Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price 1d. WEDNESDAY, JULY 13. 1887. Further Fads.

Wairarapa Standard, Volume XX, Issue 2091, 13 July 1887, Page 2

Wairarapa Standard Published Tri-weekly, Price Id. WEDNESDAY, JULY 13. 1887. Further Fads.

I» our leader of July 8, we characterised the Hon J. Ballance as a “ hobbyist.” Were further proof needed of the truth of that assertion it would be found in his last brandnew device for land settlement. He is about to settle New Zealand with Pen; i-'ncrs of the Imperial Army. His P;ime Minister in this brilliant project is not Mr John Lundon, but a Captain Daveney, an ez-Imperial Army officer residing at Auckland. Captain Daveney’s principal military experience was gained on a snug staff sinecure which he held at Poonah, East Indies. His knowledge of land-settlement is limited to a cursory observation of the art of raising pumpkins by “ nigger ” labor ;he has eaten the pumpkins when raised. To do him justice it is not mere landsettlement that troubles Captain Daveney. He imagines he has a divine commission to protect himself from the ambitious designs of the Czar of all the Bussias. Tbe gallant Captain is a Bussiaphobist of a malignant type, and having lived a good deal among soldiers feels that British pensioners alone can adequately guard him from those Cossack hordes which are the subjects of his sleepless suspicions. In short the warrior is a trifle nervous and has no faith in our volunteer force. Captain Daveney was referred to by Mr Froude in “ Oceafaa,” as follows

“Auckland wearied me with its valiant talk. We had an officer there—an excellent fellow in hie way—who knew tbe ground (Algbanietan) and had maps and passed as an authority. He proved to ns by argument, completely satisfactory to himself, that unless we seized Bussia by the throat and hurled her back upon the Caspian we were a ruined nation.”

However, Captain Daveney writes occasional alleged “ military ’’ articles for an Auckland newspaper and passes as a most redoubtable strategist among the innocent pekin frequenters of the Auckland club. There be met Mr { Ballance. and converted him to his views regarding “ soldier settlers," which —having just tbe necessary elements of apparent novelty and real impracticability—were sure to commend themselves to the Minister of Lands. The ostensible idea of course is that the introduction of military pensioners will advance land settlement and provide New Zealand with a ready-made army of cheap veterans. A capital theory, bat, like most of Mr Ballance’s theories, not practical, as we will show. These soldier-settlers are to be pensioners, that is, men who have served 21 years with the colors. In j 1872 Lord (then Mr) Cardwell, Secretary of State for War, brought in his “ short service ” system in contradistinction tn that obtaining, under whHi men were ulisted for ten years in *he 1. faatry and twelve years in the Cavalry with the option, if eli giblc, of re-esgaging for such further period as would complete a total of 21 years’ service. Mr Cardwell’s administration discouraged re-engage-ment, consequently the large majority of militaryjpers toners at all likely to respond to Mr Ballance’s offers will be men who re-engaged prior to 1872. These men must therefore necessarily have been discharged from the Army on or before 1881 —six- year* agohaving then served at least 21 years with tbe colors. Most of them would have originally enlisted at the ago of 21 (between 18 and 24 years of age). How old, therefore, would these proposed settlers be now ?

Age at enlistment, 21 years Served with colors, 21 ~ Discharged 1881 (now ’B7) 6 „ Avenge age of pensioners, 48 years. Tbe healthy civilian who tackles settlement and agriculture for the first time at the age of fifty ha 3 a very rough row to hoe indeed. Exceptionable men—of marvelous physique and adaptability to circumstances have, in rare instances, succeeded as settlers at this age, but 75 per cent of the men who have served 21 years in the British Army are physically incapable of hard work. A soldier of 50 is to all intents 60 years of age. Tbe large number of these pensioners will have served at least 10 years— many 12, 15, 18 and even 20 years—in the enervating climate of India. Thus, of the work of a settler they have no conception, and accustomed to be fed and clothed by tbe Service, they know nothing of habits of self-reliance. It is these debilitated and inexperienced persons whom Messrs Daveney and Ballance propose to bring here to compete as settlers with some of the fittest bushmen in the world ! The idea is pre posterous. There is one way, however, in which tbo best of these men will compete in the labor market to the disadvantage of the civilian laborer ; they will be in receipt of pensions varying from one to three shillings per diem and can thus afford to work for lower wages than laborers who have only their own labor to depend on. In this way the professedly democratic Mr Ballance will assist to reduce wages. What with homestead settlers who hare their cheap land, and military pensioners who have theirpensions to fall hack upon wages must fall, and their fall will be duo not to the

talkb a? glibly, but to those loud pro fessing so Democrats who declare ‘hey only lir? f(>r the benefit of the working man. CaptaiZJ Dftveney s share .n this business is—apart fFop his longing for a military body-guard —very simple. He is merely acting as a relieving officer for the English War Office. Since education became compulsory in England the ajricul-

sural labor has “gone back” on “ military glory.” Secretaries of State for War are at their wits’ end for recruits, despite their paper army. The military authorities know that the sight, in English towns and villages, presented by sickly and disabled veto--rang—who have often but a shilling a day between them and the poorhouse —makes a very bad advertisement for the recruiting Sergeant. Pall Mall and the Horse Guards are anxious therefore to pack these poor fellows out of sight to America, New Zealand or anywhere else. Captain Daveney is of course only too anxious to propitiate his military superiors, and as to Mr Ballance, why we know that Sir Kobert Stout received bis K.C.M.G. for having promised “ 1000 well trained men ” to England in case of war with Bussia, and surely if Mr Ballance can relieve England of a few hundred feeble and inconvenient pensioners, he might look for some small favor of the same sort. Sir John Ballance, K.C.M.G., would look very nicely in print, and New Zealand, as usual, would meekly pay for the “ honor."