POLITICAL TOURS.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 622, 27 September 1909, Page 6

POLITICAL TOURS.

~ r°* • i ■ The'announcement, cabled last week, that President .Taw is'to start on a motor-car journey of 1300 miles with tho object of "explaining tho tariff and unfolding legislation," will' doubtless bo tvt-asurcd up for uso when noxt: complaint is roado concerning tho passion of our Cabinet Ministers for rushing all over tho country. There is, of course, one yory groat difference botweon tho tours of a Proßidont and the tourß of a New Zealand Minister. . The President does not concorn, himself with tho trivial little local wants of tho districts which hn visits. His appearanco in an out-of-the-way town is welcomed, but it is riot welcomed as tho appearance of a distributor of. largesse. He is not assailed by.fiorco deputations in quest of grants from tho. public purse, for;Rq .does not tiavol. in'order to lot'thc public know that it is, raoro r profitablo.to get his. oar than to have a just cause, But even although ho travels -simply, in ordpr to place his policies clearly before tho peoi pie, tboro is always a good deal of opposition to the cost of his' journoyings, small as it is in view of thegro'atness of •'.ho 'country which ho governs, and tho great importance of his office. When, some weeks_ ago, it was pro'posod to appropriate £6000 for his travelling " cx-pc-nses.'thoro was.a/vigorous battlo' in the House, and- it_ was urged, that tho extra grant proposed was distinctly in .violation'of tho Constitution. The money, however), is not for the President's private 1 -putse:'''ho %ay''expend it'only ; forthe' defraying 'of,actual travelling •ex;'p'enses','Vahd;'he must 1 hand back any un-cxpendbd-balaiicb'.'. . '•'' ' ' , Discussing the .general question, tho New York Post' has some observations winch aro. not without iowa bearing on tho'problem presented in. this country by with which Ministers scurry up arid down in an unceasing canvass for votes. Much nonsonso, 'says tho Post, has boon' uttered concerning the purpose and valiio of Presidential tours:

Somo gravely argue that it makes tho people moro "patriotio" to havo a chance'to see their President. It is sunposed'that, sonic-how,'-gratificd curiosity will ncrvd" citizens to a fresh senso.of public duty.. This h doubtful. Tho Arabian p'rov'irb, it istrUfa : says that' tho fig tree looking on'the' fig tree becoineth ,fruitful, but thom. ii no authentic ease of a Tammany, 'politician, or a heeler of tho. Republican''.machine, in ■ Philadelphia or Chicago,; turning, away; from' tho sight of a President in tears, and.with sobs vowing to be a bettor man.. To bo a more gaiiing-stook for, tho public might well- bo>distasteful • to any Preside]!,, Jefferson' had that in mind when ho, wrote: "I am not reconciled to, a Chief Magistrate' parading himself as-an object of public gaze and in -quest-, of applause." Kqually.tobo ruled -but- is tli©: notion which some' advanCQ that it is a p:oocl thing for tho President himself .to. go. about' tho country »-nd bwonio "educated"-'ih ; its This is, to bo sure, borno out by /'certain Presidential deliverances: about "I novor knew 'what, a glorious country, we have '.till I camo hore,"-'or "This, iriipresscs upon meimoro'deeply than over the majh' destinies of our beloved land," but it is all hollow. ', If. a President doesn't know enough about the country to rulo iti Wisely, ho. pa!inot-:,'earn by being,'dragecd through-a succession of'banquets'and' multitudes' agape. Many of; tho .absurd cohtbniione which til's I'ostso- brightly demolisheshavobeen r«t forward on/behalf of Ministers : 'in this country. It' has been, assorted that the public, in tho country, districts should not bc-doprivedof>tho ploaß.u.ro' of' actually seeing tho members.of ! tho.Ministry, ate oyoryono. who has been in a'country town when a arrives is.; woll awaro.of tho prido which Ministers take in tho homago and admiration of tho local residents. Tho chiof argumont of Ministers, howovor, is to tho effect that thby must < travol in order "to make themselves acquainted with tho,public's needs," Tho Hon. E. M'Eenzie oven went the length 1 the' other day of doolar'■ng that ovory now raombcr of Parliament should spend his first year as a mombor in travelling right through tho Dominion/ Wo a r o, well awaro-that a;great rany people.honestly .b'cliove that it is riot a sufficient l reply to MR..M-KENzißto say, adapting tho New York journal's phase, that a momber who doesn't know ciiough. abqut political. principles to bo a u'f-cful,.member will -not be,madb,useful bv, ; riding.aboiit -in, trains.- But that is bicauso Parliament -has, got into a ■ bad-, way, .and has' of late years been a glbrifiod Road Board rathor than a national asrembly v Thoro ■.-.-aro.-.fow.'..things more urgently -needed in this country than the trhrisforrnatipn -of : members 'from local delogates' into national deputies. If a mcrabpr "does not know whether tho principle of compulsory arbitration is. good or'bad, or whether political control of tho railways is good, or bad, or whether tho leasehold' or, the freehold -..■policy is the: better; ho iviU. bo just as ignorant 'and welcssj after i a year 'of travelling .from Auckland ;to : tho -Bluff-as he was whonho began,. What applies to mombers applies equally;to.,Ministers. : We have in;the past admitted that there is justification {or/a Prirno Minister's travelling/when he 'travels'in'order-, to expound 1 a policy. And oven then .his".travels, should -not mean, an'unwarranted, pillaging, of-ths public pursb.' ;The fact is-that Ministers make'.ttjoro''mpney ;by travelling• than ;by atteridirig'tp-their work,.and until travelliiig ceases to havo,a cash value they will ho constantly op the move. ' ;•;