The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1888. DAMAGING STATEMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1740, 22 May 1888, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. TUESDAY, MAY 22, 1888. DAMAGING STATEMENT.

According to the Wellington correspondent of the Lyttelton Times, Sir Frederick Whitaker, on last Friday evening, said, in the Legislative Council, that “if they (the Council) rejected the Bill (the Loan Bill) the colony would have to file its schedule of insolvency.” This is really a terrible statement for a man in Sir Frederick Whitaker’s position to make. He is one of the oldest politicians in Parliament, having been AttorneyGeneral in the first responsible Government formed in New Zealand 32 years ago this month; he is also Attorney-General at present and is credited with great astuteness, and he is, besides, Chairman of the Directors of the Bank of New Zealand. For him therefore to say that unless we raise the proposed loan the colony must file its schedule of insolvency is a very serious matter, and a very poor recommendation to send to England to induce people to lend us the money. But the most serious part of the whole thing is that the loan has been pretty well spent already. Sir Frederick added that “ the money has been got by the Government already, and the loan was required to pay our creditors.” We have been pointing out all along that the position of the colony was most critical, but we did not think it was so serious as this. Sir Harry Atkinson in his Financial Statement last year said there was sufficient money left in hand by the Stout-Yogel Ministry to carry on the business of the colony to December 1889, and yet here we hare the Attorney-General now telling the colony that we must raise this loan at once or file our schedule. There is a discrepancy of an unusual character here. Where is the money gone? Have we dismissed old servants and retrenched the life out of ourselves for this ? But there is one thing must be remembered. Sir Frederick Whitaker is Chairman of the Directors of the Bank of New Zealand, and in all probability he was measuring the resources of the colony with the Bank’s bushel. The position of that institution ia such that we do not care to comment upon it, but it is just possible that the Bank would find it very convenient just now to have the handling of a couple of millions of Government money. At any rate the position is critical, and it is sad to think that very few seem to realise it. We have for the last five or six years done our best to direct attention to it. Some four or five years ago we pointed out that four millions of money was leaving this colony every year. Before that time no man was ever heard to speak of this, but during the last election it was in almost every man’s mouth. Mr Bryce said it was millions, Mr Rolleston said the same, Sir John Hall and some others set it done at millions. We still adhere to the 4 millions, and we believe we are not far wrong. People laughed at us when we gave publicity to this idea, but time brings its revenges. Those who laughed then are probably sighing now when Sir Frederick Whitaker has told them they must borrow or burst. This is the result of stupidity. We have hitherto denounced professial politicians. If we want a house built we employ a professional builder; if we want shoes we employ a professional shoe-maker - ; if we want a doctor we employ a professional doctor; but if we want a politician we must have an amateur. We believe, evidently, that ploughing or making boots Requires skill, experience, and knowledge, but that any fool is good enough to make laws, and we sometimes select the fool in preference to the man that understands politics. The result is that when the Colonial Treasurer delivers a Financial Statement, and some leader of the Opposition replies, these amateur politicians, and many who have grown grey in politics, sit down like dumb animals and listen, but are as incapable of grasping financial problems t» their own bullocks. If we paid our representatives about £3OO we should get merchants ajad good business men into Parliament; these wopld understand finance; the salary would be sufficient to induce them to study politics, and we should have men capable of realising the effect of their actions. But we do not believe in this; we believe in amateur politicians, and we must put up with our work being done in a blundering way. It is, we are sorry to say, rather late to realise it now : the amateurs have been too long at the work, and spoiled the job, and the most accomplished professionals will find it difficult to adjust Waters n °W. Sir Frederick Whitaker says this J 93.11 whjch we are about to raise to save ourselves from bankruptcy has already been spent. Then, in tf*9 name of all that is good, what ’ sb.ajj we do next year ? Must we borrow pext year again ? It looks like it when th ( e' proyjsiou po prevent borrowing has been taken ,oot (?f the , Loan Bill. It will all come out yet. i

YIOTOKIAN PKOSPERIIY. AccOEDiKa to Jiis speech in moving the Address-inrltepiy, fsr Fyke is veering round to Protection, He was the most frantic, raving, ranting, roaring Freetrader in New Zealand; but be visited Victoria, and now he hag changed.

Efforts have been put forth to minimise the prosperity of Victoria, but the following, which appears in the Bush Advocate (North Island), will show that it is real:—“Writing to a friend in town, a young fellow who went to Melbourne the other week states that he found no difficulty in obtaining work—indeed, as he puts it, ‘any fool can get a job, but it takes a smart man to avoid one.’ He adds that farm laborers are in great demand.” The Advocate is a Freetrade paper. In the Dunedin Star—a ranting Freetrader, the following appears;— Sir,— A good ded has lately appeared ia your journal on the subject of wages :ind the eost of liviug, etc., in Melbourne. Having just returned from a sojourn of ihroe years m tha above-mentioned city, t think 1 am in a position to give your readers a few facts concerning them, I find no .difference in regard to cost of provisions, but house rent is very high ; but this is counterbalanced by steady employment, which a man can obtain there. Wages when I left, three weeks ago, were as followsßricklayers, 10s to 12s; plumbers, 9a; carpenters, 8 ■». to--10a; painters, 8s to 14s (graining and writing included); plasterers, 12s to 15s, and hard to get. In the painters’ trade it will be soon that the wages are 2a per day lees than here, but in Victoria, the jobs being larger and the weather more steady, a man can make a hotter wage. The great curse of Melbourne is the drink. Owing to the prosperous times, dissipation is carried -to a great extent. It is a very gay city, and, therefore, very attractive to young people, who, getting good wages, live rather fast lives. I had eleven years in Dunedin before I want across, and I am convinced that if a young fellow kept himself steady he could do much better there than here.

Do I think tbia prosperity will last ? Fes, I do. Things may go down a little, but never to such a pitiful pass as they are here. There are a few croakers there, mostly New Zealand men ; and, again, there are numbers sending for their families, determined to make their home there. A Victorian would as soon think of emigrating to the Crofcut Isles as of going co New Zealand to better himself.

However, I hope you will soon have good times again. Encourage your languishing industries, entice capital to your shores, and you may have as bright a time as Victoria is now enjoying.

A letter has been received from Mr Fauvel, who recently went to Victoria, and he speaks in glowing terms of the place. It is no use mincing matters. Every man," who can will soon clear out for Victoria, and a few of us will be left to bear the burden of an ever-growing debt.