The Hokitika Guardian MONDAY, OCTOBER 31st, 1921. BREAKING THE TRADITIONS.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 October 1921, Page 2

The Hokitika Guardian MONDAY, OCTOBER 31st, 1921. BREAKING THE TRADITIONS.

It is not .surprising to find sumo indignation lining expressed in Wellington nt tins very frank ninnuer in whieli Mr A. T. Markham, tlu> First Assistant. Secretary of the Dost and Telegraph Department, speaking at a social gathering of the officers of the Department, alluded to the criticism directed against his branch of the public suiviec. Mr Markliam is a very capable anil energetic officer, whose gooil work is well known beyond the coniines of the capital city, i,nt on this occasion he seems to have employed a freedom of speech which the traditions of the service and, to an extent, its regulations discourage. “T {hiid; some of the members of the Farmers’ Union know more about other peoples’ business than they ‘?o about!

their own,” lie suid, referring to tin* I'lnonhs protests iioainst- tin* enormous i tit? house in the dopiirtmeitl.il expenditure since tile "{tr. Thoy seem I to think tln't ovorvlliittjr hits from* t" the wnll: they Ititve the "wind up" ; j they ure crying liefiire they ;*re hurt. I There i> no diutht thnt tli**y u*«e enjoying (jinid times dnriny tin w»r wln n \ou mid I werr pitying roiig'i j the nose. I pride niyself thin I know j .some t hine aliniit the Dost mul I» lejjia|dt | Department nmi I sny thnt they do ti"' |< i lew w lint they lire talking shim'.If we (fere to deride to dinus* prices ot whent "I hiittet lilt **' the ’ lil- r the I'ltriiiers would very pn nipilv ;

say: “You don't, know what you ;<i«- j talking alumt.’ 'llm* Irsrd '\>

dn, 1 think, is to return th" compliment and say the same.’' This. 0 not » very patent criticism ot the farmers and their ways, was plain speaking and plain speaking of a kind that is not exjieetod Iron! such a. quarter. The statement to which the producers and their friend* take most serious exception is the one declaring that the farmers enjoyed good times themselves during the war. and implying that they were renpoiisible for the high prices extruded frn.m other people. I lie answer to this is. of course that the good times enjoyed by the farmers during the war. such as they wfhe. and the had ones experienced by the consumers were due to precisely the same cause, the inHot ion of prices in the world s inarkt'Ks. Tins fn rimers. 1 good times are now hoing followed by very had ones, another inevitable result, of the war. and Air 'Markham’s suggestion that having been well paid themselves at one tilin’, ting- should not grumble new at the huge increase in <h'p:«'tinental expeudit ore is obviously ludicrous. But Mr Markham's exclusion into oonti oveii'sial polities lor that really i s what his speech amounted to

was made all the more veprehonsive in the opinion of his critics, hy the fact that, among the invited guests at the social gathering were three of 1 lim most '‘progressive'’ of the Labour members of Parliament. Mr P. Eraser, Mr E. Howard and Air 11. K. Holland, and the President and Secretary of the Alliance of Labour. These gentlemen are spreading their nets widely and very skilfully just now, for the capture of the eivN servants. and Mr Alnj'kham’s allusions to the exactions of th* producers and the sufferings of tin; down-trodden consumers will have sounded very sweetly in their ears. Altogether (he First Assistant Secretary seems to have permit ted himself freedom of speiecli vhfioli. however well intended was not exactly appropriate to the