THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. MONDAY, JANUARY 29, 1872.

Thames Guardian and Mining Record, Volume I, Issue 95, 29 January 1872, Page 2

THE Thames Guardian AND MINING RECORD. MONDAY , JANUARY 29, 1872.

The news from the South, by the Phoebe ami Wellington, does not relieved our mind, in any sense, from the doubts we have entertained regarding the success of the Public Works and Immigration Policy of the Government. There is “ much cry and little wool.” We hear a great deal of what is “ going to be done;” nothing whatever of what is being done. All we know for certain is, that the Engineering-staff of the General-Government has lamentably failed. Mr. Blackett and his assistants have been weighed in Mr. Carruthcrs’ balance, and found wanting. And Mr. Carruthcrs is himself essaying the accomplishment of an impossible path. He has undertaken to examine and check on the ground all the surveys of all the lines of railway projected and authorised; and as a preliminary step has, we have been told, condemned as useless everything that has been done up to his arrival. Even Mr. Stewart’s survey of the Auckland and Drury line, about which some of the Auckland newspapers were jubilant a short time ago, appears to have shared the same fate. Our water supply scheme will likewise await correction ; and when Mr. Carruthcrs has been satisfied, then we may find an attempt being made to initiate our public works. Meanwhile, the General Government propose to make enquiries touching the probable revenue and advantage to the held, likely to be derived from the high and low level water schemes respectively. The superfluity of red tape in all this business is marvellous. Routine rules supreme. There is nothing direct; and although ultimate responsibility rests with the Government, the channels through which every transaction passes are so numerous and winding that it is practically impossible for an outsider to bring anything home to ministers. An unscrupulous Government is absolutely above Parliamentary check. An obnoxious Government may be turned out of office, but it is often on most unsatisfactory grounds. Frequently it is on the principle embodied in the wellknown couplet:— “ I do not like you, Dr Fell, The reason why 1 cannot tell.” And for want of a better reason it is accepted as sufficient, when the country has become weary of the incumbents of office.

In the special ease under consideration, we fancy, the Assembly must adopt the “ don't like ” principle, if they want to get rid of the Ministry. For instance, it is admitted on all hands that the Government have broken down in their public works and immigration policy. But who is to blame? Is it Mr Fox, Mr Vogel, Mr Gisborne, or the clerk of the weather ? We should not wonder if the blame were laid on the latter functionary, just as the financial blunders of the Treasurer in 18G7 were charged upon the price of wool in 1870. Count Bisma-ck was the disturbing element in Mr Vogel’s calculation in IHfiij. If that astute politician had told the member for the Otago Goldfields that he wanted to “clear up” France, and interfere with the New Zealand wool trade, Mr Vogel would have made provision for the distr •bailee. But, by a strange oversight, he was not taken into Count Bismarck’s confidence, in like manner, the clerk of the weather did not inform Mr Vogel that we should have an unusually dry summer, checking all domestic industries, and we fear, hopelessly falsifying his finance for the year 1871-72. A proper estimate of the New Zealand Treasurer’s character might have induced the clerk aforesaid to act differently ; but it seems that he has a supreme contempt for the Colonial Treasurer and the Auckland Volunteers who used incantations at Fort Britomart on Wednesday morning last, through an Armstrong tube, to make rain. The drought, however, will come in handy ; and Ministers can excuse themselves for having done nothing, by pleading the depressing effect of the weather. It was so very hot and parching, nothing could be accomplished. There is one feature in the news from the South which is, however, satisfactory as far as it goes. Mr Fox has written an elaborate report of what the General Government are doing to “ developc the resources ” of the

Manawatu-Rangiteiki district, in which it is said that he is a large landowner. There is nothing wrong in that. There is no reason why this district should not be “ developed,” by a large expenditure of public money, any more than any other place ; but we are not aware of any special claims it has upon the public purse, beyond being the district in which the Premier resides. True, tne Scandinavian immigrants located there are to be found in Government work, while the tax-paying Britons are permitted to walk about idle, or obtain half employment if they can at low rates of pay. This is part of the settled policy of the Government; and it is to be carried out to the utmost, the latest advices from the Agent General being to the effect that six thousand emigrants from North Germany were arranged for, and would shortly be landed on our shores. These immigrants must be provided for on their arrival; and tne tax-payers at the Thames and elsewhere are to have the supreme privilege of paying for them. Dr. Featherston writes to say that no respectable person of the working classes in the United Kingdon will emigrate to Now Zealand. Why is this ? Does it arise from the shnmcless misgoveminent of the country ? Wo think it does ; and we warn our readers that an undue proportion of foreign labour, however excellent of its kind it may be, will be used by the Government for political purposes at no distant day. And we shall pay to cut the political rod to whip ourselves. Well, a little penance and personal chastisement might do New Zealand colonists good ; but we prefer inflicting the punishment with our own hands, rather than employing ScandinauianJJor German flagellants.

Another subject for congratulation, may be found in the fact that although, water works at the Thames have a distant contingency, the construction of water races on the Otago and Westland goldfields will be attended to. The Government have appointed Mr Haughton to be a paid Commissioder, or Secretary or both, to accomplish that object: and we suppose he will do it. Thus the policy of the Government is elaborated. Officers arc multiplied, the money squandered, and what is done goes to benefit the fewest number at the expense of the greatest.