WORK FOR THE UNEMPLOYED.

New Zealand Herald, Volume IV, Issue 1125, 22 June 1867, Page 4

WORK FOR THE UNEMPLOYED.

Yestehday, in the Provincial Council, Mr. Creighton moved for a return of the quantity of lands occupied by the holders of forty acre orders, siDce the commencement of the working of the system—the number of acres improved, and the character and value of such improvements. Considering that to furnish such a return a very largo staff of surveyors and valuators would have to be employed, and considering also that the return is to be made during the present session, every man, woman, aud child, iu the province must be at once set to the work. This is good news for the unemployed. We cannot, however, see how Mr. Creighton can reconcile such a motion with his affectedly earnest and intense desire for retrenchment. Even if the return were to be made in the next session, the work could only be done by largely increasing the survey department during the recess, as a very large proportion of the occupied lauds in the province would have to be re-surveyed. Nor can we see that the undertaking would lead to any practical benefit to the province. Retrenchment, with the Editor of the Cross, howover, means one thing—with [the member for Newton, another. If we refer to the notice paper of the 19th iustant, we shall find the following motion standing in that gentleman's name:— Mr. Cueioiiton to more, That the following papers presented to the Council, session 20, IS6'6, be printed:— 1. Report on the state and progress of the railway, woris. 2. Eeport on the state of the Mauuknu harbour. 3. Ifcturn of native land, the purchase of which has been initiated b)%the ProTincial Government. 4. First general report oil the coal deposits of New Zealand. Now the printing of these papers would have cost the province from £150 to £200. Will any one say that they would have been worth the money in our present financial position. Truly the member for Newton has crude ideas as to what retrenchment may be. Might it not be worth while if that gentleman would confer with the Editor of the Cross ? Perhaps the happy mean between the extremes of the opinions of the two would be somewhere about the correct thing.