THE “TIMARU HERALD” ON SIR JULIUS VOGEL.

Patea Mail, Volume I, Issue 102, 1 April 1876, Page 3

THE “TIMARU HERALD” ON SIR JULIUS VOGEL.

A remarkably able article from the “ Press,” sums up with singular exactness the results of Yogelism in New Zealand. Tills wretched colony has run itself into debt to the extent of eleven millions at least, without the slightest immediate prospect of any return from such expenditure. Sir Julius Vogel, that wonderful genius, as some foolish people will persist in considering one of the biggest humbugs of our age —estimated that the railways would return £IO,OOO in 1870. So far they have paid nothing; absolutely nothing; and, as the writer in the “Press” very justly points out, the estimate of the Government for the present year is only £20,000 —a sum of which the realisation is extremely doubtful. We commend the article from the “Press” most earnestly to ail that long-hoping, longsuffering class who still believe that “ there is something in Vogel.” We commend it those who believe in him still, in spite of his having failed in every enterprise he undertook ; in spite of the disgraceful loan business; in spite of the San Francisco Mail ‘fiasco’; in spite of all the shameful bungles, muddles, and scandals which have made, his administration a discredit to tins colony. We commend it especially to that class of really earnest politicians and well-wishers to the country, who have deemed that they saw in the Public Works and Immigration Policy, as propounded by this political charlatan, a way out of all difficulties which beset the colony. The saddest feature of all the wickedness, the corruption, and, more than all, illusions which have characterised the career of this remarkable disciple of Cagliostro, is the fact that no small number of really substantial men, sturdy upholders of the public weal, and worthy exponents of the voice (on ordinary occasions), have been completely hoodwinked, and made fools of, by the marvellous audacity of this empiric’s proposals, or by the apparently marvellous success of his projects. Ap-

patently marvellous success I He has contrived to leave his achievements puffed up, and made the most of, in order, as Hamlet puts it, “to split the ears of the groundlings ” ; but what aspect do they bear when examined by the cold light of critical analysis ? Let the facts brought forward by the “Press” bear witness. Our contemporary has boldly stated, iii the compactcst form, what, to .our shame be it said, the newspapers of New Zealand generally have not dared to own.