The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1888. NEW ZEALAND MISGOVERNMENT.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1819, 22 November 1888, Page 2

The Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 1888. NEW ZEALAND MISGOVERNMENT.

The following appears in the Nonconformist —an English paper:— In theory New Zealand has a good liberal constitution ; but practically, the colony is governed by a moneyed oligarchy, who are strong enough in Parliament to carry any measure th H y like, or to defeat any measure they dislike. The principle on which the government is carried on is to sacrifice the welfare of the community to enrich a few, by plundering the public estate. Yet that estate is not the inheritance of resident colonists only, but of (be whole British nation. It is so rich in natural advantages and iu undeveloped wealth, that if honestly administered, it would go so far in silencing the cry of distress iu the Home country. Why, then, should it be practically handed oyer to a few speculators? I may say that as there is very little gold in circulation, the currency is chiefly in the form of bank notes, which are issued by a few private companies, the notes annually lost or destroyed more than covering all expenses. The reserve of gold to meet these notes is altogether inadequate, and in the event of a run on the banks the reserves would be swept away by the private depositors, whose accounts are far in excess of the reserves. This note issue gives to the bank a good deal of money power, which they use in land speculations. This is sometimes done directly, but oftener through land companies and by advances on mortgage ; so that, in one way or another, the banks have control over at least two thirds of the alienated land of the colony. The landholders, in fact, rule the country. They influence the Legislature to use public and borrowed money to increase the value of their estate, and to charge the interest on the whole community through Cuatoms’duties, and by the funding of the debt the burden of repayment is put upon a future generation.

Having gone the length of their tether in that direction, they are now devising fresh ways of enriching themselves at the public expense ; for the taxes are now more than the people can bear, and an increase of duties would yield no more revenue. They have, therefore, induced the Legislature to pass Acts for making land grants to syndicates in the Wellington and Manawatu Railway Oompany, the Midland Railway Company, and some other railways in progress, which will result in the alienation of all the remaining Crown Lands in every part of the colony. It will also greatly increase and perpetuate the large properties, which are already the curse of the colony, for these companies hold immense tracts of land on which they pay scarcely any taxes. They are also able, by placicg only a limited amount of land in the market, to keep up the price beyond the means of any cultivators of the soil. That is the reason why so many working farmers are in difficulties. They buy on deterred payment, put up their buildings and make improvements, and|then soon find themselves involved in difficulties and in the bauds of the laud-sharks.

The writer then goes on to give several instances of misgovernment in a practical matter-of-fact way that denotes that he knows what he is talking about. We all know that he is perfectly correct, but the knowledge is useless to us. When the elections come round again as before, we shall vote for the rich man, and things will go on as heretofore. We want to understand one thing, and that is: That there is not a wealthy Liberal politician in New Zealand. In England some of the wealthiest men in it are amongst the foremost Liberals, and they spend immense sums of money annually in promoting Liberal organisations for political purposes. Here all the wealth of the colony is on one side, and as pointed out in the above article, they govern the country. Until the people of this colony realise this; until they see that bankers, mortgagees, money-lenders, and large land-owners are far more Conservative, and more determinedly opposed to the passing of progressive measures than even the Conservatives of England, it is useless to hope for any change. The Conservative Government of England passed the “Allotments Act, 1887,’’ which is a modified form of the “ I’hree-acres-and-a cow” scheme, but to suggest

such a measure to a New Zealand Conservative would frighten him into a fit of the cholera morbus. He would raise his eyes to Heaven, and scream out “ Socialism! Spoliation ! Confiscation !” &c., &c., and he would never forgive the man who suggested it. The greatest drawback to Liberal laws being carried is that the farmers are just as Conservative as others. They think that because they have a few acres of land, their interests are exactly identical with the large landowners, and they take their cue from them. The fact is that while there are staunch unswerving Conservatives in this colony, there are few Liberals worthy the name in it. In England a Liberal would no more think of subscribing to a Conservative paper than he would of cutting his hand off; here one is as good as another, and the so-called Liberal cares nothing at all about the political character of the paper he takes. This in reality is a very Conservative colony, and we have the fruits of it, and the whole world apparently is well posted as regards our position. It is useless to discuss the subject. So long as men are willing to sell their votes for a pint of beer or a day’s work, reform is hopeless. The people make the Government, and if they make a bad one let them suffer for it.