North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1890.

North Otago Times, Volume XXXIV, Issue 775, 18 July 1890, Page 2

North Otago Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, JULY 18, 1890.

SiNGT, the Shepherd Kings of Egypt tho "sitting still" programmo for States has boon out of fashion. Progression of ideas and in social conditions has, more or loss, boon ever sinco noticoablo in liistory. It has beon by discarding that old laissez faiie condition thab Britain has, slowly, very slowly, become great, glorious, and froo, to use tho grandiloquent; language of orators. In those modern days>, however, wo are nob contout with tho slow biit sure process of gradual improvement, nor with the righteous methods of roctifying ovils caused by past misrulo and mistaken legislation. We must, with the rapidity and violonce of tho whirlwind, upset bho oM lmluurks, and renovate socioty by tho combination of numbers, and tho prompt use'of tho legislative machine, The onslaught against tho existence) of private property in land and other natural sources of wealth, and particularly when such property is in largo blocks, and held by owners without being utilised profitably, is an instanco of the modorn spirit of progress. If tho words and throats now frooly uttered and that grow in intensity every day had been used only a few years since, the speakers would have had short shrift givon them. Landed property was until recently regarded as tho most stable of all investments, and it would have been nothing short of Bacrilego to attompt to lay a violenb hand upon freehold land, and to dispute tho theorem that its owners "could do as they liked with their own." All such notions havo been rudely assailed sinco tho Great .Reform Bill of 1832, and now towards the closo of the century they are about to bo numbered with fcho antiquated, barbarous, and oppressive practices that prevailed during the lifetime of many amongst us. We rejoice that it is so, but wo shall regret that in tho accomplishment of a thorough reform in land tenure, any injustice should bo inflicted on those persons who may havo < acquired thoir largo landed properties in accordance with law. Wo move faster in tho colooioa in such mattora than they do in Conservative Britain, and yet there are people hero who think that we aro laggards, iv reform in nob having before this tho big estates in tho colony, held by millionaires, corporations, and syndicates—many of whom are absentees and foreign shareholders— " burst up " and resold in small areas for bonajlde occupation, or leased out to occupying farmers. Periodically we have bho cry for a "progressive land tax " or some such scheme to compel tho owners of these estates to bring thorn into the open market at prices and in such areas that would induce rcasonablo men to purchase tho lots for agricultural purposes. Wo havo good reason to doubt tho sincerity of tho proposal, coming as it does only when an election is in prospect. If thoro bo a district in New Zealand i whore such largo estatos aro destructive ' to its prosperity, and whore tho demand should be loudest and most persistonb it is North Otago. Here wo have in tho town of Oamaru and its safe harbor every facility for a largo export and import trade, and yet from its being hemmod in with big blocks of tho finest land in tho country, tint aro only very foobly used in production, we are suffering from a chronic depression, and a depreciation in tho yaluo of property that aro provocative to its enterprising citizens. We do nob agree with imposing a " burbting up " policy, however, to remedy tho wretched evil which grow up from tho wild extravagance of tho Provincial Govornmont, and its monetary exigencies during tho gold fever in Otago. That such estates round Oamaru havo boon increased in value from tho expenditure of borrowed money on railways and othor public works is an undoubted truth, and to some appreciablo oxtenfc they should boar tho burden of what is termed the " betterment " tax. In assessing the valuesfor thoPropertyTax this sholud certainly bo kept in mind, and our Govern* mont aro seriously toblamofornofc insisting on this discriminating imposition. Bufc to sol up a class tax of an oppressive nature with a view to making Lh^ir owners forcibly surronder their properties' wo would regard as touching the border lino ol confiscation and robbery. In any scheme for" tho acquisition of such lands by Government ff>r re-sale or for lousing, tho owneis must reC9WQ fair and roasonablo compensation. Not only »o, but they aro fairly entitled to have duo notice given to them that, for tho public benefit, thoir lauds will bo required, say, three or iivo years honco. During this period arrangements could bo made by their owners for thoir disposal, and should they fail to bako steps to sell or lease, thon thoro might bo sotne justiGablo oxcuso for coercive taxation and legislation, bub aro the citizens of Oamaru, not in somo measure ab least, responsible for the continued rotontiou of such estates in their present state 1 Somo years since thoro was an active movement made to induce Government to do something towards tho purchase of these properties for olosor and moro profitable settlement, and the New Zealand Land League in Oamaru was tho medium for arousing a public interest in tho subject, but instead of our prominent morchants and tradespeople backing up the promoters thoy held aloof. Tho result might havo been anticipated. The Governm«nt,_ swing that we, and other

