THE PRESS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2398, 13 September 1892, Page 2

THE PRESS.

This is how the Christchurch Press begins its leading article of yesterday on the Land Bill :

“ If that ill-mannered and pig-headed ignoramus— Mr John McKenzie— who for our sins lords it over us at the present moment as Minister of Lands, is allowed to have his own way and succeeds in passing the Land Bill in the shape he desires, he will certainly rescue his Ministerial career from oblivion, but, unhappily, it will be at the expense of a number of hard-working and deserving farmers, whom he will bring to irretrievable ruin/’

Then the remainder o£ the article is illuminated with such highly classic terms as “the great blundering booby ” springs from “ the ranks of the Scottish peasantiy,” “bullying, hectoring manner,” and so on ; but the beauty of it all is that “ he has no consideration for the feelings of others, which is the foundation of all true courtesy.” Just so. We wonder what sort of courtesy the Press considers this article founded on '! This is the sort of language the Press —the paper of “ The men of Culchaw,” indulges in. Not long ago we called attention to similar language, but, no doubt, it is the class of literature that expresses the feelings of the readers of the Press. In one of the English magazines a writer says that Mr Gladstone’s followers are now ostracised by what is called “ London Society,” and he concludes by saying that that is the best service Mr Gladstone has rendered, because it is a blessing to his followers not to be permitted to enter such “ a vulgar set.” Tories at Home are evidently much like Tories here, but we need not go beyond the language of their own organ to prove it. The beauty of the above quotation is that an effort is made to make it appear that farmers will be ruined by the Land Bill. What in the name of common-sense has it to do with farmers ? Just as much as the man in the moon has. It has certainly to do with squatters and moneyrings but so far as farmers are concerned it will have this effect: Balgety it Co. have 38 runs now, the Hon. Robert Campbell Company have 25 runs, and so on. When the leases of the runs expire they must give them up, and then farmers will have a chance of settling their sons on them. This is the effect it will have on farmers, yet the Press wants ns to believe farmers will be ruined by it. What awful, terrible impudence ? The whole aim and object is to try turn the farmers against the present Government, and no lie is too glaring for them, and no conduct too mean to do that.