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New Zealand Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 4237, 19 October 1874, Page 2

The Otago Guardian, in a recent issue, took exception to the tone of a portion of the Australian Press, when discussing New Zealand Topics. The Leader, which is the weekly out-put of the Age, published in Melbourne, is the chief offender, and our Dunedin contemporary administered a severe castigation to the writer of the offensive and untruthful statements. But the Leader holds on the evil tenor of its way, notwithstanding the pretty unanimous protests of the New Zealand Press, and so long as it finds detraction of our public men, and misrepresentation of our colonial policy and its results, a line that pays, we need not expect any cessation of abuse. What will our readers say to the following, which appeared in tire Leader of the 3rd instant ; —“Mr Yogel “ is about to visit Europe, and I should “say it is about even betting that he “never returns. It would be just as well “that the enterprising Premier should “ have cleared out before the financial “ storm bursts ; but I think that common “prudence would dictate his making “some arrangement to secure his pension “ or some retiring allowance, unless, in- “ deed, he has made enough economies “ during the time he has been in office to “provide against any possible rainy day.” This attack is believed to bo from the pen of the editor of what ought to be a respectable newspaper. Now, we do not think Mr. Yogel needs any personal defence in this colony, at all events, from such imputations, although we regret to say that there are men in New Zealand who have insinuated what the Leader has now more coarsely suggested. To mercenary minds, the spectacle of a man devoting himself to the public service from a sense of public duty alone is something they cannot understand ; hence the imputation of sordid motives, to which public men are more or less exposed in all colonies. But all right-minded men in Australia must regret the tone the Leader and a few other Australian newspapers adopt towards New Zealand. It is calculated to estrange the communities, create feelings of personal bitterness, and prevent that harmony of action between the members of the respective Governments which is essential to the political unity and commercial development of the Australasian group of colonies. Mr. Vogel visits Victoria in his official capacity as representative of this colony, which has been grossly insulted by a section of the Victorian Press in his person. We protest against such abuse of the Press. New Zealand can take care of itself, and control its own public men. Their character is the property of the colony, arid we are happy to say presents a clean record. Our Victorian contemporaries can apply the lash to Victorian shoulders as sharply as they please—it is their affair, not ours ; but when they refer to the public men of New Zealand, or to New Zealand affairs, they

should confine themselves to truth. This the leader has not done. It is persistently attempting to damage our public credit; and in the foregoing quotation, over and above the gross insult to New Zealand through its Prime Minister, we have an unwarrantable insinuation that wo are on the eve of colonial bankruptcy. There is no “ finan- “ cial storm about to burst” in New Zealand, any more than there is one about to burst in Victoria. This colony is quite as solvent as her energetic Australian sister. Our revenue, measured by the standard of population, including all sources, general and provincial, is considerably in excess of the revenue of Victoria. The natural resources of this colony are greater than those of which Victoria can boast. We have adopted a sound and progressive policy of colonisation. Victoria has selfishly shut out from her shores the sons and daughters of Britain, who would add incalculably to her wealth, while New Zealand is bringing them in tens of thousands at her own expense. This is not a proof of political turpitude on the part of our public men, nor does it indicate an impending financial crisis. That a reaction will set in here as elsewhere, is beyond a doubt, but we shall be better able to bear it with our railways and large population than we should be without these. However, that contingency has in reality nothing to do with the question raised by the header ; and were it not that we conceive it altogether vain, we should express a hope that henceforward that journal would abstain from giving offence to a neighboring community, by imputing improper motives to its public men and falsely depreciating its public oredit.