parts of Now Zealand who wore asked to help, wore only halfhearted in the mattor, took it easy. They did, indeed, introduce some kind of u scheme for re-acquir-ing these proportios, bub both theirs and the plan of Sir George Grey were unsuitable and unworkable. The present Government also project a system. If over Oatnaru is to rojoico in the romoval of these barriers to progress and prosperity its inhabitants must arouse from their apathy and make their donmuds with no uneor tain Hound. Surely, in such a direction as securing a closer aud fuller settlement on many estates, situated near centres of population 'and ports, in should not re- i cjuiro a very highly developed statesmen- ! ship to doviso a scheme for its accomplishment. The great diiliculty appoart, to lie iti the want of money and the danger of corruption in their purchase- by the Government. In so far as the want of available funds is preventing the realisation of this dosirablo change, it appoais to us, and wo know the country is at one in our i opinion, that retrenchment in the civil service can go a great deal further without injuring its efficiency, and we think the saving might properly bo applied towards this object. To provont corruption and tho misuse of the power to acquire such estates or porcions of thorn, there should be no insuperable obstacle. Thousands upon thousands of pounds have literally been thrown away upon railways to open up lands to tho interior, while lands in tho possession of ab.&ntees near ports are lying idle. The startling list wo published recently of the vast e\tei>t of estates held by n few individuals aud companies is enough to convince tho most obdurate that in the better utilisation of thoHo properties lies tho key to the re moval of the depression and to the rising tide of prosperity in this fair colony whose lands have been so foolishly aud ho unfairly distributed. Let the electors use their power, and insist upon tho sweeping away of this admitted incubus upoii tho eoluny — and il will be j done. The *' roar" for retrenchment- at last election did much, aud had it boon continued il would have done more. Lot it again bo uttered loudly and persistently, and we have no fear of tho rosult.

