The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1891.

Timaru Herald, Volume LII, Issue 5166, 12 June 1891, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. FRIDAY, JUNE 12, 1891.

There really is not very much to be

said about the Governor'sJjSpeeoh. It contains nothing new. The heads oi the Ministerial programmo for the session were known before, and they are repeated, without any details being given. This is m strict accordance with established usage, and so there is no just cause of complaint on that head. Mention is made of the elasticity of the colony's resources as evidenced by the increas6 of tho volume of the exports, " which hns now attained dimensions sufficient to convince the most apprehensive that tho resources of New Zealand are far more than sufficient for the fulfilment of all her obligations." But we may remark, surely not sufficient to justify risky and experimental finance, and v universal tinkering with tbo multitudinous interests of tie com.

- 1 munity. We notice that there will be proposals for the amendment of the land laws with a view of re. serving the remainder of the public estate for genuine occupation and improvement. No one will rejoice more than ourselves if the Ministry succeed m devising Bomt means for putting a stop to dummyism j and preventing companies and big land owners from snapping up sections ■ specially intended for the use of bone J fide settlers. That kind of land grabbing is still practised -whenever th< opportunity presents itself, and thi law seems almost powerless to prevent • it. Afc all events the difficulties oi ' proof are very great, the witnesses dc j not stick at trifles, and substantia c punishment for breaches of the Act an 1 unknown. The Government will b< '• entitled to the hearty thanks of tb( f community if an efficient remedy is proj vided. In this connection we maj remind our readers that we have or • several occasions warned the grabbers • of sections intended for the smal fc settler, that if this mean kind o: f swindling is persisted m much longer T retribution of a very complete charactei lis sure to overtake the offenders. Thi Ministry are charged with the ictentioi of initiating a " bursting up " policy bi , the introduction of a graduated lan< tax. The charge is a true one. Thi graduated tax is meant to Berve anothe - purpose than that of supplying revenue and though we fully recognise the cvi I of large estates we regret the adoptioi o£ such an expedient to get rid of them But it is undeniable that the Ministr have a considerable following m th country on this question of a graduatei » land tax for the purpose of at leas checking the aggregation of large block of land. The land-grabbers have create' £ a very strong antagonistic feeling, es n pecially by their greed m picking v a the little lots meant for the mac! smaller men (there have been plenty 0 instances m this part of the colony' and a very little more of the same sor of thing will raise such a howl tbroug the country chat the Ministry and th legislature will have far more drasti measures forced on them than are no\ contemplated. The Speech touches o: two other matters connected with settle ment. Both of them are importani and both have been discussed durin; the recess. There is to be another nativ land law, and we fear that perpetua leasing will be pushed into undu prominence, and will m fact be the onl; tenure on which native lands will b obtainable. We have not seen the Bili but, judging by the utterances o Ministers during the recess and b; inspired paragraphs m Borne of th newspapers, that will be its priucipa feature. There will no doubt be stronj opposition to the introduction of such 1 system — the setting up of Maori land lordism on a gigantic seale — ,and th Government will have difficulty ii controlling the votes of some of thei own followers. But there 13 at presen no saying what may prove to be th strength of parties, and if Minister make a point of carrying their Maot land proposals, they may be able t ; secure a majority. The other importan matter connected with the settlement o the land, to which allusion was made ii the Speech, was as to " repurchasini 1 parts of the large private estates whicl 1 now bar settlement m some of the mos fertile parts of the colony." Th ; Minister of Lands referred to this sub ject m. hia recent speech, and has sine complained that he was to some exten |f misunderstood. He was represented a having intimated that the Governtnen i intended to make purchases of privnt estates. On this point tho Evcnin r Post says : — " Ministers state that r wrong impression has been caused b; ■ the Hon. Mr M'Kenzie's statement a 'I Palmerston South, us to the intentioi of the Government to bny up larg r estates for settlement purposes. Al f that is intended is to get valuation - made of iiny properties that it seem ; desirable to purchase, and submit then '. to Parliament for approval befor t taking any definite steps." The Go ° vernor's Speech does not promise ; 1 Bill dealing with the purchase o estates. All that is said is that " thi • time seems to be approaching " whei such purchases will be necessary and that the work must be under taken " with caution, justice, am discrimination." Whenever the sub : ject shall be deemed ripe for legislation no general powers of purchase will b be entrusted to the Government. Eacl case must be considered separately Ir Parliament and the funds special!' !i voted. However, as it seems tha - nothing is to be done at present, ther „ was no necessity for mentioning thi matter m the Speech. The refer 3 ence to the proposed change m the m cidence of taxation was vague and briei but it is now certain that what the Go 9 vernor is made to designate as " boh reform "isto be attempted. It is to b 1 hoped that there 13 substantial truth ii the intimation that His Excellency' " advisers " have studiously borne m mini that financial changes should as i matter of expediency be made gradually bo as neither to shake the public sense o 3 security nor to run the risk of any losi of revenue." We are greatly afraid however, that tho public sense o security is already shaken by somi 3 parts of the Ministerial programme, anc ( it is certain that the risk of loss o revenue oannot be avoided when thi ; business m band is abolishing the pro perty tax and replacing it by v land am , income tax. The concluding part o: • the Speech mentions a number of sub jects on whioh the Government wil - introduce Bills. The programme is ot the whole a remarkably tough one, anc we expeot to see a large part of ii dropped before the termination of thi session.