The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1911. THE MEIKLE MONODY.

Horowhenua Chronicle, 16 January 1911, Page 2

The Chronicle. PUBLISHED DAILY MONDAY, JANUARY 16, 1911. THE MEIKLE MONODY.

•John James Mkikle, presented by the Xew Zealand Government with .sums of £;)()() and £2500. in two instalments, is still unsatisfied. J. J- Meikle, in short, is tJie same wearisome peripatetic expostulator who has been stumping New Zealand for a decade (with blatant outcries about injustice) when he would have been better employed at hard labour or remote meditation. it has to be .said that he has 'been encouraged to some extent by the invertebrate propensities of a great number of Parliamentarians, and by the easilywon commendations and backing of the less-balanced people among the city populations. To-day, however, it is surely not too much to expect that Mr M.eikfc's expo,s!tutaions and protestations will fall upon heedless ears, having regard to recent happenings. If any great injustice has been done to him—and The Chronicle is among those journals which still insist •upon ■the applieablenoss of he subjunctive mood —- the solutium of £3000 given to him from his financially-bled country's coffers surely is enough for him! On 'broad policy matters this newspaper favours 'the present Government; but on this question of the Meikle grant we have no reservations whatever when wo say thaiti Cabinet's action in recommending Parliament to vote £0000 to Meikle was equivalent to a pusillanimous truckling to hysterical alarmists and to some others who were less hysterical than financially hopeful. The history of the Meikle agitation comprises a. sordid groancompelling concatenation of regrettable engineering and Parliamentary dragooning; and the fact that to-day the chief iigureihead in the protracted proceedings is to Ithe fore as clamorous and as insatiable as ever should be a sufficient warning to the. less-unbalanced amongst- those who in the past supported him against lending him any further -countenance. His latest utterance presages a. visit from him to this electorate—amongst others. He plainly is annoyed at the adverse vote which our member registered against the £5000 compensation proposed. But we greatly mistake the temper of Levin and Shannon residents, and of Otaki citizens also, if they will allow themselves to be cozened into sympathy with such a cause as MeikVs now is. What we do fear, anc' deprecate is that there may he a flip, position to treat him with prac-icvl contumely. .Such a procedure . would merely work u,p sympathy.for

the man. Ho will be .better disparaged by negledt. In writing this we mean what we say, and specifically dissociate ourselves from the company of the olden controversialist who cried to some of his supipoiiters—as they bore away lids antagonist, somewhat roughly—"Gentlemen, don't duck him in the horse pond!"