The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1884. ENDOWMENTS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 6, Issue 1638, 19 March 1884, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 19, 1884. ENDOWMENTS.

A decided opinion ngainst landed endowments was expressed at the late meeting of tlio County East Council. Oitf experience in the Wairnrapa of locking up the public estate in the form of endowments is decidedly unfavorable. We have a numerous list af whito elephants of this character in ihis County," In the Mangaonn Bioclc ;he Borough of Maaterton possesses iome fifteen lmndrcd acres of land ivhich bring in nothing a year to the Corporation. At Pahiatua the City >f Wellington derives a similar annual revenue from some two thousand acres )f excellent land, which, had it not jeen tied up in an endowment napkin, Tould probably now he partly cleared md settled. This block, were it not in endowment, would now be sublivided into a score of lionie&teadsj as ifc s, for many years to come, it is likely o be a mere block to settlement. Phere are other useless. Educational eserves in the same neighborhood, and lassingonto the neighboring district f Alfredton we find five thousand Cres of land which the College Trusees are very anxious to let—another 'hite elephant—and adjoining it is nother block ot a similar extont which elongs. to some other Educational rast, and' brings in the usual incomp E nothing per annum. Of course some ay the unearned increment will make lese lands of value, but in the meanme tlioy avo useless. Such lands are at distributed amongst local bodies on ly defined principle, hut may he reirded more or less in tlio light of. ilitical bribes. .Governments in the ist have purchased popular favor by

giving away large slices of the public oefnlfi We hope Parliament will reI j>iess llm colony of these reserves or give the holders of them "power to sell." The latter privilege would remove the bur .vhich now stands in the way of improving and settling': them, and onci! accorded would be soon taken advantage of. We have little ; sympathy even with Educational reserves. The colony is providing liberally for current wants by voting necessary supplies in hard cash. It is paying more for Education than it can afford. Sooner, however, than, see the vote materially diminished, wo would prefer t« see our Educational endowments put into the molting pot to relieve that piessuro 011 the New Zealand tax | payer which is now complained of.

Our contemporary denies that it colored Mr McGregor's speech, and in its issue of yesterday writes that wo are "well aware that the speech throughout was of a most insulting nature, as regards the county ratepayers, He referred to them in the most contemptuous terms as politically ignorant, quite incapable of judging for themselves in matters of public importance, and he deplored the action of the Legislature in giving them the power to decide what form of local government they would adopt." We are well aware of exactly the contrary, and our contemporary has done Mr McGregor both injustice' and injury by misroportinghim. Mr McGregor's real meaning oil the occasion referred to, was clearly brought out by a question put to him in the middle of his, speech by Mr Meredith. That gentle- ] man interrupting Mr McGregor said, "Are not the ratepayers capable of t ■forming an opinion on this question 1" (viz. the form of local government best for this district). Now, if Mr McGr'fgor had answered that thoy were not, our contemporary would have been in a measure justified in taking the line he has done, But he answered—- " Theyarc capable of forming an opinion on such questions, but they do not taie sufficient interest in them to do so." Mr Meredith is a political opponent of Mr McGregor's, hut we are not afraid to appeal •to him as to whether the question and answer given above is correct, He must have a distinct recollection of them, and, though a hostile witness, we believe ho will prove our case. We must accuse our contemporary of changing both the nuaning and text of Mi- McGregor's speech, This may have been done inadvertently, and through some misconception, but we emphatically reassert that it was done.