The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MAY 16, 1902. A LORD’S STRIKE.

Gisborne Times, Volume VII, Issue 417, 16 May 1902, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, MAY 16, 1902. A LORD’S STRIKE.

While the farmers of Australia are suffering from the effects of a very severe drought, they find the Commonwealth .-called on to deal with a strike that is quite out of the ordinary. The Governor-General, who is in receipt of the princely salary of ten thousand a year, has struck for higher pay. Of course it is not termed a strike, but practically that is what it is-. Before accepting the appointment Lord Hopetoun had a dear understanding as to what the salary would he, but he now finds that an extravagant style of living entails a far larger expenditure than he anticipated. Instead of trying to live within his means, he has been encroaching on his private income, and then expects to be recouped from the public purse. Representatives coming from the farming districts, and seeing th; struggle that the man on the land has had to keep his home together, did not feel pleased with the detnan ds made on the public purse on behalf of Lord Hopetoun. There was no attempt to cut down his salary as might possibly have been made during a time of drought, but there was natural resentment at such exorbitant demands being made to bolster up so much extravagance. IE Lord Hopetoun wished to spend so freely no one could object to his doing so from his private purse, but it was rather rough to expect the taxpayers of a droughtstricken land to bear the brunt of the extravaganoe. Lord Hopetoun ,vhas taken a straight-forward step in saying that he does not desire to continue under present conditions, but it is doubtful if there will be much sympathy for him in his distress. A crowd of hangers-on and social parasites will no doubt also be sorely distressed, but there should be rejoicing among the band of farmers who set the reform movement on foot. Lord Hopetoun had the glory of being Governor-General on the initiation of the Commonwealth, and his successor should have the satisfaction of knowing that the Commonwealth has no need of a spendthrift at the head of affairs. In bringing about such. a state of things the farmers of Victoria are to be congratulated.