The Waikato Times THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XIX, Issue 1642, 13 January 1883, Page 2

The Waikato Times THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Press the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

SATURDAY, JAN. 13,1883.

Captain Steele hit the right nail on the head when, in proposing the Agricultural Interests at the banquet at Hamilton given to the Premier last week, he said that one of the chief questions affecting that interest was the labour question. The time has indeed fully arrived when the Government must either resort to a modified system of free immigration, or put more vigorously in force the nominated system. The' latter, which has been the form of immigration approved of by the present Government, is to our mind the more preferable of the too, as ensuring the influx of a better class |of immigrants than any we are likely to obtain from a revival of free immigration in the hands of ordinary agents. Settlers within,, the colony know exactly the stamp of immigrants that are required, and, whether those nominated by them are relatives or not, they are not likely to introduce unsuitable persons. Indeed in the case of relations—where it might be thought abuse would probably creep in — they are all the more certain to be especially particular, as they would otherwise be not merely burdening the colony but themselves personally by the introduction of unsuitable immigrants. That there , is a necessity for a movement of this kind on the part of the colony no dispassionate, j man will gainsay. For some timej past it has been 1 a matter of no-; 1 toriety that the demand for good men has been so great, as not only to make.it extremely ;4iffi.cult; ty t <% -bain ' labor r ,,at' alnlost' prohibitory pikes, buY for large undertakings to, obtain &yen a' Sufficiency/ at such rates. But for the introduction of labour-saying, machinery, jandjjthe, forbearance -0f,,, road',, bpar ( dj3 arid others in deferring ordinary works, for a'icew weeks, 'it would ble impoV sible to t jftvo, ,the present u (iar.vesy "With .wages ftt eight,, an^ mp^s^ lings a day, capitalists are beginnings to' f &itiibtt upthei* (i |)ockets,j <aml deferifr"?s%natK>afl'ifyft "**' }?H future time. Contract* enterfeflittto, it is true,, , but. .fc{ife#i noticeable WiJ'tKat 1 i« Ss-ndttfor nniexf wjovkssMkivptbQ cqmpfction gf ota ones, and for suet *«f»rks as cannoj iwief^uhdbiife without to; ©rains

stands indefinitely simply on account °^^fe^ scarcity and dearness^lahpuimp^ .^-v Now this pb jjljstalpp of flings which is proß'taWg ne||her £34be colony, to t hMse tilers, r |flor pet, ttiiR 1 labourers thomSe*lyes. iltsYesult will bo simply to drive matters into the other extremes. When the price of labour passes a certain line enterprise j&ill flag,^capital will be withdrawn*; extreme high prices will be followed by a reaction, and the cry of the unemployed will be again heard. That line will be found nvlrere the price charged for labobr leaves no margin of 'profit "to' the purchaser, _ and signs of the times are not wanting to show that the latter is beginning to recognise the fact that the line has been already 1 reached: What is - needed is to prevent the oscillation of the price of labour trom one extreme to the other — to preserved a,-- happy medium, which>'shal}fgiv<? coinparativcly high wages to the labourer, yet at the same time an assurance of profitable investment for his money to the capitalist.- Whenever the one grinds the other both must suffer in the long run. It is as certain as that night follows ' day that the present state of things cannot continue. No man will for long go on expending thirty shillings for the return of a pound; yet this is just what too many are doing; and it is to the interests of all classes alike that the question shall be fairly considered and grappled with. The truth is, the reclamation and cultivation of the waste lands have made vigorous progress during the past two years, while during the same period the local governing bodies have been almost as vigorously engaged in the prosecuting of public works, and with the facilities for obtaining money given by the local acts of last session, will continue to do so. Immigration, however, has been comparatively at a standstill during this period, and the present state of things is the result. The duty of the colony is clear in this matter. However unpopular the movement may be with an unthinking section of the electors, the difficulty must be faced, and a resort to a modified system of immigration had as a safety yalve in the present state of high pressure in the labour market. But in doing so, warning must be taken from the past, and the purpose must be affected without recourse to any violent change. What is wanted is not to bring large bodies of people into the colony with the object of suddenly and largely affecting the present rate of wages, but to take such measures — and a fair encouragement of the nominated system of immigration will quietly affect this purpose — as will cause a steady stream of persons of the right stamp to set in towards New Zealand. Nor should the movement be a spasmodic ono, carried out with energy to-day and neglected to-morrow, but regular and continuous from one Government to another, and nicely adjusted to the requirements of the colony, just to such an extent as will keep the labour market in a happy state of equilibrium as between employer and employed. Without such counterpoise, with matters left to adjust themselves in a natural way, the colony will simply have to suffer again what it has done in the past, and go through the reactionary crises with which all of us are but too well acquainted. An inflated rate of wages begets the withdrawal of capital, this begets a scarcity of labour ; an over-crowded labour marketbegets cheap labour, and cheap labourin its turn the re-investment of capital, and so on in an endless cycle. Either evil works its own cure, but at what wear and tear to the body politic ; and in this whirligig of extremes, this game of battledore and shuttlecock, it is the labour which suffers the more severely. Capital can afford to wait its opportunity, and can decline unsafe investments, but labour, to live, must find its market, be that market never so depressed.

As we hoped, the New Zealand Loan has met with a much more generous reception in the London market then was accorded the' Victorian loan. A telegram in another colnmn informs us that the applications amounted to half-a-inillion over and above the sum required, and that £450,000 worth of stock Was allotted above the minimum. Judging by the explanations offered to account for the failure of the Victorian loan, the reason why^we have been more'fortunate, is that the minimum was lower and afforded a fairer margin for, profit. In any case the result is a gratifying one, and bears testimony to the fact .that the confidence reposed in New Zealand' 'by 1 • English capitalists has not been impaired.

