The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1887. THREE YEARS AGO.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2610, 10 June 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, JUNE 10, 1887. THREE YEARS AGO.

Three years ago a general election was held throughout New Zealand, and the electors generally expressed a certain amount of discontent with the then sluggish condition of the colony, A good deal was said about bad times and the way to mend them, but oan we honestly, contrasting the present time with throe years ago, say that the condition of the people then was really bad ? The truth is, tlio times wero simply dull. Major Atkinson was in power, keeping a lira hand 011 the purse strings of the colony, and slowly bringing its finances into a healthy equilibrium, Things wero dull, but they were fairly sound, Then our evil genius came in the person of Sir Julius Vogel, who declared that Major Atkinson was lying down under difficulties, and we believed him, though now looking back we can see that the Major was not lying down under the difficulties lie had to contend with, but patiently wading through the slough of despond towards firm ground. However, Sir Julius beguiled us, and the colony put' Major Atkinson on one side and called upon the. great projector to keep the public purse. The tight grip which Major Atkinson kept on the purse strings was at once relaxed, and all soils of extravagances have boon since indulged in. The result to-day finds us in times which are far worse than the dull days of 1884! Ask the merchant, the shopkeeper, tho, mechanic, or the laborer whether times were better then than now, and the answer will be unmistakeably in the affirmative. All that has progressed within the three years has been taxes and poor rates, How many men are there not who are now pooror than thoy were three years ago, and how few are richer? Three years ago people were embarrassed but sanguine. They dopended upon tho Banks and the Loan Companies to tide them over their difficulties, and blessed the mouoy-lenders. But money-lenders will go "so far and no further," and as things went from bad 1 to worse, instead of springing forward by leaps and bounds, the inevitible brake, which is not only the danger signal, but the guarautee that the danger is being faced and averted, was put down, and those who erstwhile sang the praises of tho money lender, howled aniraged at him. The brake ia .down now, and that alone is saving us from further calamities. In 1884 TV© refused to face our difficulties, and trusted to Sir Julius Vogel's leap in

tho dark. In 1887, the Government say "Let us try another leap," but the House says no, we will faco the position, and, 'at the coming general election, the electors of the Oolony will also say" No 1"