A SLANDER ON OTAGO.

Dominion, Volume 3, Issue 911, 2 September 1910, Page 4

A SLANDER ON OTAGO.

The fact that the bulk of the meriibers of the Parliament of New' Zealand nowadays consider that ; the highest duty of any representative is to secure as large.a share as.possible of tho_public funds for expenditure in his constituency is generally recognised. Many members seeking re-election put forward as their chief claim to support l the success they have ■ met with in this respect. It is not often that newspapers of standing openly support this pandering to.jocid greed at tho expense of the national interest; but the Dunedin' evening ipaper will 'find ;it difficult to explain away : its attitude towards the member for Cluthu in connection with .certain railway undertakings in the province of Otago, On Monday last a deputation waited upon tha Prime Minister to urge tho claims of the Outlins-Tahakopa railway. Mr. Malcolm: was the spokesman of the deputation, and it happens that although he is an Otago member, he does not , share tho general Otago opinion upon the Lawrence-Pioxburgh railway. So far as the Catlins railway is concerned, wo had- better say, there is no dispute anywhere as to its value and necessity. Now, it so happens that Mr. Malcolm, speaking in the House on Juno 30, had the' honesty and the courage to praise the Government's decision to stop work on the Law-rence-Roxburgh line—a decision, by the way, that the Government, with an eye to the election, is preparing to reverse. Mn. Malcolm added: "Believing, as I do, although tin Otiigo man, that that work is not justified, 1 sent n telegram of congratulation to tho Prime Minister,

and offered to support his action on the public platform in Dunedin." In preparing its article on Tuesday, which, wound up with i), strong attack on the Government for [stopping work on the Lawrence-Kox-burgh line, the Duhedin Star recalled Mk. Malcolm's statement, and the thought that- an Otago man could have said such a thing angered it greatly. And in its anger it laid bare its heart in the following remarkable statement: ■ "A politician who adopts that attitude is not the sort of champion that Otago wants at the present time." We shall not bu surprised if future years should show this statement grown famous as the classic example of the spirit of parochialism' at the end of the "Liberal" era. We should bo very sorry tg think that the 6' tar is here a faithful interpreter of the mind of Otago. The "attitude" taken up by lilt. Malcolm was one of frank opposition to what he honestly believes to be. a wild-cat railway scheme.; And our Dunedin contemporary* declares in effect that there' is no room in Otago for men who will voice their honest convictions. Let Mk. Malcolm suppress his opinions, and proclaim that the Lawrence-Koxburgh line'is necessary and a sound venture, and, if our contemporary is to be believed, he will conform to Otago's notions as, to what is proper iii a public man. As a matter of fact we are confident that most of the advocates of the continuation of that work are quite honest, if quite mistaken, in their assertions that the Government has erred in the matter. We cannot believe that "the sort of champion that Otago wants" is the sort that is ready to lie manfully for the parish pump. 'Our Otago friends may well pray to be saved from such friends as. the Dunedin evening paper. .-'.■.,■• ■