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Waikato Times, Volume xxx, Issue 2427, 31 January 1888, Page 2

It will 'no observed by our telegrams t' at i£ or Majesty h:is been pleased to confer on the l'iciiiior, Major Atkinson, the. honour of K.C.MG. Though this distinction has been long delayed, we are confident \vc an; expressing the feeling of the whole colony in our congratulations anil satisfaction that Ma jor Sir Mnrry Atkinson has at last received tlii.-. mark of his Sovereign's favour, furscttini; asi le all politic*! differences, all are agreed iiiat 110 public man has so well earned this reward for a long period of meritorious ami honourable survives to his country.

Tilk wholesale manner in which the public estate in America is been alienated is creating much alarm in political circles in the United States, and tin: press, or a section of it. is crying out for a check upon this sort of thing. Upwards of 300,000,000 acres of land have been sold by the Government within a comparatively short period. In tiioyear JBBS-G 15,000,000 acres were disposed of; in 1884-5, 18,000,000, acres, and iu ISS3-4, 17,000,000 acres were parted with. The San Francisco News Letter, referring to this subject, says, " shall a band of men, made lip of eorruptionists, forgars and thieves, be permitted to get away wtih some hundreds of thousands of the public domain ? Shall the dummy conspirators, concocters of false affidavits, suborners of perjury and wholesale land thieves, continue to thrive and extend their operations with success, or shall they be stopped, effectively prosecuted, and sent where they belong ? A vast area of the public estate is imperilled. Honest administration of public property is involved. The punishment of men who have grossly abused a public trust is sorely needed. Rascality needs to be put nnder a ban. Honest methods require to be substituted and firmly established." This is very strong language and is aimed at the powerful laud rings which have been absorbing immense tracts of public lands, and who have under their influence cabinet ministers, senators aud various admin-trative branches of the Government. It is a lesson to us to avoid the dangers into which the abuses of a democratic form of Government may land 11s unless the public maintain a watchful vigilance over the administration of its affairs.