Sit 1 Julius Vogel has been banquetted at luvercargill.

LiKht showers of ,runi .fell pn( Thursday night and yesterday morning, ,biit the sun speedily' I dissipated / the clouds. The rain, while it served to clear the fitmdsjiHere, 1 wa'3 1 hot sufficient to do ! aby damage to the grain crops which are being harvested:,'..' 1 W;'v ' *f \

' ! The man Kinnerney, who was arrested a,t j jQainbridge, on j^duesday last, on a charge of larceny as a bailee, was brought before-the Court-our TJiurs T day morning and remanded for eightr days, to enable thg<ppliQeilj9 find, if poss ible, some of the missing articles.

' The " London Times," " Standard," and Daily News attribute the failure of the Victorian loan to, the minimum being too high. In an araclej the Telegraph, Referring to colomalninSnfies, states that the banks suggeste^j^Pme loan should be placed at 98. Tn©£ZV»uw states that ihe colonies. Awst mprtgaeuig their reiources toofrapialy.* #»* n . 1

[ In>hfl*arden<>f J»n, Cambridge, is a greengage tree jwrell worthyuAs>fti&TOM6n. Every branch on the tree is"laden with fruit as thickly' asl i#ls 'possible ■' foy t i^> to 1 graft, ,!tKe%eigh't itt f sblrie >ptttta,tefastto%reafr as to strain.the branches. Mriflohgntbn*.' 'considers the .produce of the, tree if put

It 4fi be%een from a retwrV p£ the proceedings of the Residen#|Magi^ trate'sjCpurt, Gambridge^yesterdjiy, thajfc| a>uatira naiQjjjjj^Waratutu, an |jujver»es wit^ies^for the flefeffce in the lejectioni ea£e>lf s LeeiPrreaM fon perjur#f HeJ wdfbiffight ltfore ttf| Clurt lafKAjght;antfrcmandedffpr eigljt>days. v /Mr Hay lias been inslrticled Ito appear on"'' behalf of Wakatutu, and Mr Hesketh has been retained by Air Walker for the prosecution. Accused was admitted to bail, himself in J £200, andjfwo^ sureties of, £,100 each/ - " ' i ' ' An elderly, female, revelling in th« somewhat Celtic cognomen of Magee, amused, probably disgusted would be a better term, a number of passers-by in Victoria-street, Cambridge, on Thursday i evening bisi, by -a few physical ' demonstrations* afiier ' the ''style 'of an inebriated native, accompanied by a- series of billingsgate- ebullitions. She made a very determined attempt to' disturb the peace of mind of Mr T. Hoy, butcher, and his customers by entering the shop, and, before she was noticed, materially disturbed the internal arrangements of that gentleman's business. On being ejected she became very turbulent ,on 7 , the street, - and though threatened wjth the lock-up she continued to amuse herself as formerly. Unfortunately no constable was near at hand at the time, so the good lady was allowed to escape. The private performance given by the Comus Dramatic Club at the Oddfellows' Hall, Hamilton, on Thursday, was very successful. There was a very largo and appreciative audience, and the acting members acquitted themselves with credit. Mr Swarbrick's impersonation of three widely divergent characters afforded additional testimony to the versatility of that gentleman's genius. To him and the two lady amateurs is mainly to be ascribed the success of the performance, though their efforts were ably seconded by the other male performers. The orchestra, under the efficient leadership of Mr T. A. Bell, rendered admirable service. We understand that it is the intention of the club to give their next performance at an early date. One of the most stupid pieces of work, in the way of street improvement, which, for some time past we have had the pain to look upon, has been carried out by the Cambridge Town Board, or at least by the workman of that body, in that much-complained-of thoroughfare— Chapel-street. A correspondent drew attention to the matter in our last issue, and so just is the cause of complaint, that we could not in justice pass the matter by without noticing it ourselves. In the lower part of the street, where the crown of the road is somewhat low, a few cart-loads of what appears to be shop sweepings and other rubbish have been spread. This substitute for gravel consists of Hue dust, pieces of paper, sundry pieces of tin and crockeryware, withered grass, and a miscellaneous collection of other rubbish of an unrecognisable character. The sight is one which would not fail to excite the mirth and ridicule of the stranger. When a shower of rain comes on, the street is sure to be submerged in mud of the most unpleasant nature. To think that such a work should be carried out in a street where about one-half of the population of the district pass through going to ' divine service on a Sunday is, saying the least, a matter calling for no small amount of censure. From present appearances, the legal profession is likely to reap a rich harvest out of the proceedings at present going on at the Resident Magistrate's Couit, Cambridge. It now transpires that of the eleven defendants who were discharged on Wednesday last, some of them were not near the scene of the alleged occurrence at the time stated. The evidence given on Thursday also went to show that others of the defendants, not yet discharged, were also absent from the spot at the time of the alleged expulsion, although the native witnesses swore positively to their identity. We have been given to understand that directly the proceedings are closed at Cambridge, information will be laid against some of the native witnesses for perjury, and the particular defendants who have proved an alibi will proceed against the informants for maliciously setting the criminal law in motion against them. We have also heard that the matter is under consideration, whether a person named Alex. Macdouald, otherwise known as the " white chief of Ngatikawhata," has not rendered himself liable for the same consequences, it having been alleged that he instructed the solicitor to cause such informations to be laid, and it also being believed by the defendants that this person was the instigator of the proceedings now pending. We have also been given to understand that the loss to the defendants, through being prosecuted, has been so great, that they are determined to seek compensation, there being in their opinion no excuse whatever for including their names in the information.