THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1901.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume III, Issue 177, 18 July 1901, Page 2

THE WAIMATE ADVERTISER. THURSDAY, JULY 18, 1901.

IN this home of socialism, New Zealand, where the Government is supposed to he “ of the people, for the people, and by the people,” it is astonishing to see the number of anomalies that exist. In the first place, few recognise that as they are the “people,” so are they the “ Government.” Instead, they look on the Government as a thing apart, as something to be spoken of with bated breath and as something to be defrauded on every possible occasion, if it be only of the value of a penny stamp. That this is not a healthy state of things no one can deny, fot as the people are, so will the Government be, the set of men to whom, for the purposes of

c.w,iia working, the management of State atiairs'Tlas oeen handed, being merely a reflex of thep-ople who placed them in office. We would that these elementary truths were mere fully recognised than they are, for on this basis we estimate the chances of a successful Government. The first grievance we wish to ventilate is the gradual absorption of the riverbeds and flats of the colony, lands belonging in all cases to the Crown, but which are being letsed for ridiculously low terms to the adjoining

tenants. We do «ot tind fault with. the amount of money received, but wo do emphatically protest against the riverbeds of the colony being monopolised by the settler whom chance has placed on the banks, and this to the exclusion of the general public, many of whom own not an acre of ground privately, and are supposed to be able to find their pleasure on that of the Crown if they so desire. At a sitting of the Land Board the other day 200 acres of riverbed were leased for £2 per year, and fur this paltry sum people are to be denied the right of access to a great stretch of public ground unless permission is accorded; Such cases are not wanting in our own district, in one instance a lengthy Court case -resulting over the same thing. There is another aspect of the case. These riverbeds are practically the only

fishing and shooting grounds available, and if we allow them to pass from ns we assist to bring about the establishment of game “ preserves similar to those which exist in the Old Country, by ourselves and on OUR OWN land, though for the pleasure of a small section. All are agreed that it is by outdoor sport of every kind that the Anglo-Saxon has,attained hia eminent position among the powers of the world ; do hot let us tolerate that which will rob even a Small section of their privileges and opportunities in this respect. The first step is to guard against leasing riverbeds on any pretence, for this is only the thin end of the wedge. There are several other questions arising out of this that we shall deal with as occasion offers, but We commend the foregoing to the consideration df otir readers.