The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, AUGUST 9, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1829, 9 August 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING GISBORNE, AUGUST 9, 1906.

Tim Wellington Tost glvos currency to the rumor that during tiro last brief .session of Parliament the Country Party decided to watch over its own interests during the period of tko reconstruction of tho Ward Ministry, with a view to preventing a leaseholder ! getting charge of the Lands Doparfc' ! ment, and that the Country Party on [ the Government side of the House, which number 20 members, deputed Messrs Rutherford and Major to wait upon Mr Hail-Jones to impress upon tho Leader of the Liberal Party that it was strongly opposed to the inclusion of Mr Fowlds in the new Cabinet. The reasons given for the objection to Mr Fowlds were that he is “ a Singletusor, a Freetrader, and a faddist,” and should not bo given a portfolio. In view of wmat bas transpired since that rumour got abroad it does not appear that much attention was paid to the representations of tho Country Party by Sir J. G. Ward, and jet, while wo have no more personal objection to Mr Fowlds as a Cabinet Minister than to any other member of the present Ministry, wo cannot help sympathising with the desires of the Country Party to have tho country j adequately represented in tho Ministry. For years we have been used to lis’eu to tho electioneering cry that “ the /armor is tho backbone of the

country ” ' Imt when it domett to giving tlm I'nnice his thin in tin muU u v of Cabinet; repros ntation, or expenditure on rendu or bridges, wo find that “ tlm biic-kbono ’’ receives little attention, for, if wo except Mr MoNab, “tho baekbono of the country” lias no representation at all in tlm present, (’ubirnt Although Mr Mc.N'ab owns a farm ho is nor. and novor has boon a farmer, nor lms ho over expressed any

d o dell opinions on tlm political necessities or disabilities of farmers, ami it is very questionable indeed whether lm has any d cidod opinions to express on tho quo.s'ion of freehold versus leasehold, W.th such a Minister of 'Lands and Agriculture as tlm solo representative) in tho Cabinet of tlm ono section ol industry in tho colony that savos it from ruin and supports its prosperity, and with law and oommerco so disproportionately prominent, it is not hopeful that “ tho baekbono’’ will have a duo share of attention from tho Ward organisation. Additional probability is afforded to to this view of tho question by tho inclusion of Messrs Fowlds and Millar (both storling good men in other respects) who arc mero theorists as far as tho working and administration of land is concerned, and who, in common with other mombora of tho Ministry, liavo littlo sympathy and loss porsonal exporioneo with tho trials and disadvantages of rural life. Ilowovor, it is not our purpose to attempt to anticip ito tlm policy of tho Government in regard to land administration or othor details, and while it would be more congenial to have assurance made doubly sure in the direction of securing a policy befitting tho importance of tho colony’s rural interests by a more j ustly proportionate representation of those interests in tho personnel of the Cabiuot, we aro content to wait developments without fault-finding. 15y their fruits wo shall know them, and by expecting little of sound practical benefit disappointment will be avoided and pleasurable surprise may tako its place. It may be that Mr Fowlds, as many others have done, may exchange his fads for tho sweets of c ilice, and that Mr McNab, when he Las done writing the early history of tho colony, will be impressed with the trials of tho pioneers that have made that history ; that lie will also re member that there are still pioneers to be found in the back-blocks who do not enjoy the luxuries of asphalt paths to their doors and an Arbitration Court to appeal to if they don’t get a fair price for tho fruits of their labor.