218 A COLONY IN THE MAKING chap. 



I submit that the position of the non-official members 

 corresponds with that of the Opposition in Parliament 

 — though here it is a permanent opposition. Even that 

 opposition is, I imagine, really in existence ostensibly 

 for the government of the Empire ; but though they 

 are presumably ready to give advice when called on, 

 yet naturally their help is given almost entirely by 

 criticism of, or direct attack on, faulty or unnecessary 

 legislation. I cannot believe that this objection to 

 legitimate criticism is likely to continue long. 



The bodies that have in the past and do at the 

 present day represent the purely settler element are 

 many and various. The most notable one in the past, 

 and certainly the body that has done more spade-work 

 than any other, has been undoubtedly the Colonists' 

 Association. This body fought an uphill fight in the 

 settlers' interests during what may be termed their 

 struggle for existence. It was representative of the 

 whole body of settlers, who in those days of course 

 occupied a much smaller tract of country than they do 

 at present. Under the presidency of Lord Delamere 

 and of Mr. Grogan, it placed the settlers' points of view 

 before the Government again and again, and though 

 in the course of events it made a few mistakes, the 

 work it did for the country can never be forgotten. 

 When the recognition of the settler was complete the 

 need for this body diminished. The area under 

 white occupation was growing, the population increas- 

 ing, and new interests were springing up almost daily. 

 Each of these interests began forming its own associa- 

 tion. Perhaps through no fault of its own the Colonists' 

 Association lost touch with these outside bodies, and 

 indeed became somewhat unpopular. The newer and 

 more local bodies resented its assumption of authority^ 



