The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, NOV 28, 1906.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIV, Issue 1944, 28 November 1906, Page 2

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. GISBORNE, NOV 28, 1906.

Neveji take tho bull by the horns 4ny boy, catch him by the tail, and then you can lot go when you want to.” That was tho advic9 of the late lamented Josh Billings, and although poor old Josh has gone to rest his sage advice has not been forgotten by the Ministry of tho day. They once

threatened to stand or fall by the Land Bill, and it was assumed that they wero going to take the bull by the horns ; but remembering the advice of poor Billings, no doubt, and findiug that there was more fight in tho old

bull than they had anticipated, it was decided that tho Cabinet should hang on to the tail for a while to aoe how he acted. Of the tail, too, they took but a very gentle grip, having considerably moderated the weight of the Bill, and it would appear now that they would like to let go i 'together for fear the bull would kick too hard, and spoil their political complexions. The indication of this is foreshadowed in tho expressions of the Minister for Lands, who was to have commenced a campaign on the Land Bill on Monday night in his own coi- itituency, but didn’t, and instead he ha 3 issued a note of warning to wavering supporters in the House that the Government may deem it expedient to advise His Excellency the Governor to dissolve Parliament during the present recess owing to the alleged “ chaotic condition ” which tho work of tho Representation Commission is said to bring about. It would not bo at all surprising to find that this g-'avo suggestion was the work of tho now AttorneyGeneral, who is naturally anxious to lot tho country know that he is there and can raise points of law as usual. Be that a 3 it may, tho intentions of the Government a 3 expressed by Mr ! McNab in regard to an early election , must not be taken too seriously for (

moro than ono reason. In tho first dace, if iu wore tho intention of tlxo Government to ask tho Governor to a dissolution for tho reasons statod, that infonnation would not have boon ho soon officially intimatod, and tho Liberal organisations would have been given timely warning to prepare for tho coming utrugglo. In tho second place tho Government is not at all anxious to appeal to tho country it it can ho avoided until tho “ bull " is ■flocu.rod, for they fair h'tn at tho pieacut moment, and will not lay hold of his horcv. in that way wb'lo they may still play \mh h ; s tail and rctijiu ollico, la tho slrrd place, tho threat of risking the lor* of olllco by aa early election ia ono of the beat means that could bo employed of dragging back sumo of thoso wavering weak-lamed members who show an inclination to vote freehold if there Wild no such risk attached to their votes on that question. Indeed, during tho lobby discussions on that Bill during last session threats of an appeal to tho country if tho Government wore dofuaiod on tho Bili were freely mod, and wo believe had their effects on some of those political weathercocks, so that tho nnmo old ruse bused upon another cause will servo its purpose

.tgtiiu just as well «b it did than, or, it may be, batter, for it may liavo the i licet of inducing noma of those weathercocks to tako the stump on the Government side in the .band Bdl until puign who would otherwiso not spook at nil perhaps. In the fourth place, no ouo uoetl credit tlio Government with any desire to face tlio country if it can possibly iis avoided. Olfico ib too sweet atm lucrative to risk in that way without compulsion, and if tlioio is such a desire extant it simply moans that the party in power fears tho result of tho proposed' campaign, and a loophole is being sought by which it may oacapo defeat when tho retreat lma to be sounded.' lu short, tho Government is in a quandary, and' all possible methods of escape are being prepared. If that is not so, why has tho redistribution question boon allowed to crop up in tin middle of a triennial tor in of tlio existence of Parliament when it could well have been postponed until nftor or during tho last session ? Surely n three years’ term between elections is abort enough except under very special circumstances, and for a more tangible cause than tlio question of a redistribution of seats can afford. Throe-yea-’ intervals of re pita from tho disturbing influences of general elections are not too short in all conscience, unless there are strong indications of no confidence in tho Government of tlio day m»nifeared in some constitutional way, end that has not been done so far. Tuo cost of ordinary elections averages over £IO,OOO a year to the public exchequer, and to increase this amount by throwing in intermittent ones without sufficient cause would be a prodigality and wastefulness that the country should not tolerate for a moment while there are more useful things to be done with the money, to say nothing of the private losses sustained and the dismotion of business which they cause. Nevertheless, it will not be wis9 for the opponents of tho Government to disregard tho warning, for in polities as in other things '• the unexpected sometimes happens,’’ and as the Government reiTv ?d to take the bull by tho horns alter its blatant an* nouneemont that it would take a firm grip of them, it may just as suddenly and more unexpectedly lot go the tail. Wo do not believo that they want to let go yet • but tho bull is swinging round and the grip is unquestionably loosening, and if perchance a seemingly safe hillock is brought into view by tho rotatory motion the Government may bo expected to lot go and nee for tho summit beforo tho horns could roach its nethermost parts.