THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1891. SELLING THE RAILWAYS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2234, 30 July 1891, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, JULY 30, 1891. SELLING THE RAILWAYS.

In yesterday «wrping’s papers the following telegrams appeared :

Sydney, July 28

Mr Witheford, of Auckland, is negotiating with the Government of New Zealand, in the interests of a powerful English syndicate, to purchase the whole of the New Zealand railways. If the Government entertain the proposals it is expected a representative of the syndicate will proceed to New Zealand forthwith. Mr Withe ford, pn behalf of the syndicate, proposes to introduce the zone system, and urge the introduction of immense capital for pushing on the construction of railways, thus causing an influx pf population and money into New Zealand. WELLINGTON, July 28.

The Premier this morning received a oabie from Mr Witheford, respecting the sale of the railways, couched in similarterms to that which comes from Sydney. An answer was promptly sent that the proposal was preposter ops, and could not be entertained for a moment.

Just so ! We cannot belieye that Mr Witheford,, of Auckland, is an impudent impostor, and Mr Ballanee has treated him in the way he deserved. If Mr Witheford were q genuine representative of an English syndicate be would not go from Auckland to Sydney to negotiate the pur-

chase of New Zealand railways, and he would not go about Sydney blatherskiting about the business long before he had ascertained whether the railways were for sale or not. No doubt Mr Witheford is a gentleman who is anxious to earn an honest penny in any way he can. If the Government told him they were ready to sell, he would proceed to England surrounded with an immense amount of importance and cut an imposing figure as New Zealand’s great financial representative. That we believe is all there is in these telegrams. Still, at the same time, it is possible that English money-lenders are anxious to get hold of our railways They are trying to get hold of the whole world. Their agents are all over America buying up such concerns as are likely to pay interest. There is so much money in England that those who have, it don’t know what to do with it, and they are at their wits’ ends to find investment for it. It is therefore possible that Mr Witheford may have received a hint that a syndicate could be got up to buy the railways if they were purchasable, but even in that case the prompt reply of the Premier must be commended. There can be no ques-> tion about the matter at all. The railways must remain the property of the people of this colony, and it is well that such a notion should be put down at once. We have enough English syndicates in the colony at present: we do not want to add to the number of blood-suckers who are dragging away our life-blood. We do not want English money. What we want is brain and muscle, aud if we had more of these we could very soon get the money. Let us dig out of the earth the commodities which abound in this country; let ns export these commodities to other countries, and we shall soon have any amount of money. No foreign capital is necessary to do that, but we require the brains to be able to manage without it. There are certainly some brains in the country, but they are for the most part engaged in chicanery and cheating. However, we must not sell oiir railways, as the day will come when they will be valuable. We would not object to leasing them for a number of years on certain conditions, but they must not, under any circumstances, be sold.

AVARICIOUS MONOPOLY,

From Home papers we learn that His Grace the Duke of Bedford, K.G., etc., having as a reward for his zeal in the Church’s cause, been allowed to appropriate the land revenue of a prosperous parish, further increases his income by undertaking the distribution of the water placed there • by Providence. As a result the inhabitants are graciously allowed to avail themselves of the supply on the following terms:—■

For each house, 5 per cent, on the rental „ „ slaughterhouse, 20s per annum „ „ brewhouse, £lO per annum „ „ quarter of malt brewed, Id „ „ horse, 5s per annum „ „ cow, 2s per annum „ „ pig, Is per annum „ „ two-wheeled vehicle, 5s per an. „ „ four-wheeled vehicle, 10s per an. „ „ stall for horses at inns, 2s 6d per annum „ „ bath, 12s per annum. Earth for earth closets he also taxes. There is no escape for anyone. This is a good example of the extent to which monopoly can be pushed when a man with the acquisitive faculty so largely developed as His Grace the Duke gets his fingers entwined in the fingers of monopoly. Let us hope that the administrations of our own fair country will be such, in the future, as will at once put a check on any kind of monopoly that is not beneficial to the masses, so that the wbrking-man of New Zealand will be saved from the injustice which the working man of Great Britain at present must put np with. What is it that is the cause of so many strikes in Great Britain ?” “ Monopoly, as above described,” we answer. In Great Britain robust young men are daily leaving their fathers’, or rather the monopolists’, homes in the country apd flocking to the docks or anywhere where they cap pick up enough for a meal. And why'? Because in the country, where above all places such a state of things should not exist, they are a burden to their parents, and are forced, literally forced, to leave what was once their homes and seek work elsewhere, thus overcrowding the labor market -in the large cities, and hence the many Strides we hear of.