longitude 123, the climate is not very bad, only that fearful hurricanes sometimes sweep over it. The distance from Derby to the new diggings is between 30U and 400 miles ; there is no road, no track, and no other settlement on the way ; half the distance is through a boggy district, and consequently it is impossible for poor men to reach it. It is expected there will be a great rush, and consequently great misery if penniless men attempt the journey. It is necessary for any man to take with him horses and six months’ provisions, else be cannot get there alive. However, it is expected the Government will do something towards improving the means of getting there, and well they may, for if it turns out as is expected it will be the making of the country. Men at present get 1.5 s a day in Derby, and they cannot be got to work there. Those who hold that scarcity of gold is the cause of the depression will doubtless be glad to bear the good news from these diggings.