MR FISH AND "HIS" PARTY.

Evening Star, Issue 3154, 29 March 1873, Page 2

MR FISH AND "HIS" PARTY.

To the Editor.

Sir, —Your correspondent, “ An Elector,” has ably shown how flimsy was the reason—if reason existed at all—for Mr Fish ceasing to be a supporter of Mr Macandrew. I shall shew that equally flimsy is his reason now given for Joining the ranks he had formerly deserted.

The sole reason given is the sale of the Moa Flat block. Now Ido not defend that sale, but I say Mr Macandrew is as much to blame for it as Mr Reid. It was Mr Turnbull who first pledged the Province to sell land in large blocks, in order to reduce the overdraft at the Bank of New Zealand. His Executive promised to ask the Provincial Council for leave to sell, and the Reid Executive, which displaced them, simply carried out Mr Turnbull’s pledge to the Manager of the Bank of New Zealand ; and when the proposal was before the Provincial Council only two members opposed it, Mr Shepherd and Mr Green. The “liberal” member for Lawrence supported it. The Provincial Council—the members in the present Executive—approved of the sale of land in large blocks, and the Moa Fiat sale was the fruit of Mr Turnbull’s pledge. Then, again, Mr Reid was opposed to the Moa Flat sale as made, and was in Wellington when the land was'spld “Mr Fish acknowledged this, but he said he should have dismissed the members of his Executive who agreed to the sale. By the same reasoning, Mr Macandrew, if opposed to the sale, should have dismissed the members of his Executive. To show that Mr Reid was more opposed to the sale than Mr Macandrew, I shall place their opinions, as given in evidence before the Commission, in parallel columns :

Mr Macan i) re w Mr Reid said“ I sflid “ With all the do not think that the allowances and duduc- interests of tjip publif. tions, I consider it has have been sufficiently been a very excellent guarded in this case; sale for the Province, inasmuch as a strip of except in the single laud, bordering on the point of the 3,000 river, has been sold, acres.” which the Executive resolved should be withheld from sale.”

What Mr Macandrew’s opinion of the land agitation in such centres as Lawrence is, may be gathered from the question and answer, numbered 17 : —“Have residents in the neighborhood been asking for land to be thrown open for sale? —There is always agitation in goldfields towns ! ” That Mr Macandrew assented as muph a§ Mr Reid to the Moa Flat sale cannot bo doubted, and his own answer, quoted by me, as to his opinion thereon, is conclusive as to his views after the sale. Why then did Mr Fish leave the Reid party to join the Macandrew party ? Need 1 say it ? He found the Macandrew party was the most powerful, and he, to quote Mr Barnes, “ expired to a higher sphere.” “Circumstances alter cases” is his motto. He holds strange views on the position of an Executive, which I shall not at this time refer to. I may only say that he approves of Mr Macandrew dismissing Mr Reid, as he was Minister for Public Works, though he was not acting as Provincial Treasurer; yet I suppose he also approves—else he would not pledge himself to support the present Executive—of Mr Bathgate acting in the dual capacity of Minister of Justice and Provincial Solicitor—drawing both salaries. But enough ; I feci certain that not many of the electors will found supporting one who supports one party to-day apd apothef to-morrow, and who Has been true to one party, And that is hisself. —I am, &c., Another Elector. • Dunedin, March 27.