NOTES.

Evening Star, Issue 7188, 16 April 1887, Page 2

NOTES.

The man who teaches should himself be

taught, or how can he instruct, it .fluvht others ? Mr Bracken’s speech on j Teacher. Protection the other night places him in the dilemma of appearing either to be ignorant of the principles of Freetrade .or of wilfully misrepresenting them. Neither position is complimentary to himself) but otm. or the other .he must accept, and, or the tWp, the first is leaht adcusfitory. Here, then, are a few of the misstatements ignorantly, and therefore innocently, made by him. “The Freetraders contended that it was a patriotic duty to spend their earnings amongst aliens rather than amongst themselves.” Now, in the first place, this is untrue ; and in the next, we have yet to learn that the British manufacturers referred to are “ aliens.” Having thus blundered at the outset, Mr.Bracken went on to assert that “ according £0 the Cobdenitea we must send our wool to the other side of the world to be .spun and wove Into clothing, in order that foreign workmen should thrive at our expense, while our own people were unemployed.” And then he ventured on the astounding assertion that “the Freetrader would be shocked to find the coal of our mines employed in smelting our iron ores.” These are fair samples of the weak nonsense uttered by Mr Bracken, to his hearers at South Dunedin) and, such being his premises, the conclusions drawn were in keeping with them, than which nothing more damaging can be said. As might have been expected, his delusive statements were copiously interlarded with beautiful poetic sentiments. But the question of Freetrade and Protection is not a proper theme for the display of sentimentality. It is a hard and stem business question, Mr Bracken should remind himself that, in his position as a member of the Representative Chamber, his words carry weight to a certain extent, and it is not becoming for him to make rash and inconsiderate statements about public matters. The interests of New Zealand are at stake, and if the blind lead the blind, both shall fall into the ditch together. The truth is that Freetraders are quite as anxious as the most radical Protectionist for the establishment of local industries. The main difference between them is as to the mode of operation. Freetraders would have all industries grow freely and spontaneously in the open air; whilst Protectionists desire to force a hot-house growth, which must of necessity be sickly in itself and unhealthy to the body politic.

The Government Life Insurance Departmentannounces that itisprepaied The Public to make advances on mortgage, Lender, notexceedingone-half of the value of the property mortgaged, in sums of money from LI,OOO to L 3,000, repayable by half-yearly instalments extending over twelve, fifteen, or twenty years. This is very liberal, but unfortunately the liberality does not extend to the class mostly in want of it. The land policy of the Premier and the Minister of Lands is based on the principles of land nationalisation. They have forced “ perpetual leases,” which are not perpetual, but terminable, on the people; but they will not lend money to their tenants. The fair terms offered by the Insurance Department are not extended to perpetual lessees, nor even to holders of land under the deferred-payment system. Only freehold land will be accepted as sufficient security. What a commentary on the land policy Is thus afforded ! The unhappy occupants of land under the pet system of the Government are denied assistance to help them to tide over their marginal difficulties. Practice is a better guide than profession; and the action of the Government in this matter affords unintentional testimony to the greater excellence of freehold possession.

Mr James Fulton has been so long and so intimately identified with the Mr Fulton Taieri district that when he adat Homo, dresses his constituents the impression of a social gathering is conveyed to the mind. He always talks sensibly, never attempts high flights of oratory, and keeps well within the subject of his discourse. It is complimentary to thoTaieri peopletosay that Mr Fulton is, in the truest sense of the word, their representative. For they are a steady-going people—wiser _in their generation than they who imagine vain things from possible legislation, Mr Fulton’s comments on the events of last session were mild but just. He was quite right in declining to say whether the purchase of the district railways was made in the interests of the Colony or the companies. Public opinion, however, inclines to the latter view. The monstrous proposition of Mr Ballance to subject the decisions of the Supreme Court to Parliamentary revision very properly met with strong reprobation. “ The man must have been off his head when he spoke of such a thing,” said Mr Fulton—a phrase which compares curiously with Mr Rollsston’s declaration that Mr Ballance desired to bring the Supreme Court “ under the heel ” of the Legislature. It may be taken as certain that nothing more will be heard of this thing. It has been denounced by the whole of the. New Zealand Press, and scouted # by every member of the Legislature who has spoken, and by this time Mr Ballance must be thoroughly ashamed of having given utterance to such a thought. On the Land Acquisition Bill Mr Fulton was sound. Nothing could be more forcible than the expression that “ the vast majority of the large landed proprietors would be only too glad to avail themselves of its provisions,” except the corollary that “it would lead to a great deal of jobbery and corruption. ’’ But the suggested Bill—and it has not yet got beyond the chrysalis state—if it ever expands into actual existence, will only be a bid for popularity. It will not become law, we may be quite sure.

The thanks of the community are due to Mr Thomas Brown for drawing The Pun- attention to the desirability of odin Belt, improving the Town Belt. The Corporation of Dunedin and their Eredecessors, the old Town Board, have een neglectful of their duties in relation to this valuable domain. The Belt was secured to the City, with wise prevision, by the founders of the settlement. It is “ a thing of beauty” now, sadly as it has been marred by devastations of many kinds, and it may be rendered “a joy for ever” by a little judicious expenditure. The conditions of the original grant were distinct as to the use to be made of it; and the Dunedin Public Lands Ordinance, 1854, provides that “in regard of that part of the said lands called the Town Belt, stipulations shall be made for preserving the trees and shrubs thereon, or such part of them as it may be desirable to preserve, with a view to the ornament and amenity of the ground, and also for draining and improving it, and ultimately laying it down in grass, with walks and carriage drives, as a public park or place of public recreation,” How these stipulations have been observed can only be summed up in the negative. Nothing, except in the direction of the Botanical Gardens, has been done to give effect to the terms of the Ordinance under which the Corporation became possessors of the Belt which girdles the City. It is time something were done if the Corporation would escape the censure of being the unworthy inheritors of a valuable property. At present the Belt is, for the most part, an unwholesome jungle, and it is quite time that it should be devoted to the uses for which it was reserved. Something might also be said of the Corporation reserves in various parts of the City, which, candidly speaking, are a public reproach. In no other town in New Zealand are similar reserves left in such a barbarous and disgraceful condition.