WELLINGTON NOTES

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXX, Issue 51, 29 February 1896, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES

o— — — (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wblusoton, February 27.

More Billets. The reconstructed Ministry's policy in announcing the breakdown of the advanoes to settlers loan polioy stated the intention of Government to " put more vigour into its management." This was natnrally read to mean that the Lending Board had bten 'too nice about the securities offered, and that the superintendent, Mr J. K. WarburtoD, would be displaced, and the chief valuer, Mr T. Macdonald, promoted, as he is celebrated for the vigour of his oharacter and is very muoh in accord with the Premier. Permanent local valuators are also to be appointed, and the colony is to be mapped out into distriots. After this who will dare deny that Mr Seddon is a resourceful man? He turns disaster which would have brought ridicule and shame on any other politician into a means of Bnpport. He argues thns :■ — " There is over a million of the loan idle and mating away, whioh is bad. There are many Liberals still in search of billets and threatening to desert unless billets are fonnd for them ; which is worse. There is no opening for them in any of the old departments, bnt it is a pity to lose support and leave that million. The solution is plain ; the lecturers can combine the cheap money scheme with canvassing for Liberal candidates, and resident valuers will show their value in a similar direction. 'Ihat, combined with the analysts under the Licensing Act, and dne attention to the church, onght to stem the tide of the National Association. I hope btout wont drop to it, but there iB no other course oped now." It is about the most extraordinary proceeding ever heard of in any part of tbe world. Paid lecturers to be sent round the colony to try and lend money at 5 per oent I Book fiends and life insurance, agents are ■imply not in it. fc-habby-clothes dealers are abont the nearest artists who oould undertake the work and do justioe to it. For it will require some art to persuade any settler with property that a mortgage iB a good sort of ttjing to have on, his farm— that is, unless he is compelled; and as money is going begging at 4 per pent in Vio toria just now, and oomirig down in Talne everywhere in England, why ihould a New Zealand settler pay 5 per cent and become a state slave, for that ie usually what it means if the conditions are thoroughly di geßted. CHEAP MONEY.

The continued and rapid rise iv Btooks in London shown how plentiful money is, and how anxious capitalists are to find a safe outlet for it. 'When the 2J per oent Imperial Consols are quoted at £109 16s, and N.S.W. 4 per cent at £120, it is an indication that 6 per oent on first olass New Zealand freeholds is too high as things go now-a-days. At the time Mr Ward's great suooeea waß launched in May last the prioes of these stocks were 106 and 118 respectively, aud the advance has been continual for the Bimple reason that every week there are greater difficulties in finding safe investments. That is wby the millions are being poured into mining speculations in the oolony.

There are people who insist that ihe price of money has fallen becanse of Mr Ward's visit' to London, And by the same logic the Bame people argue that the extra output of gold from the Auckland mines has been caused by Mr Seddon's -weighty mining bills. > To follow the same argument vp < the rise iv wool most be attributable to the MoKenzie Land Aots,' and the building of new Bteamera for the colonial trade to Mr i.eeveß' (Shipping and Seamen's Act. If we admit the one, we oannot refuse to believe the other. Of course it is all dreadful rubbish, this claiming of any change for the better in the trade of the colony as a consequence of legi .lation ; or of any benefits gained by laws designed to suddenly alter our social system. There iis no short cut to perfection as the Keeveses md Seddons would like to make people believe. Sir Robert stout and the : Government. Sir Bobert btout in two meetings at the Opera House and in Newtown, bas made his way clear to those who heard and applauded his views, but the question is will the country see the truth as he has ao clearly laid it down ? Bir Bobert Stout at the Opera House, cited Borne damaging figures, leaving it for the Premier or Treasurer to question or deny them . Not one word has been printed in defence of the Government ; only a few idle taunts that oit Bobert must make better speeches if he expeoted to gain a seat. The pity ia that the Premier will not pluck up the spirit to measure swords with his rival on the field where both ; browse, but recent events have cast a shadow over the possible chance of onr oojojing such a Homeric combat. Jt msy safely be said, however, that the defeat of Mr Seddon's nominee for the Christchurch Stakes would look like a victory in comparison with the way Sir Bobert wonld run rings round Mr Seddon for the Wellington event,

- At hig meeting to-night Mr Robert made a good point in showing very | clearly that we were — notwithstand- j standing our extended franchise, I free press, and all the five points of the charter bo hardly fought for— worse off than before the .Reform Bill was passed in 1832. In those dayi the Radicals conld publish what was called a Black Book, showing how muoh money was spent on j Royalty, how much wasted, and how muoh disbursed in questionable trays. But nnder a so-called Liberal Government with the beßt franchise in the world, Parliament conld not get information as to where the, public income went. Questions on important matters were replied to in a flippant manner by the Treasurer, or bluntly refused by the Premier, and thiß is what is called gorernment by a Democracy. The ease rested with the people. If they chose to return snch representatives, whty hen the Government was good enough for them.