THE ALLEGED CASES OF DUMMYISM.

Evening Star, Issue 6263, 12 April 1883, Page 3

THE ALLEGED CASES OF DUMMYISM.

TO 'HIS EDITOII. £m,—Mr Cargill!s refusal to submit to the inlhmve inquiry sought by the Waste Land fjoard will, I doubt not, commend itsolf to the sober judgment of tho intelligent and unprejudiced. The resolution of the Board to refuse to issue licenses in tho cases of the Strath Taieri purchasers unless they shall undergo the Board's satisfaction—the ordeal of a searching examination as to their hona fides—is, to my mind, so gross an assumption of illegal power that I have little doubt that the Minister of Lauds, to -whom the matter stands referred, will not sanction it. If he docs, then it is to be hoped that tho purchasers, one and all, will show their manhood by refusing compliance with this Stout-made law, and going straight to the Bupreir,e Court to assert their rights. s % beg to correct an inadvertent error in my letter 6f tho 9th inst.. referred to in your correspondent " Colonist's" letter of the 10th. Instead of "two blocks," theie was only oho section (2a, block 3, Sutton) which wa3 purchased by Mr Bartleman as agent for the purchaser Renwick, in respect of which, he gave the cheque of Murray, Roberts, and Co., then the lessees of the Gladbrook Ran, of which the section formed part. The error, of course, docs not lessen the obvious necessity of regarding—as I supposo Mr Stout professes to regard—that case as entirely free from suspicion, while he takes upon himself to stigmatise cases in the Strath Taieri District, precisely similar in respect of the mode of payment, as r.dolent of dummyism.— I am, etc., '.I ,> * ' QITIZEN. J)anedjn, April }?> TO THK T3DITOB. Sib,—l have hitherto been a silent reader of all that has transpired in connection with the alleged cases of dummyism, and my enclosed card will show you that I have no interest, direct or indirect, in the matter other than that which I share in common with the rest of the community. I recognise to the fullest extent the evils of dummyism, and 1 am as sincerely desirous as anyone can possibly I>9 that small hona fide, settlement should take root and flourish iu this Colony. JJafc I also recognise that there are greater

evils than dnmmyism, and I hold "that one such has been perpetrated by tho Waste Land Board in their action of yosterday. If it be bad that private individuals should endeavor to cvado the law, it is a thousand times worso that a publio body, to whom has been entrusted most important administrative functions, should deliberately refuse to carry out those functions, and at the same time arrogate to themselves others which they know perfectly well do not belong ttf thfcin. In this particular matter under comment the law prescribes that the Board shall issue licenses in certain cases when certain conditions have been fulfilled. In the alleged dummy cases the conditions, as I understand the matter, have been fulfilled, but the Board refuse to recognise tho fact because they have suspicions that the legal fulfilment "n.-olves moral delinquency. Surely that is an extraordinary positioner a partly administrative, partly judicial, body to take up. It the actual firlnment of the law goes for nothing, and the mere suspicious—let us eay convictions of the individual members of the Board are to bo paramount—what possible security havo the public got that in other cases impartiality will be the rule? If we deliberately sanction a departure from law, what guarantee can we have of the continuance of justice? I venture to affirm that the clear duty of the Board was to issue the licenses, and quietly await evidence of dummyism, which evidence M'asto bo looked for in the future non-fulfilment of conditions. And if it were ultimately found, or even now suspected, that dummy ism and fulfilment of conditions could co-exist, that iaet or suspicion would simply point to the necessity for an immediate alteration of the law. But, as already said, the Board have done more than really refuse to act upon their prescribed functions. They have constituted themselves into a tribunal to examine settlers upon their private aiFairs —to "make them show cause why their licenses should be issued." Surely I am right in stating that such an act requires only to be mentioned to be condemned. Again I ask what guarantee Ave have that this illegal position, now taken up with good intentions, may not in the future be assumed for carrying out bad ones ? It appears to me to be clear that if we now applaud irregularity or illegality in judicial bodies, wo at least run tho risk of cherishing a scorpion for our own backs., Tho public mind is now heated upon this question of dummyism ; but I. yet feel assured that with the majority at any rate calmer consideration will show the matter in another light. As already said, sir, I havo no other than a public interest in this question ; havo but a slight and passing acquaintance with the suspected persons ; have not mentioned the question in their presence; but feel strongly that we can use tenfold force in putting down dummyism in the future by rigidly adhering to the law in the present.—l am, etc., Beason. Dunedin, April 12.