Scobie Mackenzie

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 131, 2 December 1893, Page 2

Scobie Mackenzie

The defeat of Mr Scobie Mackenzie is much to be regretted, but truth compels us to add that we should have had to say the same had the Christian name of the defeated candidate for Waihemo been John. The interests of the country and of the new Parliament were bound to suffer when two good men were pitted against each other in a contest which must exclude one of them from the new House. With all his ruggedness, which at times approaches coarseness, the Minister of Lands is a man who could not well be spared from Parliament. He is distinctly useful there, and would be more useful still if he were in better company in the Cabinet. We hope his powers of usefulness may be increased in this way ere long. Mr Scobie Mackenzie's logical mind, knowledge of figures, and powers of incisive criticism and sarcasm, also made him a man of mark in the House, and a decidedly valuable factor in Parliamentary politics. It was an exaggerated sense of chivalry and Party loyalty whioh made him risk probable defeat at Waihemo to running for a safe seat elsewhere. We hope, however, that the new Parliament will not long be deprived of his presence in the House. A seat should be found for him at the earliest possible moment, and this apart from all Party considerations. The, colony has too few men of Mr Mackenzie's character and calibre to be able to spare any of them long from its Parliament. — »Post.