POLITICAL NOTES.

Daily Telegraph (Napier), Issue 3958, 27 March 1884, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

(By: "Quiz.") What a row there is browing over the now railway tariff in tho South, which hitherto has had tho now railway rates made to suit it irrespective of cost or working expenses A few weeks ago we till romember how Mr Sutton spoko in reference to tho Civil Service, the moment you touched a particular mftn tho constituency declared for years he had been underpaid, and no retrenchment could be carried out in that constituency, but thcro were lots of openings for the pruning knifo elsowhere. Now, if for tho Civil Sorvico wo substitute tho railway tariff, docs tho picture not strike you as equally effective ? Thcro can be no raising of rates in our neighborhood, but to deal out jus-' tice tho rates should be raised elsewhere. The Southern members meet together, get their backs up, and declaro that the time for raising tho rates is most inopportune. Exactly, but is that not a little too thin ? Tho time, you see, would be much more opportune when tho present harvest had been shipped tiway, when the speculators had had their moneys, and when the raising of the rates would bring but little grist to.the exchequer, and with the off-chance of having them once nioro reformed by the time another grain season had come round. Well, what docs all this tend to show the necessity of ?■ Why, I think, it proves the entire case, that a railway board of management is a necessity, a non-political board, and then wo -would not have, the comedy (?) of tho Government supporters meeting in Canterbury and declaring that, if railway rates are so arranged that the burden shall fall on those who reap tho advantages and not on the colony, the Government can no longer expect their .support. Why wo _ are ho situated with our railways, that a little combination of that kind could upset any Ministry. 1 grant you that I know no reason why tho exporter of grain should havo his goods carried at oiio-tliird tho rate that tho importer of ten and sugar can have his inovod about at. It may be a kind of protection ; if it is, I amafraid it is like every other phase of protection, a failure. Why, the exporter of tho tea and sugar suffers no loss because of the high railway tariff, the consumer must pay for that. If we must foster industries in our midst, and no man will gainsay the idea, let us do it by logitimato means, and not in a manner which uut-herods burlosquc. I havo before exprossed my doubts as to the genuininess of tho Atkinson Ministry in the matter of reform of the service, and that doubt has been sfcrcnghtencd by a private letter received tho other day froJii a Wellington correspondent, who, besides king a keen politician, is a keen critic and thorough observer of much that can only bo scon below the service. Ho writes, " Many of tho Civil Servants arc in a state of consternation as to what may turn up at any moment. lam somewhat doubtful as to the sincerity of Government to reduce expenditure tho fact is one has seen .so many instances of tho partial repentances of Governments in New Zealand, and temporary fits of economy, that I shall suspend my judgment respecting - tho present endeavor to make expenditure sq-iuu'G with income till I see further." Tho view it. will bo seen, is in accord with tho opinion I have previously expressed. An election or two, which will have to be held just as Parliament meets, will have an important bearing on the course of procedure when tho House meets. That Ministers will do their utmost to retain Thorndou gocß without saying, but should an election take place fyr the East Coast I am very much of opinion that a strong opponent would be the selection of the electorate. Mr Ormond's requisition is a round about way of learning whether that gentleman would contest Napier or not at the next election. I sco by last night's Telegraph ho has consented to do so. Napier, apparently, Avon't want candidates when tho time comes. Already three gentlemen are in the field, and a "dark horse" is talked of, who, lam assured, Avill come home lirst, as dark horses generally aro supposed to do, but alas for their backers they aro often in tho wrong box. If 1 were a writer of fipurting items, instead of steady going political notes, I think I could give a tip that even "ilippo," good as lie is in his lino, would havo some difficulty in boating , , for tho next general election for Napier at all events, but I refrain. Mr Bathgate, I notice, continues to show how impracticable ii Scotchman can become when affected with Otagoism.