NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1473, 22 June 1912, Page 6

NOTES OF THE DAY.

The informatlOA; ,^ has cerne to hand concerning • the sittings of the Imperial Trade Commission in London will no doubt aerve to impress_ on the public., the- unfortunate position the . Dominion "has beeii. placed in through .the. behaviour. .of bin Joseph Wakd. Believing apparently that the Mackenzie .Ministry would not be able to carry on, and having in view: the possibility that the failure- of.. his successor might open the door to the leadership of the "Liberal'.'. :party. again l ; .the na-m : ber for AwSriia', decided; of action whichi:has;-so: far.:!;■ 1 dft--:t-hp* : country quits. unrepresented on this important CSmmissipi#lt'suite(i his purpose well-enough a month or two back to accmit. the- appointriicnt and to lead' the Imperial;ai.ithoritics : and the people of New. Zealand to believe that he would carry out the : duties of the .office. When it suited him better to relinquish the_ position. he .-apparently had 110. hesitation in resigning it at a moment 's notice, regardless of the embarrassment his action would cause, and the disadvantage at which it would pliicc ..New. Zealand, Mis conduct has rendered it impossible, for New Zealand-' ttf h.p : reiVres.eii.lefl' at the earlier sittings of the. !;'i)iiimission, and appears to us quite inexcusable. Cabinet, has. the question of his UnuM':corisidV;ration, and it is stated- that the appointment will _ be. made to-morrow. Ministers, in view of the early sittings of Parliament,: misjht well leavo the matter over now ior a few days longer. . Unfortunately (he chief purpose 'ijie.Government has in view appears to be to make as much hay as possible while tlie sunwif oi'Jice still shines, and v.o fear. that this appointment, like the .High (Jomniissionership, is to be used for political party purposes. The country's interests these. days_ are of small account compared with the interests of the party in. power.

It is unfoi'tunnto for t!in membcrK of the" (Jov'crnmnnf. ih,'it. tiu-ir anxiety to .a'ppiar to lie, ..a hni-ci-working M-'ini'ste : y !>y '.vhirling. jjowilcloringly ail over Kow Zealand left them without' time fii mind their p's and C|'s. This neglect ims landed Mr. (1.. W. Erspnp.L iii ahouf as unhappy a sifcujin'on as a politieian would like 'to' avoid. ' The (liaijti Tiaihj Times had referred, as \y have referrc(lj ii.iid; ,a's iiio.'st peopleinterested i'n' politics have veferrcd in talk with their, fellows, to. the profitableness: to Minister!; of thi-ir travellings't.o. a'n'd' fro. 'Mv.: HrHRKi.t. was unwise -.enough to resori, in reply, to a perversion of fact. ' After saying lie did not. know ivv: uutei! he had drawn for ti;a\:ellij!ig ex. penscs. he adder!: ' When a A!iiuv v.-as- Ir.riv?.]li.jff .-sbc-M iic h-id .to pay all the co&t' of his h'Qa.rcl. and ru-

sidc.nee, excepting .Ins li,r:,iac.iion ■ iiiiti. c;i lj fares." Thi-iy is i.mly .me j Wiling to sa.v about this; it. i« i;rfii- : trnrx to I act. Ail Kis iii'i mil I ravelli'ij: <::pemies iu'e, paid iiy 1 li-' K'fiv) l ', and t'hi! State pays the M isii^l !-v Wis, a day in add'tioii lo do as .lift !iki\t With fflllM'J. t.VirVcllillg. J'{; IS, ,'IK. III!:'. Oim/n Jjaifu Ti'!■'.< pointed "ill'., "packet (iuHiey." Tlii; "traVwlliug I'.Srpensi?s'° a.-re qii.iiti! .separate. Erriin. I life | "travelling allowances," ni!.,i v.-iv j so shown in a ivli,ni ordered liy P.ii'ii-fiinoiiL- in l.!)ltt Vvi; I'lt.ir.ii.i<tv iui»' dersiaiid. i'vi n making ailowaivei; ■ for ll.ieiV desperate -ca.-se.j vHiy Minis; : tor.s ea'n .thus make statements. ilia!. Can, be disproved -oil Cite spot.

