The Otago Witness. Otago Witness DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, SEPT. 19.

Otago Witness, Issue 877, 19 September 1868, Page 13

The Otago Witness. Otago Witness DUNEDIN, SATURDAY, SEPT. 19.

That the Government should in young countries assist private enterprise when such a course is necessary for the development [of the natural resources of the country, has always been recognised as a maxim of sound polity. Wherever it has been acted upon with judgment it has yielded the best results. Where the results have appeared to be otherwise, it has been because what has been undertaken has not been within th£ proper scope of the maxim. Either the methods employed have not been the right ones, or there has been an attempt to foster some enterprise which the character and circumstances of the country did not suit. We are obliged to admit that, so far as the experience of the British Colonies in this part of the world has gone, Governments generally do extend their help where it ought never to have been given, and withhold it when really valuable results might be obtained. This, however, is not a proof that the system itself is bad, any more than the constantly occurring instances in which the law is made the instrument of injustice and oppression are evidences that our laws are unjust and unequal.

The Government of Otago has made much pretension of its desire to foster new industries, to assist in planting them, and to protect them whilst they are taking root. Its efforts in this direction have not been very successful. It has, indeed, for the most part, endeavoured to lead in the wrong direction. Almost all its offers have been made with the view of inducing capitalists to introduce manufactures into the Province. No doubt there has been an idea at the bottom of this that because manufactures afford employment for human beings, their existence in Otago would assist to draw population to her shores — the recognised want of the Province being a renewal of that steady influx of people which at one time rendered her so prosperous. There has also been at work the old fallacy that by manufacturing everything we want, we shall keep money in the country, and thus increase its wealth. The calculation has apparently never been attempted as to whether a given population could not in Otago earn more whilst engaged in those industries for which the country is as yet better adapted, and might not also, by providing a larger export, pay for its requirements in the way of manufactured goods, and at the same time bring money into the country, "Whilst making this mistake, and trying to force the growth of industries tot which the time is not ripe, the Government has done very little to assist in turning to the beßt account the natural resources of the country. There has been a good deal of talk, for instance, about fostering agriculture, yet we can hardly point to anything that has been done to assist in the solution of that problem of such vital importance to all of vs — how can the occupation of the soil be best made to pay? It appears to have been taken for granted that I the efforts of private individuals

would certainly solve this problem quickly enough. Indeed when an Agricultural Conference was lately held under the auspices of the Government, the real tendency of the questions submitted to it was how, to make agriculture subservient to the dominant idea of introducing manufactures. If we turn to that other great industry of the country — Mmmg — the account must be the same. This is an industry to which, and to those occupied in which, an extremely great number of compliments has been paid by our public men. The practical assistance given to it has chiefly been a very careful collection of fees on Miners' Rights, in order, we suppose, that the miner who pays shall not be placed at a disadvantage by competing with unlicensed labour. Some little has certainly been done. There is a set" of boring 'rods somewhere, which may be borrowed on proper security being given that it will b,e taken care of. We have heard, moreover, of an advertisement — it has not been seen in any respectable newspaper— that the assistance of professional men will be accorded at the expense of the Government where preli-,-ninary surveys are needed for Water Races. Even this little is more than has been done for the Agricultural interest unless the annual vote of money for prizes at Agricultural Shows may be reckoned an equivalent. But what does it amount to after all ? Had the cost, say, of various rambling expeditions to the West Coast, been expended in such a work aB the construction, for instance, of a Water Race from the Lindis River to the great mining districts of the Dunstan, which are thirsting for such a stream, how much greater the profit to the country— -how much more enviable the renown of those instrumental in the undertaking? Or, again, had another annual grant of equal amount to that doled out to the Agricultural Societies been expended in providing technical agricultural education for the rising generation in Otago, who shall count up the future return for such an outlay 1

We do not wish to carp unnecessarily at those who form the Exeoutive Government of the Province. It is not they alone who have been remiss. But we do urge upon our public men of all shades of opinions that they should consider how much more important to the future of the Province are such matters as we have just been speaking of, than the great majority of those with which they occupy themselves — on which they spend hours (expensive hours for the country) in debate — about which they occasionally have their great party fights. When they, and their importance, and most of the political questions they devote their energies to, are all forgotten together, another generation will have taken our places, and will judge of their work by its fruits alone.