The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Morning. Thursday, February 13, 1890. CODDLING.

Gisborne Standard and Cook County Gazette, Volume III, Issue 416, 13 February 1890, Page 2

The Gisborne Standard AND COOK COUNTY GAZETTE. Published every Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday Morning.

Thursday, February 13, 1890. CODDLING.

Be just and fear not; Let all the ends thou ftinj’st at bG thy country’s, Thy God’s, and truth’s.

The policy of the State—coddling any one section of people has always been a blemish on the Government of any colony which has attempted it, and the Government of New South Wales are now finding this out. Owing to the recent severe drought in that colony many farmers were reduced to financial straits, and to prevent a serious collapse the Government supplied to the farmers a large quantity of seed wheat, on the understanding that the advance was to be repaid from the proceeds of the first crop. In the circumstances the Government probably took a very course, but the effect has been very different from what was desired. The Government have now been petitioned to allow the repayment to stand over, a plea being made that the season, though a very good one, has not enabled the farmers to fully recoup themselves for their losses. If such a preposterous thing were to occur in New Zealand, the farmers would be more manly than to countenance it. It would reduce the tiller of the soil very much to an equal level with an ordinary pauper.

As has been pointed out a Government have no right to be “generous." They are the trustees of the people as a whole, and though it is perfectly competent, in the interests of the general community, for a Government to try and prevent the ruin of a productive class, it is certainly not justifiable for them to become dispensers of charitable aid in a form which ought to be repugnant to every manly spirit. It is hard to imagine the possibility of such a thing occurring in New Zealand, and we are glad to observe that the Sydney Press has shown a resolute opposition to such a degrading policy, which, if carried into effect, would sully all the projects of a national unity. The Sydney Daily Telegraph makes the following very pointed remarks in regard to the request made : — “We have founded a Constitution upon what we believe to be the best model, and under existing conditions we perhaps could not better it. But in one respect it must be admitted to have worked out unfortunately. A member of Parliament has too often to do very paltry service for his seat. Too many of our politicians are not above this kind of service. They are sent into Parliament to get what they can

for their constituents and feel that they retain their seats during good behavior. It is easy to discover the cause of these tilings, but less easy to mend them. Of necessity the Governments of these colonies have undertaken many works which are elsewhere left to private enterprise and the public have come to look to the Government for everything because they have had to rely upon it for much. To get Governments to do what they desired voters have looked to members of Parliament, and members have found that the surest road to popularity is to be found by bringing pressure upon Governments to do what is agreeable to their constituencies. The remedy will come in one way only. It will probably be found in a satisfactory measure of local government. An the meantime we have to put up with Mr Haynes’ appeal, and from time to time with others not much better. It is a, 5 attempt of a sort to which we aie growing sadly accustomed. It is at be st a veiled request for out-door reliefin fact, a form of pauperisation. It would hane been bad enough if the indulgence had' been asked for by the farmers themselv es; it will be much worse if it be granted .in repose to the appeal of a politician,”