The Waikato Times, "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1872.

Waikato Times, Volume II, Issue 84, 12 November 1872, Page 2

The Waikato Times, "OMNE SOLUM FORTI PATRIA." TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 1872.

lirtis morning The WaYkato Times assumes'a larger and more itiJposiiSg a]ipearatiC6 and will in fntur6 be issued at a reduced price. When in May ] a sij tie printed our first number, we wete cOtoparatively igrioraaii of the resources and prospects of the district the interests of which we had undertaken to support We, nevertheless, cast iii our lot with the settlers—-ter rise or fall, to become richer or poorer, witfr therti. Ifi Was clear to us that the object we had in vie# Was only to- be by writing honestly on every question that came before us for discussion, regardless of j\arty or A journal, if it is to have power for good, must have proved itself honest and consistent; we can, without fear of contradiction, state' that during otrt short existence we have exerci&d both of these journalistic virtues. Since we first saw the light, however, there hatfe' been but feW jtoliftteal questions that required discussion at our hands. The Immigration and Public worlfer policy was initiated, and the only course opfen to' any patty ttofc might hold poWer Was to Carry it out as' honestly as possible in a small Colony like New Zealftnd cfirsed with a constitution; for a curse it. has undoubtedly proved to her as similar institutions mtitst always do to every country from Which £atfio£iSmr —a virtue only possible' ih a country possessed of ft history —is absent. Weli'atfe been called Upon to fighfl for our share of the loan, as orfr 6l»riA' to a railway Was admitted onaH gronds to be a just one. Had this Hot been the case,* it would hatfi been our duty to make the facts clear to the Government, and we should undoubtedly hate done fitf to the b6st of otir ability A 9 regards the support we' gaVe the' late' Ministry, we only did so because W6 in most instances approved of their conduct of jffiblic affairs; we did not, howaver, fail to search for their weak points and- lay thei bare to the public,- nfeft&W did we ottifi to point' out that Mr. togel, tmcheeked by a colleagute of experience and ability, is not to be safely en- * trusted with the direction of oil* affairs, and, in consequence, advocated the deposition Of Mr.-Fox, ■Who was evidently not possessed of St sufficiently firm hand to be entrusted with the reins of the Ministerial team of which Mr. Vogel was teader. We have consistently supported Mr M'Leaji because \vg wore sifd htß of opinion thiifi nis native policy entitled him to the confidence of the country. He t&as succeeded in maintaining peace and quietness, and, in the rneanwhi!e> bus pttsHed roads into the interior, and every mile constructed is a greater "blow to the native disturbers of the peace than inany of those engagements which took place & few years back, and which, in order that the prestige of our arms might suffer- as little-aB-possible in the eyes of the outer world, we used to term '' victories Over the blood-thirsty savages." We admit (hat

