The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. THURSDAY, JULY 21, 1887.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 2345, 21 July 1887, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

THURSDAY , JULY 21, 1887.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Ot whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political.

Hut Julius Vookl addressed Ins constituents at Christchurch on Tuesday night and as might have hem expected, made out the best possible case for the Government. Perhaps to be strictly accurate, we should say that 1m made out a case for himself, since he claims that he and he only, whether associated with Major Atkinson or with Hir Robert Htout, has conferred any real benefit upon this country. That he is the central figure of the present Government evervbndv knows, and it is upon the cpiestion of his retention in, or expulsion from ollicc that the coming general election will turn. I’ndfr these circumstances it is but natural that the Treasurer should in his defence and his apology deal mainlv, almost wholly, with his own actions. A great deal of what ho said, however, was altogether superfluous. 1: is scarcely necessary now to defend the great public works scheme, of which Sir Julius was the author; but nothing can lie in worst taste than Sir Julius’ attempt to cast the blame for all the mistakes made in carrying out the .scheme upon the shoulders of bis immediate successors. This is not only unjust, it is silly and childish. The groove in which the scheme ran had been fashioned by Sir Julius Vogel himself, and his jus'-ion for dispensing patronage had created the corrupt, forces a.gainst which successive Governments have been lighting for the last eleven years, Recording to the Treasurer, how-

over, I Ik; j icrien l between 1870 and 188-1 is ijriii(amk‘<l by no single llash of s{a(esnianslii|), and the light of happy days only began to gin - again when lui took office in th ■ last named year. This list of things aia'oinplislied since then is positively tremendous. The Government have started the Trunk line, the Otago (.'(•Mitral, and many others, but of what use they will bo for years to come be does not say ; they have, got the .Midland line started, having sacrificed the public estate to gratify the Canterbury phalanx ; they have established “ friendly relations with the natives,” Sir Bryce having done the work before they took ollice ; they have undertaken the “systematic defence of the colony,” under the pressure of public opinion, or rather public panic, and in such a manner as to lie of little use; they have carried on “ with success ” negotiations concerning the Pacific Islands, whatever that may mean ; they have avoided a disastrous federation, though apparently nobody else has been hurt very much : they have amended and improved the laws relating to local bodies, by substituting Tweedledum for Tweedledeo ; they have dealt with the charitable aid question, which “ had evaded the ability of previous Governments,” in such a manner as to saddle the unfortunate landowner with the bulk of the cost of maintaining the sick and indigent; they have eradicated scab; they have opened up the fisheries ; they have taken the forests in hand, gone in for retrenchment, kept the property tax down, and in short they have such a number of wonderful things as to make it a matter of surprise that the millcnlum has not actually arrived. What they have done is, however, hut a circumstance to what they arc going to do if only the country will give them a renewed lease of life. They will carry out a policy of “ drastic ” retrenchment, while at the same time the colony will progress by leaps and bounds. Unfortunately for the success of this little scheme, the country is not likely to give Sir Julius the opportunity he requires. He will he judged not by his promises, which were lavish, hut by his performances, which, since he got in tow with Sir R. Stout, have been of a very inferior kind.