The Commissioner of Lands

Feilding Star, Volume XIV, Issue 116, 21 March 1893, Page 2

The Commissioner of Lands

Wk do not pretend for one moment to be friends of the Government, but, in justice to one whom we believe to be a deserving public officer, we must enter our protest against the dictum of the Wuirarapa Daily Times, which says : " There is a power behind MiBaker's throne which prevents him from conducting his department on business principles, Jind, therefore, he ought to be removed and Mr Mar chant recalled." "We know that there have been, and are, complaints on the part of the public against the Commissioner of Lands for the Provincial District of Wellington, but we believe that Mr Baker is doing his best to evolve order out of the chaos which was left by his predecessor. If there is any blame to be attached to anyone that blame .should be placed to the charge of t)\c (Jovernment, both present and past, for expecting one man to do the work of five — and our contemporary, by inference, admits this when he speiks of " the power behind the throne." In this part of the land district the prejudice against Mr Baker, which was admittedly, but unreasonably, strong from the moment he took charge iv Wellington, is gradually giving way to the feeling that, after nil, he is the right man in the right place, who is doing his duty to the public honestly and conscientiously. (Jiven another two years, .- l i i r 1 the popularity and esteem in wliidi Mr B;ikor will be hold, will <;(m;t! if not f-xo-ed that of hi.s predecessor.