The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, FEBRUARY 27, 1905. THE PREMIER’S REBUKE.

Gisborne Times, Volume XVII, Issue 1390, 27 February 1905, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, FEBRUARY 27, 1905. THE PREMIER’S REBUKE.

Hie share rebuke ,which (the Pro. mier has given (fca Colonel Porter bo*, comes one of the most; interesting phases of the sensational Sed-doTw (Taylor lawsuitand the: .worst of 13 is that the matter can hardly, he allowed to remain p,t that stage. The Premier may .w.eil .declare it to he a case of save me from my friends.” Colonel Porter has been acknowledged to he a brilliant officer and he is a writer of marked abil-

ity, i tout ai smart pressman lias Hiscovered a weak point of his armor, and has not been srow, to take ad-> vantage of the opportunity. On am rival, at .Colonel Porter unfolded- to a reporter a story of the .campaign incident which was clearly intended to help; Captain Sed'don is .was sought to clear up any confusion caused in the public mind by, legal and military, technicalities. It waa a well-meant attempt to place the position, fairly before the' people ? but the effect has been to open up and add fresh fuel tq a controversy that had already, been settled in the most honorable way, possible under the painful circumstances.- -Instead pf smoothing matters over* he has, no. doubt to his own great surprise, conveyed the impression that there Wais not only, the one enquiry that so much has been made of by, an adroit politician to bait v. the Premier through liis soiij but be has given the idea that enquiries of a serious nature .were so- plentiful that -t-h-ero should bo a further enquiry, on the ‘subject of enquiries. Colonel ‘Pp-rter good-aaturodly. thought to do. a; fellow-officer, a kindly turn whenthq best of kig'djnosia would have been to allow, the hatchet to remainburied, apd he hag really, presented Mr T. E. Taylor with weapons to renew the attack on quite a different groupd, enabling a frontal attack to be made on the Premier himself.

Tito Premier has quickly, foreseen 1/ho trouble that might ensure, hence the sharpness of the rebuke. Colonel Porter’s reply will now bo awaited with much interest., Cer-

tainly, having gone so far, he should stand ito his guns. Ho should make it quite clear, that ho did not think it wise hot' consult the Premier or Captain- Seddon in a matter which might be considered to personally affect one or the other. : A reply of the Wild might not ’please the Premier at the moment, but he w.ould come, to recognise that it was better to have matters explained in that way than to have it even hinted that he would have consulted any inividual directly interested before allowing bis . opinions to be published.