The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1886. HARD ON THE MAJOR.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume V, Issue 1421, 1 December 1886, Page 2

The Ashburton Guardian. Magna est Veritas et Prævalebit. WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 1, 1886. HARD ON THE MAJOR.

That “no man is a hero to his own valet de chambre ” is only the modern equivalent for the ancient scriptural proverb that “the prophet hath no honor in his own country” and the reason for both is concisely expressed in that other proverbial saying which is one of the copy-book headings of the schoolboy “familiarity breeds contempt.” An illustration of this is afforded by the terms of a letter over the signature “Economy,” which recently appeared in the local paper at Hawera, in which, referring to the loan which has just been floated, the writer says ;—“ It is not surprising to see the telegram announcing that the last loan has been sold at the lowest price realised by a New Zealand loan for many years. On two previous occasions Major Atkinson has, by his endeavors to create a ‘panic party,’ almost ruined the credit of the colony. During the last two years he worked hard in the same direction, and although he failed in this country, he has apparently succeeded In raising a scare which is likely to cost the colony a good penny. There are two singular things in connection with Major Atkinson that should be notpd well: one is that when out of office he preaches economy, and when in power he fails to practice it; and the other is that when in power he can see no depression, however clear it may be to other people, and that out of power he gets frantic with fear as to the state of the country. No one public man in New Zealand, even Sir J. Vogel, has had a hand in heaping so much debt upon us as Major Atkinson ; he should be the last to turn faint-hearted. No public man in New Zealand has had better opportunities of introducing economy into the administration; not one has done less. I hope the day is at hand when not only the New Zealand bondholders, but the New Zealand people, will learn to recognise the difference between the utterances ot far-seeing statesmen and the croakings of office-seekers without shelter." This is pretty severe upon the member for Egmont, and indicates that, however popular he may be with the majority of his own electorate, it yet contains some very thorough-going opponents. We observe too that the Taranaki Iletald is neither in love with the Major, nor with his party closing a recent article in the following terms: —“ It is well known that the party Major Atkinson is connected with is the same that causes articles to appear in the London Standatd so disparaging to the interests of the colony. This may be denied, but we think it would be found that if Major Atkinson’s party were again in power the tone of the articles in that paper would soon change. And this is political honesty !” Both in and out of the House there are staunch followers and firm believers in the member for Egmont, but there are not wanting just as firm opponents, and the foregoing will suffice show that some of these are evidently to be found within a stone’s throw of tys own Jie,a,4 r quarters.