The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1890. THE HIGHLANDERS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2088, 21 August 1890, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, 1890. THE HIGHLANDERS.

The fierce fight between the Highlanders of Scotland and their landlords still goes on, and as the.people are poor they find it difficult to carry on the Btruggle, Mr William Hutchison,' of Dunedin, who once occupied a seat in Parliament, and is the father of the now famous Mr Hutchison, who defeated Mr Bryce, brought this subject under the notice of the Dunedin Gaelic Society recently, and read the following extract from a letter forwarded to him by Mr A. McKenzie, Editor o£ the Scottish Highlander: —

"I am very glad that my countrymen | in New Zealand are taking an interest in I the land law reform movement in the} Highlands. We have at present engaged Mr Donald Macrae, one of the ablest speakers in Scotland, both in Gaelic and English; but we have great difficulty in finding the funds to keep him going. Scotchmen in New Zealand would be conferring a lasting benefit on your Highland countrymen if you were to start a fund there to help us to keep Mr Macrae going. We had a meeting of our executive the other day, when we found we had only between £7 and £8 on hand. Our own people are so very poor that they cannot subscribe, and our only hope is that Scotsmen—both Highlanders and Lowlanders—abroad will help us to raise the position of the people at home. . . . More than half the money as yet subscribed came from readers of the Scottish Highlander abroad, and any sums which may be forwarded from New Zealand will be promptly acknowledged in the columns of the paper.

We have taken this from the Otago I Daily Times, and it appears to us that it needs no further explanation. All we deem necessary to say is that if Scotchmen see their way to respond to the request it contains we shall be ready to contribute our mite to so deserving a cause. The Caledonian Society recently took up the cause of the heroes of Balaclava. Here is a cause which is ten thousand times more worthy of sympathy, and which ought to appeal more directly to the hearts of Caledonians. We direct their attention to it in the hope that ttey will take the matter in hand,

THE TRAFFIC MANAGER. It is with much regret we learn that Mr Garstin, who since Mr Back left for Tasmania has held the position of Traffic Manager of our railway at Christchureh, is about to be transferred to Southland. It has not been our privilege to know Mr Garstin intimately, but our intercourse with him has been sufficient to enable us to realise that he is a most courteous and obliging officer, while the' exactness with which the various trains are kept to time, and the general efficiency of the service denote that the management is excellent. It is not Mr Garstin's fault if the rules and regulations are in many instances ablurd, nor has he anything to do with fares and freights; If, also, the timetable is not exactly what we would : wish Mr Garston is not the author of it a nd is not to blame. All these are the JuufcM* ° f the highly intelligent official trinity, Mr Garstin has only carried out such as he has received. He has done i.- 13 m * manner which has left little room, ju. any, for complaint, and we firmly believe that every one who has come in contact with him during his tenure of office will regret his departure. It appears to us that this constant removal of officers -is a most foolish policy. It must lead to a great expense, and cannot be beneficial to the Bervice. 3?or instance, if Mr Garstin is fit to manage railways in Southland he is fit to manage them in Christchureh. Then why should he be removed ? He has now made himself acquainted with the working of this section; he knows every bit of it, he knows all the officers, their capacities for work, and suitability for certain duties. Naturally he, therefore, is in a better position to manage this section than anyone else. He is removed, and another is put in his plaee, and both have to begin at the A B C of local knowledge in their new spheres, Apart altogether from the fact that frequent removals must involve considerable' expense, they must be destructive of efficieny in the service, and prejudicial to good management. We wish Mr Garstin efery success in his new sphere of action.