The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1891.

Timaru Herald, Volume LIII, Issue 5269, 21 October 1891, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 21, 1891.

We must wait till we receive a ful' report of the Premier's Dunedin speech, before attempting a lengthy criticism of it. At present we have not the materials before us, foi- 'the abstract supplied by the Press Association touches on only two or ttvee points, nhd dismisses them very curtly. What be is reported to have said about the Lacd Bill is misleading as far as regards tbe reference to purchase. One would imagine that the Legislative Council bad amended, tbe Bill . so as to make laud-sbarking and dummyism more easy than they are at present. Nothing of the kind was done or attempted. "Very stringent provisions with reference tp, improper dealing m Crown landa were left m the Bill. The principal amendment by the Council was the retention of the right of purchasing the so-called perpetual leases, and even on that question a reasonable compromise as to price was offered. We can hardly think that the report is correct m attributing to the Premier the expression" of opinion that the Bill saould have provided only for perpetual leases, or m other words that all the remaining Crown lands should have been, nationalised, Personally he may be prepared to push his land fad tp any extremes, but the country does not want land nationalisation,, and it would take stronger men than Messra Ballance and MeKenzie to force it down 'the throats of , an unwilling people. It seems tbat there ia to be a new departure m the method of selecting Legislative Councillors. As far as we can gather from the report, there are to be caucuses of the labour party at the great centres, to choose ' tho men to be appointed. For the future the Government when advising His Excellency to make calla to the Council will be merely th'e mouthpiece of tho Unions m the large towns. ■ The Premier is going very fast indeed, and before long ho will discover that " it IB thepafle that kills ".