Extended notice.— Mails, per Waihora, eloie at BlulTon Saturday, the l!)th inst., at 3 p.m. A meeting of all those iutorcted in chess will be held in the Cofl'co Palace this evening, at 7.30 o'clock. ! A Wellington telegram received last night siys : A notico is giuettod fix'tig the charge for native brown coals, consigned from Kurow to Oamaru, at fn .'3d per ton. The Rev, Thos. Spurgeou will address a meeting in the Baptist Church this evening at 7.30. Sankey's Hymns will be used, and till are welcome. An address will also be given to-morrow night. It will be &ecti by a telegram from our own correspondent that the Government are endeavoring to bring about a satibfaot<ny arran^oiimnt with icgard to tho Macrowhenua miners and Mr Norton. Mr Fergus said inieplytoa question by Mr Duncan that the Government hoped to bo able to acquaint the member for Waitaki with a satisfactory result in a few days. At the Land Board meeting or. Wednesday J. H Laurennon's application for rural land* on perpetual lease of section 22, block 13, Moeraki, was approved. \V. Lunum'tt application to transfer his perpetual lease section 17, block 13, to John Lefovro was approved. Messrs J. Reid and Son forwarded rent due by W, Lunain on perpetual section 17, block 13, Moeraki, j and the Board agreed to rescind the forfeiture of lease. Tho friends of Mr Charles Jo%op, formerly of Ngapara, will be glad to learn that he bus beou fortunate enough to seeiue about 3000 acres of grazing country at Goraldinc on the perpetual lease system, at Is IWI and Is 3d per acie. Another local man at present wot king on one of the large private properties of this district, hay secured 1300 acics of the very pick of the laud oilnred, at a rental of Is 3d per acre per annum. It was thought that this Bection bad gone bafk into the hands of a company, but the ballot is no respecter of persons, and the company did not got it. At last night's meeting of the Borough Council a motion was carried to write to the Dunedin City Council asking that body to co-operate with the Oatnaru Borough i Council in urging on (he Government to provide morgues for towns. From a telegram received from our correspondent wo learn that an amendment in the Coroners' Inquest Bill has been carried in the Legislative Council providing that publicans shall provide convenient accommodation for inquests, but no inquost is to be hold in hotels if their is a courthouse, police station, or other ipublic building within a distance of it mile from such premised where it can be conveniently held. This amendment was made on tho motion of a member of tho Government, and it w pretty certain to pv» into law. This will meet all that the Oatnaru Borough Council has been agitating for. At tho Resident Magistrate's Court, yesterday, borore Mr 11. A. Stratford, K.M., John Palmer wa3 charged wilh burglariously entering the house ot Samuel Courtney, beneath the Post Ofliec, at about 11 o'clock on Wednesday night. Inspector Thompson said the prisoner had just been captured that morning at 10 o'clock. Prisoner had oome fiom Kurow, and had no friends in tho district. It appeared that ho had lot fed the back door ot the Post Oilice open, but being unable to force the second door, prisoner tiied to enter the Post Office by tho messengers' room, when ho was discovered, and decamped.. He had no shoes on at the time, and a piir of shoes had been found afterwards just outside the door which tho prisoner had foiced. Inspector Thompson asked that the prisoner be remanded till Monday morning, as he (the Inspector) had had na time to call witnesses and get the caso up. Prisoner \wi'» remanded accordingly, and bail would be allowed if a suroty for L2O could be obtained. Lato on Wednesday night a man, to a certain extent under the iulluouce of liquor, found his way into the ante-room of the Telegraph Office, and on being discovered was trying to open one of the doors leading to the Post Oflice. When asked what he wanted he said ho wished to know where the Empire Hotel wai. At tho time the man had no boots on. Shortly after the ' man left it was discovered that one of the doors in tho basement of tho building had bucn broken open, a portion of the lock having been forced oft. Alongside the door weieapairof boots. After onquirioi had been made by Mr Ross, who was in charge of the telegraph office at tho time, inform ition was given to the polico, and yesterday morning Detective OBrien arrested a man named John Palmer, who has been living at Kurow, and he wan brought before the Court yesterday morning, and remanded till Monday. It may be mentioned that the floor that was broken open only led into a passago, further progress being .stopped by a second door loading into a largo room.

OJjKndininc and Domi: would specially ask purchasers of Drew Goods to call at once. Special purchases at desperate prices, just Arrived, like of them never neon before, posdibly never seen again. Albo, another pilo at last Saturday's prices, will be shown to-day (Satin day). Wo know a lot arc waiting further reductions all over the establish- i ment. TIIB TROTH, THE WUOLK TRT7TH, AND notuinc but thk TiturH, that Sandcison's ' Salo positively cloaca after Saturday firat. Roll ap and socwro_ the remaining Bargains. No reasonable oiler refused.— (Advt.J . Skasonable advioi:.— Buy your Waterproof Coats, Overcoats and warm Undercloth- ; uigatthoGla-jgowClothingHouseCheapSalc. Immenfto variety at teliabte goods to cboos« ! from. Roduoed prices and 2o in the £ for i

cash. IVy our 50s suits to measure. No get away from it ; best value ever offered ia Uuimru.— Wm. Waudlll.— [Advt.] Tiieue can bo no doubt but that the goods which our Woollon Factory is turning out are of urpassing excellence Wo have seen nothing, however, to equal the quality and fiuish of tho Tweeds which havo been manufictured to Mr Jamks Gemmells special older. Tliese arc, indeed, i)ar exeellcnco : and are made up in the Latest Styles, Workmanaliip and Fit being Guaranteed.— [Auvr