THE NEW AUSTRALIA FIASCO.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4778, 20 July 1894, Page 2

THE NEW AUSTRALIA FIASCO.

i i <' - m * lhe\Cause of the Failure, The following is extracted fiora a ' lengthy letter written to the Buonos "" AyresHmulard by Mr A Brittle--or bank ;-"Havjngread jour lemftvks oii the failure of the New settlement, .ppi-mit ■ me,- beiilg 1 one of - tho Bimpleoriindedpioneers who were- 1 foolish enough to listen to Lane, to make a few observations also I admit that it ..was mpst. uufoitan/x tiiat tho'oxpetlition should lmvoiajV such an incapable administratoi at the. head of,it, and ono to whom m a 1 great measure tie speedy collapse is due, however, I do not wish to ■ ' strike l him now lie is down, but to explain to the South Amenenn people the causes , which led up to the formation of the association, andtf' likewise the causes which resulted in ' failure. m-i- --.\-.vV 7 .': • Taking the m'oh' who joined the association all round, Ido not think ' they could have; jlieeii exceeded in : s tei-1 ing qualities Flow ei emigrants, but they were deceived ■ entirely by the representations of this band of m'en far above the average in intelligence who were disgusted with; the social conditions by wliicli thoy were surrounded in Australia, There .were nien.' amongst the pioneers ' of the New Australian moveihent who row plhiklyiflnough that "the' rings and trusts which » everywhijro,prevail -to;'jnnko things artificially dear aris prejudicial to the interests of tlio community, • and they hoped to show (in examplo to the world. They , havo'failed, but not , for want of grit, 'v\Vo wero to blame for not, exercising more rautioinvlioii^ jdiningthe association, in. examinSpiug: the'/ fundamental principals' Individually I did hot myself boliii« in conimunalism, but I was peiV suaded to give it a trial :.I havo done so, and am satisfied it will not work; ■ human is;- nqt built that way, and in iny humble opinion the most that legislation can do is to equalize' opportunities,"Ml: Jet tlio most energetic and intelligent men come, to' the i front. ■ By taking tlio rental valuo of land for tlio purpose of carrying on governent instead of taxing the product of men's it is probable that a way may bo found, out of our present difficulties. We saw in Australia tlio political corruption of the governing body and were anxious to escape from it; wo came. to Sputli America and found the corruption multiplied by two. Simpletons we may be, but wo have just brains enougk to recognize that the boasted magnanimity of tlio - N.S.W, Government in offering to pay our passages baok 'to Australia does not amount to much more than a cheap advertisement, .. , .. Where we were deceived,'Vns in the representations of Lane; who alleged that the settlement was on the banks of a navigable river, ■■■ whereas he know absolutolyjuothing aboiit its locality ;' iS feet we wero dumped down 25 ■ miles from tlio river Tibicuary and cloSo on fifty miles f I*olll Villa Rica, • and, far outsido the margin of cultivation, for tho expense of transport would havo. been more than ~tho j value of the ■- productibns • by • the <timb ■we got ' thorn- to a market, Moreover, , lie sought to establish a'tyrannical rule such as no ono two degrees removed from a fool would put up with. He-wanted to be the great" I am," and alienated, tlio intelligent portion of his followers from him. In the original agreement evory man and woman was to have; tv .voice in the management of the affairs of the association! lie took upon himself the liberty of registering the association as a Land Co; having no powor to declare a dividend for 20 years, without over consulting anyone but his own clique. No ono knew anything of the transaction till it pearod in an AsunciorTpaper' which wo gotby aceidont. I could record record numerouß other broaches of faith, but it would not avail anything. The principle of. Communis-tic-Association is a failure, and consequently no matterwho had boon at tho holm wo must havo gone on the rocks,"