Til® PiiiMi: MiKisTiii! ;i.j>p>c;iis realise t.liivt tliis i:t;j!oTl ut tiro linn-; ■Meetings .at li'iß Albany niftilfiif! vi'lniii his oballi'iigi'. ivns taken H|i. by M li. H.untis, j\l . I ! , (im.'s 1101, ninke. In in cut a very l.joi.'oic ligii'riv. VVo ifi;ii. very pleased li). publish his ow.ll version of vliu incidiini , and. are iniiin ready !.o believe that, In; aj>]):-alift for ii hearing' for ili:: liie'i.i'il'ur lorWaitemata. .M 1:. Mac:(i:nzii-: ih a shreAvil ii.ncl: c.xpnriiincuci iH))i.iic:i.i(;(ii y and ap.irl-. iYon; Ihe i<»n u( fni rricsMi no dinibi- riialisyji' flint, i.t wiiiijd; be litlle in his advan!nj;o to have i(. said thai, he. feared to allow ». political oppone.nl, whosi- parly lie. had .atfetked. ;ibft,;rigiiti:'t)) lie heard in reply, Jsul V.lien (1m Plti'Mii MiNirHii'i>ii is .iconqijdi'd: credit, as ; : i.s bis due iii ibis respect, it is iiceessiiry' to .point out lb,at lie. has nob .atU'inpted ta deal, ryifith" tlicri really vilal issue in his eiicounler \yilh Mi:. jlAiiius. Tlk; re]iort shows Iha I, ®ii> .Mackknzii: mndi! serious .n;giiJiis:i> ifiiS i{efpi:m, parly, and challenged any member nfi tho.;p'u!;fc',Y- to iiiie'b't him 011 tin: plai- . form lie was liien 011 and disprove his assertions. His challenge was promptly taken up by Jilt. J.lahuih,' in face of much ■.hostility from- .Mill-, ist'rial suiiporlers jiresent, and the .PiUMK. Jh'xis'n;u I hereupon; wiili eipia! iiroiiiptitud.o dived for cover. ]in" e.\"|!lained th.at.. his . allegations did. nob refer to the. members of tho Heforin parly in I'arliam.eni, and that in any case he had. not time to go into tlio: inativr until afii.'r Parliament met. -jl'it.' .M)\CKKKSK'';ildc!i ,: not dispute that he, made the allt'gationsi or,tl\i!t l'.o issued (hi.! eiiallengu', or vhat il 11. Hakiuk took it' up.:, oc that, iiu (Ml:, -M-AckKxxn:) theii liacked .down in the manner stji'tb.d'i Possibly lie would take exception to his conduct being .described" ;,'is ii, "liack dov.-n,''_ and' would define ; t as a' :strategical mpyemeiit.putvOf the cneniy; but the facts speak for themselves. So far as his references to Association ru])or'iS are, concerned, we hold no brief ior , . ,tlip ; .'Pres'S' ''A'ssS^ i tlidi'Msest: ingratitude on' tli'n part of the head of the, Governsr.ent. to complain of the treatment lie atid his -Ministers inivo received from that .quartov. The. dpihys and sayiiigs of nienibei':; of the .Ministry fo ,: ;_ weeks . past have been recorded at quite iiir ?.iorcl inafcc' ;lp n^tlij'.iand';'iiv;ai : !mim icases the rules of the Association have l.ieon- broken in the direction .of 'introducing partisan coniment', . in- : variably 'favourabla ■ to the Governs ment. ' ' •

' The latest, and perhaps theeimie--os.t, -morsel" of political gussip is (ha'story that this member for the Hutt sees,'possibilities of thi' mantle of i-he Pruik Mixistkii falling on .his.shouldeys when Parliament meets..' yWji'y. liot". th'i' friends of. Mi!. Wn.ioi'.i) ask, "was not- lin. LM;RKXSOX.-n. can-;l didate for thapfficep#^whi^ .meiit naturally silences those, cynical : /ppbpip?:%hp;y(;nturfi to east" doubts, on so .cieligii! fill.,a possibility. Bur-first of all .-j\i is. Mackenzie'. has' to -be got rid "of. Two means present themselves;.il?..' Mackenzie may he.persuaded to retire in favour, of ■51 n.! \\ ilfokd','; it solace ..the High Comi'mi s3itfnei;slij p; or i f.lhc I'm .me 11 i i£? ;jSTEU ; /is;;npt;iimM^^ .il Wiu'okd can forestall Mu, Maka no-eoiifici'enea motion and drag the Kefprra' party .at his heels • into -the divisions-lobby.Then hav-. ing defeated, the: Government,- the. member for the Jlutt would be- sent, for-' by his Excellency and: would form his Cabinet. It is all. so. delightfully straightforward and. simple—so really pleiisant. a .romance— ; that' it would he;a pity to. spoil the' effect by. the, introduction of such kordicl things as cold facts. .