The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1887. HONEST FINANCE.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume IX, Issue 2742, 4 November 1887, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, NOVEMBER 4, 1887. HONEST FINANCE.

;, *~ ' • After many years, the colony, wiser J and sadder, resorts to honest finance, j Honesty is the essence of Major Atkin-. son's late financial statement. If the. House accepts his proposals in the ; -' spirit which they are'submitted, a new B era of substantial prosperity will dawn on New Zealand, and carpet baggers will shake her dust from their feet, . and seek other shores where men can !,- live on the credulity of their fellows, This country will become a terrestial paradise for industrious and thrifty t settlers, and a place of torment for e loafers. Of course we shall all regret 3. to see our education departnient c. clipped and mauled about in the reduction machine. We shall also view with sincere sorrow local bodies coming out of the retrenchment mangle, pale, 3 thin, and weak. We fear many will die under the new order of things, and a still greater number become helpless cripples. The only gleam of sunshine for gome of them will be the project - for making Maories in settled districts amenable'to rates and taxes. This particular proposal has our hearty sympathy. If there is one thing more 1 than another in Major Atkinson's , n statement which is calculated to once ,ii for all kill the inflated mal-aclministra-v tion of the past dozen years it is the proposition to place our railways under the control of a non-political Board. When loans, railways, and natives are put on a proper footing, it ■' may be possible to govern the colony d wisely and-well. The proposal to reduce, no'u'only honorariums,but the number of legislators; .- is a' Sensible and desirable reform, but ■' so very many new leaves are turned : ° oyer in Major Atkinson's statement, that we fear that more is promised [:' 'than can possibly be performed. Only j; a, very strong Ministry cau oarry h throi'igh a : pfogranime' containing • the » changes which are now promised. te Everybody likes the programme as a whole. • The House .will not, dare not, attack ■■•it -,« i masse, but when it is brought before members piecemeal a it very great- it will disappear l. unless ths;M.iniptty are very'stubborn and very firm. 'lf Major Atkinson can only carry through the half of the work to which he has commitled D himself,-ho will accomplish a great undertaking, and will deserve the thanks of the community, If there is •' a cloven foot at all in the statement we' should Took' for it in that part of it which'suggests a little specud lative policy in immigration.. The , State is to bring out men with jj knowledge and capital to profitably - work our land. A very considerable 1 number of men cannot, though, they possess colonial experience,some know- .. ledge, and a little capital, work land ie profitably, and how a shrewd man like :9 Major Atkinson expects men without colonial experience to achieve results " which experienced men cannot obtain, is a puzzle. We question whether the Major himself could go upon land and make it pay, This immigration craze is almost a fraud. We first-of all j. bring out at a'heavy expense* legion ■e, of working men; and next we hive to )r' ; .itn'port-empioyers to find them in work. >.- Wbeii>e get too many employers we 't will, send for more working men to keep'the balance between capital and • labor;; - All the time we are, paying

away money to throw the lnbpr.;vmarket out of gear. If the Major vill only carry out his retrenchment policy,•" the general improvement in the condition ot tbe v colony will attract to our shores such men, whether rich or poor,, who are likely to thrive amongst us. The .natural laws iof supply' and demand will give us all we require in the way of new population.. ..If the Major will leave speculative politics aldiie,'ahrl stick to retrenchment we shall fiud little fault with him. ■ ■