The Western Star. (PUBLISHED WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY, 14, 1880.

Western Star, Issue 336, 14 February 1880, Page 5

The Western Star. (PUBLISHED WEEKLY.) SATURDAY, FEBRUARY, 14, 1880.

Ofr two distinguished visitors, the two Cabinet Ministers, Messrs JRolleston and Oliver, have now completed their visit to this district, and have left again for the north. Of course they have been severely deputationized at most of the places they have called at—New Zealand colonists are almost as good beggars as they are borrowers, and at the latter art no country in the world can bold a caudle to them. Accordingly we were not surprised to find in one of our Invercargill contemporaries last week au account of nine different deputations which in one day stated their grievances to the distinguished but long suffering visitors. The result was not much. In general the deputationists were told that their grievances were doubtless very great, but that the Grovernment had no funds, and therefore, nothing could be done. This is the latest phase of deputation reception. "When Mr Larnach came down he was not merely all things to /ill men, but was quite ready to give all things to all men. "Whether it was a railway or a town hall, or a police court, or a harbor embankment that was wanted, I he great; Larnach was ready at once to open the forsuaatus bag of G-overnment wealth

and pour it out. Here and there some cold blooded sceptics, fermented with the spirit of the age, and wanting in faith, suggested to Mr Laruach that he should put his promises in writing, or telegraph to the Government officials at ouce to get what was wanted done, and now and then, but not often, these suspinous deputationists succeeded. In those cases what had often before been declared by the official mind at Wellington to be wildly impracticable was done at once. But those cases were few and far between. In general the local birdlime was not spread in' a sufficient artistic manner to catch Mr Larnach, and on the whole not much of a practical character resulted from his visit. Next came Sir George Grey, who in very civil, but at the same time vaguely diplomatic manner, hinted rather than declared that he was goiug to dispense all manner of good things. The multi; ude believed, and even the sceptics could scarcely dare to ask the agent-general for the whole human race audits ancestors and posterity to put down his promises in writing. That would be rather too much of an insult. However, not much that was very substaniial came of Sir George Grey’s visit. The worthy knight contended that we were all so poor as to be nearly paupers, but then universal suffrage would cure all that and pour a vast supply of riches into our laps. It is almost needless to tell our readers that the supply has not yet come. And now two more Cabinet Ministers have come to call on us and be deputation ized. Their stage business has been of a different kind from that of their predecessors. Larnach, the airy and genial dispenser of splendid soap bubbles to every one, and Grey, the dignified and diplomatic, have given way to Eolleston and Oliver, the sternly frugal. These last-named gentlemen mildly hint to us at once that they are not to be had. The blandishments of the most accomplished interviewers are thrown away upon them. They snap the silken cords thrown round them as Samson did his green wyths. Even Mr M‘Caughan’s capital dinner could scarcely extract a single additional promise ! Such men as these are evidently past praying to. Are then Ministerial visiting in the remote provinces,and local deputationizing all useless, “ vanity and vexation of spirit,” as King Solomon in bis haste m ght perhaps style them ? We don’t think so. We outsiders in the Riverton and VVallace district don’t get put “ on the footing of the most favored nations ” with regard to the receipt of those small Ministerial favors whielt are much more plentifully best-wed upon large towns like Christchurch, Wellington, Dunedin, &c. Still now and then we get something of onr share, and every little helps. If some public want is so palpable that even an economical Cabinet Minister sees something must be doue, the trouble of making the grievance known is nothing as compared with the public benefit gained. But after all, the grand advantage of these reciprocal visits and deputations in a large colony like New Zealand is that prominent politicians who live many hundred miles off see what the country in the more remote places is like and what iis residents are like. In a few days’ visit, especially if they have had fine weather to see the country, they learn more than they would if they were to sit at Wellington reading blue books until they themselves were blue in the face. After two or three trips they are able to express something like sensible views respecting places at a distance, and their opinions are all the more likely to weigh for something because, not being the i opinions of mere residents, they are more j likely to be thought impartial. On the 1 whole, we see very good grounds for all Cabinet Ministers in turn taking advan- j tage of their leisure time to see what j those parts of the colony are like which j at present they know nothing about, j then they may perhaps legislate to some i advantage, for they have gained some j positive data to go upon. j