South Canterbury Times. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1883.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 3340, 15 December 1883, Page 2

South Canterbury Times. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 15, 1883.

How difficult is the task that lies before a government bent upon carrying out a measure of reform in the land laws, may be judged from reports of the proceedings of the Legislative Assembly in Sydney. The Government of New South Wales have introduced in that colony a new land law, of which, in a former issue, we gave our readers an outline. It is a bill aiming more directly at monopoly than any previous one in the colonies. But monopoly dies hard, in New South Wales as elsewhere, and the Bill is vehemently opposed by the powerful party ofsquatterdom. Such Opposition, however, can but prolong the struggle and defer the result ; it connot stop the tide of stern necessity, which sweeps down upon them and tears them out by the root. The pressure of population and the growing necessities of the people are irresistible ; and against these no man or combination of men can hold their own. Violent opposition to liberal land legislation, is as ill advised as it is fruitless, and the monopolists would be wise who gave way before the advance of a new era. For, assuredly, if they oppose the first steps of Liberalism they will be worsted. They will force good ends to be accomplished by violence, which might well be attained by the growth of true political and social education.

The defective acoustic properties of the Courthouse in Timaru have long formed the subject of hearty malediction from all quarters. Those who have suffered not less keenly Judges, Magistrates, and even the “ great unpaid ” have frequently spoken in a disparaging manner of the place, and have roundly abused inoffensive witnesses for not “ speaking up ” ; when, in reality, speak up as they may, the sounds ascend and are lost in the profundities of the skylight. We should be sorry to repeat all that members of the legal and journalistic professions have uttered in reference to the acoustics of the Court, but we may be pardoned for directing the attention of our readers to the long-suffering and fortitude exhibited by members of the Press whose business it is to catch and transcribe the words of wisdom. As it generally happens that the most important things are uttered in an indistinct tone of voice, the task of transcribing or summarising them becomes very difficult. Lawyers and witnesses are continually falling out, owing to imperfectly hearing one another, and business generally is very much interfered with. Can this state of things never be remedied, surely there ought to be a little regard to acoustics in designing a building ; or, if a mistake has been made the expenditure of a few pounds to remedy the evil would be highly justifiable. Will somebody impress this strongly on the judicial mind of the Minister of Justice?