The Waikato Times.

Waikato Times, Volume X, Issue 657, 5 August 1876, Page 2

The Waikato Times.

SAi'URDAY AUGUsT 5 1*7(5.

Enual and exact imtice to all men, O. whutcver state 01 m, religinM-or politic il « * * * * Here s'lall the Prevj the People's right iiiatntiuii, U.iawed by inlluence and unbribed by gain.

" Vee Victis," " Woe to the co 1 - qnerod," exclaimed Bienuus, when he t4irew his Bword into the scales to balance the last pound of gold oxtoilcd from the beaten Romans. It was a good argument in its way. At all events, the barbarian knew of no better. He did not condescend to argue the point with those whom he hid beneath his feet. It was of no moment to him that he had bargained for so much ransom monpy, and hud got overweight. His ability to extort it was his only hone ; his only excuse. Thus have we been treated by the South. They have advanced no argument. They have considered no Lies of nationality or race in denying us the right to a f.iir adjustment of our partnership accounts with them. Their j.nswev has been one never-varying monotone of "Vee victis." They Imve not evrn deigned to discuss the matter. With the exception of Mr Macandrew, not one Southern Member spoke to a question upou which dependß, in the future, either the cordial co-operation of the two Islands in promoting the future welfare of New Zealand, or a constant succession of battles for a supremacy which cannot fail to become more bitter with each succeeding year. For, wo warn, the South that the struggle will not end here. There will be no finality in any arrange, incut now arrived at. We, in the North, are contending for a grand constitutional principle — the right of the inhabitants of every couutry to participate in the proceeds and profits of its landed estate. We care not tor the shallow excuse that the land fund was given to them in 185G for good and all. We recognise no right in the then handful of Het tiers of the North tv make an arrangement which, ft very few years proved to be deleterious to the bet interests of the country as a whole. We consider that the land of n country is the property of the people, and any measures that trora timu to time may ba taken or altered, or \aried, to secure it to *\ iem » >c not only justifiable, but politic. We are not going to argue the question. It has bon ably ur^ueJ for us at Wellington, and i.i a few days he wlio luns m iy read tha whole >tale. The argumentative uiue of the quus. tioii is nni'ihed, und t oaly rrmtins to the North to bidu her tima for

.i u>Ln.-ily. Our "1, Uow-colouij s" dowYvSouth, haj'P'n •ohave a larger population, >u\d, coi.scqin ntly a fcv>' inure \otcs justioow, and they mean to ignore all piineiiploof j.iaiioo, and uso Liiuse v-jLes agonist, ik light oi 1 wiong. Bit, we knnnv tli.it tlio g-oldfiolds of Otigr>, op^ie.l in Uul and 18(5'.?, were the inoabs of giving them that numeiic.il superiority — we know that this couutiy Js opened and settled to a quarter of u cmtury beyond ours. Wo know tUnt their lands are held in blocks ofy 100.000 acres by the lordly squattors, who hive fattened on the land' of the country, and wo know that population, in a few 3 ears, can have no room for expansion. We also know th.it our harbours, our undeveloped mineral resource, our moderate sized holdings of land, our ship bailding and their trades, which will make the Province of Auckland tbeir home, will give us, in time, the majority of population, and, thorefor^, of representation, and we shall then, if it is thirly \ ears hence, do well not to forget the lotson taught us iv 187G, when those who should have given us reasonable assistance, refused even to discuss a quest'on founded upon the deepest principles of reason and equity. In the meantime we will take what we can wring from tlicm. If they will allow us to have even the uvutnbs which fall from their table, we will take the pitiful alternative of financial separation, with its attendant gain of £250,000 perannuni. but, let us be careful. We warn our representatives to trust nothing to ihosa who have shewn themselves so iudifferant to the fulfillment of their piomises. They told as, in 1856, that if they took the land, we should get, besides a certain sum down, a large proportion of the customs dutfeß. Within a short time that went from us. Now, they propose to take £15,000,000 out of the £20,000,000 of Colonial debt upon their own shoulders, and financially separate from as. But, what reliauce cm we pi ice upon their word that they will ever meet this £15,000,000. By and bye, when the North has flourished and increased (as it must do), they will, perhaps, call upou us to take far more than our share in meeting the engagements of the Colony. The public creditor knows ot no "finmcsal separation." — he looks to us as well as to them. When they have squandered their tend, and can only rais^ a paltiy £500,000 per annum from the pastoral leases to represent tho magnificent estate they once held in trust for the Colony, we shall have to step iv and p!iy the £15,000,000 for them. If they take the land fund let them give us security that they will meet their sharo of the debt. We are not safe without it. Lt them establish a sufficient sinking fund to bo charged upon laud rerenue to wipe off the £15,000,000 in, say twenty years. We shall then have some guarantee of their bona fides. In the meantime lot the people of this Province never abandon the determination to secure the principle they have now been contending for. Let them h ipo and wait and watch. If they are only true to themselves iho right of justice which is inherent in their cause must eventuate in a glorious though tardy triumph.

