The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JUNE 14,1887.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1594, 14 June 1887, Page 2

The Temuka Leader TUESDAY, JUNE 14,1887.

LAND SETTLEMENT. In one of his speeches Sir Robert Stout Said that the unemployed have for some years past cost the colony £60,000 a year. The unemployed cry is now hushed; we are in the middle of winter, and we do not hear one word about the unemployed from end to end of the land. It is not that times are better, in fact, they are far worse ; it is because the Hon. John Ballauce has settled them-on the land. And for having spent money m this way be has been violently abused, in fact, he could hardly have been much worse treated had he been appropriating the money to his own use. He was authorised to spend £SOOO on village settlement ; he spent £BOOO, and incurred liabilities to about £50,000, accenting to his critics, and for doing so bo is the best abused man in New Zealand. It is admitted by his enemies that 1000 families have been settled on the land, and Major Atkinson in his speech said 9000 people had been thus provided for. It stands to reason that nil these people could not have been place! on land without expending money on doing so, and therefore the question is narrowed down to Whether the money has been well spent f As already stated Sir Robert Stout has said that the unemployed were costing the colony £60,000. How was this money spent ? In making b drain in the Temuka Park ; in breaking stones down near Christchurch ; in improving a road around Waimate, and in various other ways that were absolutely useless. The Hon. Mr Richardson has said in one of his speeches that the unemployed had to be pat on unreprcductive works. The money might as well have been thrown away for all the good the work is. Now, instead of spending the money in this way Mr Ballauce has spent it on settling the people on the land, and there are many who will agree with us that it is the best way. Sir George Grey has stumped the colony, appealing to the prejudices of the working people to buret up large estates; Major Atkinson has said the people would not go on the land if they got it for nothing, and deplored their depravity in not doing so, and Mr Rolleston, of course, was once looked upon as the high priest of land settlement. Yet these three gentlemen—and none of them is more bitter than Mr Rolleston—abuse Mr Ballance for having settled the people on the land. This will show the people the difference there is between “ make-believe ” and earnestness. Major Atkinson said the people would not go on the land ; they would rather loaf about town, He was a “ make ; believe/’ Mr Ballance has settled them because he was in earnest, and the Atkinson party are disgusted because he has demolished their pet theories, and done what they said could not be done. The publie can decide between the two. Mr Ballance spent the money on settling people on the land, and we think be has done far better than to spend it on the unemployed. Giving employment at a miserable wage was only demoralising ihe men, and the money was spent in a moment. That was perfectly useless. The men have now been settled in homes of their own, they will increase production by cultivating their own lands, and the country as wr-ll as themselves will be benefited. What is ruining the colony is that we are not producing half enough to keep ourselres. The only way we can produce more is by settling people on the land, and, therefore, any money spent in that way "'•ney Well spent, IS in . -