THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1887.

New Zealand Herald, Volume XXIV, Issue 8072, 13 October 1887, Page 4

THE New Zealand Herald AND DAILY SOUTHERN CROSS. THURSDAY, OCTOBER 15, 1887.

The Speech delivered to Par liatuen yesterday by His Excellency the Governor, though not strictly a policy one, yet indicated the general outlines of the policy the Government intend pursuing. In all respects it may be characterised as a Speech that will on all sides be regarded as judicious. With obvious propriety, reference was first of all made therein to the loyalty evoked by the commemoration of the fiftieth year of Queen Victoria's reign ; and then to the interest attaching to an event intimately associated with the Jubilee celebration, as also with the history and growing importance of the British colonies—namely, the holding in London of the Imperial-Colonial Conference. These subjects could not, of course, be ignored by His Excellency on such an occasion as the opening of a new Parliament, and they received, as they deserved, priority among the topics treated of. With the disposal, however, of these complimentary and decorative questions, matters specially affecting the colony demanded prominent notice. And, as we anticipated in our observations yesterday, the subject ol: effective and substantial retrenchment in the cost of the public service obtained most prominent mention. Very wisely, too, the urgency of this question is attributed to the will of the people as declared in the results of the general election. The importance of this point ought not to be lost sight of by the Ministry, either in preparing measures for effecting large and systematic reductions in the public expenditure or in urging their acceptance by the House. Under any circumstances, retrenchment is a very thankless business, and is apt to cause much silent opposition on the part even of those who, in public, may clamour most loudly about its necessity. In the House there is perhaps not one solitary member who has not more or less solemnly pledged himself to insist on any Government that might be in power adopting measures for effecting a great reduction in the departmental expenditure of the colony. And yet not a few of those who undertook at the hustings to support such measures, will, under some pretext, be found either opposing them when introduced, or taking occasion, while aiding their passage, to refer to them in such terms as will awaken a prejudice against their authors. This may, unfortunately, be in accordance with the notions which commonly regulate political warfare but however the inconsistency may be accounted for, it forms a serious impediment to those on whom the unpleasant task of enforcing retrenchment devolves. The safety and the strength of the Government will, therefore, consist in their being able to declare that they have the will of the people at their back, They, accordingly, did well in having it set out in the Speech from the throne that the results of the general election showed incontestably that the people of New Zealand had resolutely made up their mind to have the public expenditure largely reduced, and that neither the Ministry nor the House had any option but to obey the people's mandate. ilNext in importance to that of retrenchment, is the question of land administration, and especially the profitable occupancy of the land by settlers accustomed to agricultural pursuits. Indeed this, at the present time, is the question of questions for New Zealand. With a deficient customs revenue, and no signs of improvement, as is admitted in the Speech, nothing is so essential to replenish the public Treasury and to cause a general revival of the country's prosperity, as the introduction on a large scale of an industrious rural population. It is, therefore, gratifying to learn from the Governor that his Ministerr have assured him that " they will make unceasing efforts to secure the location of a prosperous class of settlers upon the land of the colony." It may be inferred from this that measures are to be taken to induce an influx into the colony of people who bring with them the pledges of prosperity partly in the means they, can command, but especially in that practical experience which, in a new country, is even more indispensable

than wealth. We should have liked to see the question of immigration on the above lines more distinctly enunciated in the Speech; but it is so far satisfactory to find the occupancy of the land spoken of in such a way as to warrant the inference that, save by such immigration, the end sought cannot be successfully attained. The proposals to simpfify the land system and to facilitate the acquisition of small holdings with a choice of tenure —freehold, deferred payment, or perpetual lease, as the selectors may prefer —clearly point to the initiation of a plan of immigration calculated to attract from the mother country the class of settlers specially adapted for reclaiming the waste lands of the colony. The choice of tenure will operate very favourably in attracting the people whom above all others it is desirable to find in occupancy of the land, and will serve to counteract the repellent influence of the land nationalising theory, and of the restriction of tenure to perpetual leasing favoured by the Stout-Yogel Government. Closely connected with the administration of the Crown lands is the question of dealing with native lands. The legislation on this subject effected by the late Ministry has had the effect of causing very great dissatisfaction among the Maori owners. It was designed to lead up to the land nationalising process, but the practical result has been to put an end to all transactions in nativo lands in any form. To fully obviate the prejudicial effects of such legislation will demand a measure of a somewhat comprehensive character. This, however, cannot be forthcoming during the brief period available for this session ; but the probability of some temporary measure being passed with the view of giving immediate relief, will have a pacifying influence on the minds of those who on good grounds oomplain of the existing state of the law on this subject.

Ministers are fortunate in finding a plausible and sound reason for postponing the tariff question to another session. This will give them time to consider, in all its bearings, a subject on which there is a greater diversity of opinion among members of the House than on any other subject with which they may have to deal. They also have acted with prudence in thus early giving the public an assurance that, while curtailing the expense of working the education system, in every direction possible, care will be taken that its efficiency is not impaired. With regard to the working of the railways, however, they could afford to be more outspoken, and henco they speak out accordingly. It is something to have an admission in the Governor's Speech that the system under which the railways are managed is bad. This opinion will bo universally endorsed, as also will be: hailed the prospect of changes being made, such as will, by giving greater facilities to the public, lead to an increase of revenue. Not a day ought to bo lost in introducing in. this direction a long-desired and much-needed reform ■, and, as the requisito improvements are matters of administration and quite within the scope of the Public Works Department, no delay in effecting them need be experienced. As chief of that department, Mr. Mitchelson has an opportunity of distinguishing himself by cutting clean through that red-tapism which has made our railway management both a costly toy and a laughing stock to the public, and by placing the whole system under a control similar to that which governs a well conducted business.

Taken as a whole the Speech is just such an one as the peculiar circumstances of the colony called for. Without going into details it touched cautiously but firmly on the questions most urgently demanding attention, and thus goes far to justify the expectation that the policy of the • Government will prove both safe and economic and tend materially to rei store the credit and prosperity of the colony.