The Evening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1871.

Evening Star, Volume VIII, Issue 2482, 30 January 1871, Page 2

The Evening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 30, 1871.

Our contemporary the Daily 'Dimes is especially fortunate in having had a reporter present at Mr Macandrew’s meeting at Tokomairiro, who at any rate had an ear for one side ; although, from the report published, he seems to have been particularly deaf on the other. We congratulate him, however, that amid the “ indescribable confu- “ sion ” of the meeting, he contrived to have such clear perception of the questions put, especially as they evince such a minute knowledge of the doings of the different Ministries during the last four years. We do not know that any of them were of vital importance, although their object evidently was to throw upon Mr Macandrew blame that riglxteously should have been thrown upon his obstructive Ministry. But really such a reporter must be most valuable to a political faction. His one ear open to all calculated to throw blame upon political opponents, and so pertinaciously closed to replies that might have been favorable to their cause. We believe amongst navvies it is important to have the advantage of men who, in filling the dobbin carts, can work, one with the left hand foremost on the shovel, and the other with the right; and because one or the other accomplishment— -we do not know which—is somewhat rare, the possessor commands a higher rate of wages. There seems some analogy to this rare faculty in this one-eared reporter that our contemporary has employed. A most useful man he seems to be at a candidate-baiting. Amidst all the confusion, how clearly he seems to have heard questions subtly worded, involving trains of reasoning, references to figures, and, above all, minute know ledge of statistics ! Happy Mr Reid, t© have had such a one-eared reporter ! Poor Mr Macandrew ! what a misfortune to have only his deaf car to depend upon ! It is not for us to envy our contemporaiy his good luck in meeting with this lopsided phenomenon. It is very often difficult to get even one side reported by an ordinary two-eared reporter, who tries to do both sides justice. The yell of a Graham, or the thunder of a—we were going to say Gillies, but Mr Gillies says he did not interrupt at Tokomairiro, so anybody else who did will do—is quite sufficient to prevent questions and replies being heard. But on the principle that “ half a loaf is “ better than no bread,” half a report is better than none ; and a one-eared reporter seems to have the faculty of giving the questions, no matter to what length, most minutely. We were astounded at the fact stated, that “ our reporter found it impossible to “ catch the import of more than half “ the queries, as the noise and confu- “ sion were so great ” ; and yet he has managed to record various questions, ten to twelve lines long, and one by Mr Fleming twenty-six lines long, as recorded in the Daily Times. If such be the half that he heard, how thankful the readers of the Times must be that because of his one ear he heard no more. Probably the others were asked on the other—his deaf side. But what of the answers ? We suppose he guessed at or supplied them. We must regret, however, that our contemporary does not appear to have been aware of the singular faculty of the reporter employed, for we feel assured, had it been known, he would have supplied him with a mate who, like the navvies at the dobbin carts, would have worked with him and given the other side. For. our own parts, when Mr Macandrew next speaks at Tokomairiro, we mean to ask Mr J. L. Gillies who it was that was so wide-awake to the secrets of Mr Macandrew’s Executive administration —for he might be useful to us if we could only get him a fitting mate. We do not wish to be too curious as to the reporter; but the coincidence is strange that Mr Reid should have left Mr Gillies in charge as his deputy, that he should have made his appearance at Tokomairiro to put the questions that appear in his name, and that they and others on that side should be so accurately reported. Neither is there any accounting for taste ; otherwise taking into consideration that twelve months ago Mr Macandrew refused Mr J. L. Gillies’s services as Provincial Treasurer, when Mr Reid appointed him without consulting the Superintendent, ill-natured people might attribute to personal pique the repetition of the insult by Mr Reid, and the opposition of Mr Gillies himself. But clodocracies do not usually trouble themselves about courtesies ; their unsophisticated manners defy delicacies of perception ; like their ploughs, their notions run in a furrow, and they press on like their .plough horses, no matter whether the world approves or condemns. Some people call this straightforward, Bfl should we, if it were openly stated to

be opposition on personal grounds ; but when it is attempted to be made out to be based on political principle, like the oue-eared report, sound-thinking men will not believe it.