Settlement v. Education.

Wanganui Herald, Volume XXII, Issue 6632, 6 October 1888, Page 2

Settlement v. Education.

(Br A BETXLBE.)

Somo little limo ago whilst looking over tho columni of the Illustrated London News I noticed that its leading article was on the Crofter question, whilst an illustration showed a picturesque group of the hardy sons of toil assembled to hear the address of the friend and advocate of their cause, John McPherson of Glenaladale. He commenced hiß speech by quoting tho language of the great law-givor, "tho land shall bo thine and the fulness thereof;" but, he added, " tho powors that govern this nation say tho land shall not be thine." These people were assembled because they found it impossiblo to pay rents owing to foreign importation, the result being that; a large contingent are now leaving the port of Stornoway for Chili, in South America. The day will come when this policy wid bring on its own rovengo and regret. The New Zealand Government might take a lesson from thiß in time, Wo have millions of acres of virgin soil lying waste, whilst every etoamer leaving our ports takes away the bone and sinew of tho land which has cost so many thousands of pounds to bring to the country, and who are now leaving in search of nnre hospitable shores. It must strike a stranger that the apathy of the Government is something beyond comprehension, and I can only comparo it to a ahip sprung a leak, with the officers and crew quietly looking on without making any efforts to stop its progress, whilst a noble ship is fast becoming a total loss. Our rulers might tako a hint from Mr Ballancfl's Village Settlement, which has nowproved itself a success. As a proof of this newspapers throughout the land, that at first hold it up to ridicule, are now to the front in showing it to bo the one thing wanting. Somo will say that through want of funds the plan cannot be carried out, There is an old saying " where there is a will thore is a way," and as a way out of this difficulty I would suggest that Government would abolish the Education Department and loave it to be carried on by pi ivate enterprise, and, where necessary, supplement it as Sir John Macdonald, the Premier of Canada, has found to work to advantage. This point I have studied for some time, and have sounded all grades of society with regard to it, commencing with the laborer. Ho assured mo that were the Government to spend tho money that is spent oa education on public works and land settlement he would guarantee to give his children all tho education required, adding that at the present timo, while the oliildron were educated free, tho parents were out of employment. In speaking to some of the leading merchants on tho view I took of this matter, thoir conclusion was that if tho money spent on education was directed to public works and settling tho people on the land it would give a wonderful impetus to trade, whilst tho view that members and ex-members of Parliament took was that it carried both truth and weight with it, so that there is positive proof that were Mr Ballance's echomo carried out on this principle it is plain to cvory ono that it would bo the means of establishing or creating revenue that would surpass the calculations of the most sanguine.