The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. TUESDAY. MAY, 4, 1886. Mr Walker at Methven.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1411, 4 May 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna Est Veritas et Prevalebit. TUESDAY. MAY, 4, 1886. Mr Walker at Methven.

Mr Walker is to be congratulated upon the tone and matter of the speech he delivered at Methven on Saturday evening. The early post-sessional utterances of the member for Ashburton were characterised by a too ready acquiescence to the policy of the Government with which he is identified. As an eminently faithful partisan he permitted some of his higher political virtues to be temporarily obscured. But on Saturday he re-asserted his individuality. While giving a loyal and perfectly consistent support to the policy of his leaders, he ventured to state, in precise terms, his own views upon several important questions which are likely to occupy the attention of Parliament during its next session. His remarks with regard tot he operation of the Hospitals and Charitable Institutions Act are of special importance, coming, as they do, from a gentleman who has had exceptional opportunities to form a well grounded opinion upon the subject. Mr Walker approves of the main principles of the Act, but objects to some of its details. He thinks the districts defined by the present measure are too large, and is of opinion that, if this defect were remedied, the minor difficulties of finance and administration would be speedily removed. Mr Walker’s explanation with regard to the attitude he assumed in the H»use towards the petition of a certain section of the ratepayers, praying lor the constitution of a new counity, was frank and complete, That the object of the petitioners was defeated by the passage of the Counties Act Amendment Act was no fault of the member for Ashburton. Possibly, the ratepayers of the Mount Hutt district would have displayed greater wisdom and more courtesy if they had entrusted their petition to their own member, instead , of placing it in charge of a gentleman I who was not responsible for the protection of their interests. Mr John Holmes says he was away from the House when the clauses defeating the prayer of the petition were passed and therefore he is not to blame. We are not keepers of Mr Holmes’s conscience, but we are quite sure Mr Walker would not have been away from the House under similar circumstances. Mr Walker paid a well merited tribute to the indomitable energy and peculiar tact of the present Native Minister, and gave a concise history of the labours that have placed the East and West Coast Railway project in its present satisfactory position. We readily agree with Mr Walker that it would be “ exceedingly difficult ” to effect any j material saving in our Civil List expenditure; but this is no answer to the assertion that a saving should, and could, be effected. The member for Ashburton was not original when he attempted to make the excellent and economical management of our Post and Telegraph Departments excuse the abuses of our over-grown Civil Service. The administration of those two Departments was specially commended by the now historical Civil Service Commission, and no one, so tar as we fcnow, bas seriously sug

gested that a considerable reduction might be made in the cost of either of these branches of the services. The condition of other Departments is widely different ; and we are glad to learn that Mi Walker will, at least, oppose any general increase in the salaries of the Civil servants.