The most welcome intelligence we have received for m my a day of the intended doings of the Government is that contained in a lelegr.uu announcing, that four huudrid souls of that noble array of mirtyrs, the civil servants of New Zealand, h:ive received notice ofdisiniss.il. Not a wonld-be Premier on the opposition benches, when bidding f>r office, from Mr Stafford himself down to SirGsorge Grey, but has put fonv ird as one reason why the helm of the ship of State should be pluced in his hands that .his first act would be to reduce the numbers of the crew. Not a loader of opposition, however, secures the coveted office, but he at onca forgets the promises he rando. When the Fox Government was in power we well recollect Mr Stafford's boast that in the civil service salaries alone he could s.ive the Colony over £200,000 a year, yet lira accession to office showed no such result, and the civil service list has gone on gathering and swelling, like an aa-gravated snowball set rolling 1 , from that day to this, till there are, leaving out the Armed Constabulary altogether, two regiments, each a thousand strong of civil servants in Now Zealand. But the worst of the matter is, that like the American army, our New Zealand Official Brigade is made up of far too largo a proportion of officers. The rank and file in the one and tho working officials in the other bear but a small proportion to the Colonels and M jor Generals, or the departmental swells, and we shall be curious to see Arhere the promised reduction falls. The whole utility of tho proposed reform depends upon this. If we are to retain tho services of a Commissioner of Woods and Forests at £700 or £800 a year and travelling expenses, and to dismiss an extra messenger in one or olher of the Government departments, the change will partake more of the letter than of the spirit of reform. What we want, and nothing less than this will satisfy the public, is the lopping of tho numberless use less billets, which, thanks to tho exigency of this and previous ministries have been civated to conciliate foes and reward adherent. Tnero o re scores of instances in which two op more officos at present held by separate individual* might bo conjoined

und< rone goxl salary ami be efh" oiently performed by our nnui. There iiio oil! vs which miijht bo .lbolis'ied ako^ethor, and others where the s-il.u-y is altogether out of proportion 'o the work done, or tho stamp of mia required to do it. We are not of those who underrate the value of the work performed by Government officials, and would not begrudge a liberal pay in return for full services ; but we do object to the inflation of the civil list for the purpose of placing on pay the sou of this or the nephew of I hat vote ; and knowing how severely the mental faculties of the ministry must be tried in the conduct of public affairs, are" unwilling that their imagination should be unfairly taxed in inventiug new departments and finding decent pretexts for increasing the number of employes in existing ones. We hail, therefore, the announcement of our Wellington Correspondent as a step in the right direction. There is ample room for reform. The only question is, what course will it take '? If the official tree is fairly dealt with the dead branches must ba cut eutirely out and then the rank growth of new wood bo pruned down to productive limits.