it iB not a pleasant fact to contemplate, bufritts nont the leas oue, that we cannot afford to fighfe tb« natives, so much money having been' sqaandef6d' iz pretending to do it. It is cheaper feet than to fight them>' and so long as the jadiciofc doling out of flour and sugar will keep tlaaii quiet and'enable as to pursue our onward marc* in the way of road making, it would be sheer madnes; tofijght them simply for an idea 1 . We must not boWeVer, bemistindai'stoOd ; ther'o mast be no'mori murders or burning of settlers' houses ; if thes« things take place the duty of the Government will be clear; they must call 1 upon the population and we feel 1 sure that if once the settlers take arms in their hands, they will not drop 1 them* till the.) hare given the' natives' such a leSson' as the) Would 1 never foi'get ;■ the allair wotild have to bi short, sharp,-and decisive, as> our fiuaucial necessities~will not allow us, in deference'to Exeter Hall twaddle, to only play at the very sertons game ol quelling a turbulent and warlike body of savages living in otor iVxini'ediate neighbourhbodt There is no' fear that Mr M'Lean 1 will force mattebs' to' a crisis likely to'recult in fighting,-so that if fighting does take place; - the fault will be oU'the side of odv enbmifes, and on them 1 will fall the just retribution. The position' of afSiir'3 has been thoroughly explained to them, and we have sufficient confidence in the tact and knowledge of native character possessed' by Mr" M'Lean to 1 believe' that 1 native | wars are things; of the past. I 1 Tiie ibost important pOlitldal' question we - Have had to consider was the stoppage of the subsidies to Road Boards proposed' by Mr Gillies in the financial- statement delivered by him as" the Treasurer of the Stafford Ministry. This was so | manifestly ruinous to the' country districts, mote especially to this, just rising as it is from* a statt of utter stagnation to one of comparative prosperity, that it was hartlly necessary for us to condemn the policy and the man- who promulgated' it, as, before we could express ourselves in print, the public had unanimously condtfmbed both. There has" been one' nlatter in which we Have nbdoubtedly given offence to a section of' the settlers in &e Waikato. We allude to the'opinion we expressed' with regard- to the particular spot on which the Agricultural Show should' bb held. In' justice to ourselves, We' natftt explain that throughout the dispute we expressed- the opinion that it did not matter an' iota where the show was held'so lortg as tho stock and- produce of thtt whole di&ttfict? Was exhibited at it. Subsequently'we did' express ah' Opiniort' antagonistic' to 1 those of our Alexandra and Te Awamutu friends, on the ground that they were unwilling to'act in accordance with the agreement' made by their representatives. It ier not worth' While;- however, to agaiii open- the di&ciissfon-i' mßch as we regret the' circumstance that the district has split up into two sections over a question' Which' was of real importance only to one or tWd' h6tel-keepets: The" settlers should be above 1 sucJh'petty and'we trust that next year there will tie one show, and that there'wili be much more to exhibit at it than there will be at the tfwo about to'be held, and further that the' prizes will ble better Worth competing fo?i We'fife soi'r'y tfia'6 weP have not refteiVed' mote correspondence Ronr settlers' on' matters affecting their interests. They appear nbt yet to have become alive to the uses'Of a newspaper; we will, thereford; inform tl em that it' is not printed solely to giVe news, or that the members of its staff* shall haVe' enfcrast'ed to them the sold' guidance and- expression of pablib opinion: One of the chief uses of a newspaper is to afford facilities for the public to' Ventilate questions of gener'ad' interest. We shall always be glad to insert any letter, no matter what opinions may be expressed in it, provided it treats on a subject of public interest, and is written in a tone fit for publication. In' futufd We trust to have" more liberal demands 6n Our correspondence columns; It will always be, as it has hitiibrto been!" otii* desire to Work for the advance of this district on the road to affluence and prosperity, and in return we consider that we are justly entitled td'ask that the settlers shall support'us to'the best of their ability. The rate of subscription is small —certainly not above the' mfeans of any settler in the district, arid our 'increased slie will enable us to give'more th&n the equivalent for the money in information on interesting#subjects and intelligence of what is going Oh' in this and other parts of the world. To increase the size of a paper neCssarily entails*'(sbf>siden*al>le additional' cost, but We" have sufficient' confidence in the intelligence of the settlers to believe that they will see it is to their interest to support us in our endeavour to supply them' with'an otgati Whieh shall be'a'credit tCr' the district in wheh it is printed.

On Friday niglit last, a miiii named Edward Byrne w*as knocked oferboarcf from'th'e TTangariri steamer. It appears that bo had been'in the drripl6yment of the Waikato' Steam and Coal Company some time back, but had left the service. He asked the master of* the steamer to allow him' to work his passage to the Heads and back, as he had left a waistcoat there with money in it and he wished to fetch it; The master consented, arid thus the unfortunate fellow came to be on board. The steamer had »■ barge in tow, and deceased was knocked overboard by the tow-rope. The accident happened'about mid'-nignt ;'a boat was iinmeSiately lowered, but the man was never seen again ; in fact' it is extremely probable that the body has beep washed out to'sea. An amusing scene occurred on 1 the' Wellington wharf when the members were leaving by the Phoebe- It appears that, it was blowing rather harder'ftiah'is customary even in tlie iSmpire City, tihd that the passengers (including, several honorary members) were competed to resort/ to" all fours to reach the'erid of the wharf where the steamer was waiting to'receive them; A more appropriate mode of leave the scene of their squabbles could not have been found. We trust that some of them felt the' degradation' of which their mode of progression wai. symbolical. Ohe hon member who hailed from Auckland, declined to demean himself, and waited for a more favourable opportunity to J reach- his home.