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Southland Times, Issue 1557, 29 March 1872, Page 2

Oub, journalistic neighbor has returned once more to the Mongolian charge, and as usual a deal of impotent rage and senseless declamation are indulged in. Taught by past experience that none of these things move " John," or even disturb him in the even tenor of his way, our contemporary has provided himself with auxiliary shafts, whetted for the purpose of getting a random Bhot at all and sundry who may happen to be objects of his unfounded prejudice. As a matter

of political right, Mr James Macatstdrew and the Hon. Dillon Bell come in for a share of attention. These shots, however, were so feeble that they fell short of the range, so that no real damage was occasioned, unless it be on the principle as laid down, " The man recovered from the bite, It was the dog that died." With an amount of perseverance worthy of a better cause, our contemporary goes on *' blazing away," and in due course the public works authorities are hit upon as legitimate prey. What is meant to do duty as a charge against the Government of attempting to defeat the labor market of the colony in favor of foreigners, is put forward purely by deduction from the terms of a letter addressed by the Superintendent of Nelson to the public works department. Every one who brings the real facts of the case to bear upon the communication, must feel that : this is a most unfair interpretation of the | real objects of the Ministry. The public | works scheme, as adopted, is a most gigantic one, so gigantic that our contemporary, together with the men of his " leanings and conditions," has time after time objected to it on the ground that it was out of all proportion to the population of the colony. The scheme, however, triumphed over these short-sighted cavillings, and at the present moment every portion of New Zealand having a direct interest to serve in its development, is clamorous to get works begun. Southland in particular has been foremost in the ranks of thia agitation. Every possible argument has been used — every endeavor employed — to get the work as a first section of the Mataura line gone on with against the ensuing winter. G-overnment has been warned that our east road will be utterly impassable, and that communication with some of tbe most promising industries in the colony will be entirely cut off, so as to bring their operations to a stand-still. The Ministerial announcement that the completion of the Kingston line was extended over a period of four years, created something like a feeling of indignation, and, not content with her own individual exertions, Southland got her neighbor at the Wakatipu to importune the Government so as to get tbe work finished at an earlier date. Then if we cross to the east bank of the Mataura, we find that similar or even greater impatience was manifested by settlers along the line of the Southern Trunk Eailway. Public agitations were got up at Tokomairiro and Balclutha demanding that the line should be gone on with from each of these places at one and the same time. Oamaru is also up in arms about its northern trunk line, and no one who glances at the colonial papers can fail to see that a similar impatience pervades every province. It should also be borne in mind that gigantic works are projected in the shape of water supply for the goldfields. Now if we take all these facts into consideration, we say most emphatically that the public works department would have been guilty of a very grave dereliction of duty if it had omitted to take steps for ascertaining whether or not our labor resources were at all equal to the demand so rapidly springing up. Not only does the Government require to see that the supply of labor is equivalent to th 6 work on hand, but it must also see that it is equivalent to maintain current rates of wages, otherwise these works will be continually brought to a stand-still by strikes for advance of pay, a shortening of the hours of labor, together with the endless amount of vexation occasioned when any one class finds its labor in great request. Had the Government omitted to see into this matter, it would simply have been exposing the public purse to extortionate demands. We do not mean to say that in this respect the laboring classes are worse than their neighbors. On the contrary, we are ready to admit that it is a failing that belongs to all sections of the community, and unless carefully guarded against, all the failures predicted for the scheme may be reasonably expected. To return, however, to tbe political morality of the contemporary print and those of its following. Could anything be more thoroughly inconsistent, more dishonest, than first to warn the Government that their scheme was out of all proportion to the settled population of the place, and then turn round aud abuse them for adopting the precaution of inquiring into the truth of the matter ? It looks as if, not believing in their own dictum, they felt insulted at the bare idea of any other person believing it. We have merely one word to add in conclusion. The true construction to put upon the communication referred to is that the public works department ia anxious to ascertain if the provinces are satisfied that they can command suflicient labor to meet all the pressing claims that have been made. That anxiety has no doubt been superinduced by reports circulated throughout the Middle Island that during the season harvest men and shearers were exceptionally scarce. The further inference to be drawn from the letter is that if labor is really scarce, what is the opinion of the provinces regarding the introduction of a number of Chinese laborers. Labor of this kind has been largely imported into America for railway purposes, and without expressing any opinion upon the general issues of the question, we may be allowed to say that we have never heard of any complaint being made by the American contractors regarding its quality.