Random Remarks.

King Country Chronicle, Volume II, Issue 102, 15 October 1908, Page 4

Random Remarks.

[Contributions to this column are always welcome from any part of the district. The Editor does not vouch for the authenticity of the stories, nor is he responsible for the criticisms.] "The mountain laboured and brought forth a mouse" is a saying much applied to things political of late. The timeworn comparison can apparently be aptly used in connection with the Roads Department's stone crusher lately brought into the district. With the advent of the machine, settlers were momentarily dazzled with visions of beautiful metalled roads traversing the district. The fiat had gone forth, and there was to be no more mud. Naturally such a prospect took .the settlers' breath away, and even some of the Governmental sins were forgotten or forgiven in the first rush of blind gratidtude. With the trial run of the machine, however, the visions began to melt; the capacity of the plant revealed the fact that, under the most favorable conditions, the most that could be accomplished was the metalling of two miles of road in the season, and the vista of beautiful white macadam suddenly faded, to be replaced by the old familiar mud. Old associations are hard to shake off, and the winter mud in our district has become so interwoven with our existence that the Fates with a mistaken idea of kindness are evidently loth to effect a parting. However, the settlers are allowing no sentimental notions to obscure the issue and a determnied attempt is being made to conquer the mud by requesting another crusher to supplement the inadequate attempts of the one already supplied.

The political trumpet has sounded; Parliament has closed down and the candidate is rampant in the land. The same old game is to be played all over again, and the merits and demerits of the various aspirants will be laid bare to the multitude. The intelligent elector will be reasoned with; the ladies complimented; babies admired and all the wiles known to politicans made use of in the endeavouv to secure a three years tenure of a seat in the talking shop, with the privilege of working day and night to secure votes on the Estimates for a particular electorate. Verily and of a truth the amount of misdirected energy in the world is appalling, and man in his wisdom has created a wierd and wonderful standard for earthly ambition to aspire to. Still our politicans are usually decent fellows, besides being part and parcel of our glorious constitution, and we welcome them freely when they come among us. They don't always do every thing we wish, such an accomplishment being beyond the range of even political possibility, but they do their best to encompass the impossible and retain our affection. I have a deep-rooted conviction that none but married men are fit for the job, fathers of families preferred, and in our future' Utopia the qualifications referred to will be rigidly demanded. An age limit will also be set, and none considered elegible until the old age pension time has been reached. There are many points to commend the scheme. Legislators so qualified would be beyond suspicion of office seeking, and none but the specially virile would undergo the rigours of a political campaign.

The lion and the lamb have come together at last, and though they can hardly be said to have lain down together, there is a distinctly more sympathetic feeling between them. Last week two delegates from the MokauWaitewhenua Railway League took heart of grace and the Ohura to meet a gathering of settlers at Mangaroa. The outcome of the meeting certainly did not bring about an agreement as to the proper route for the Stratford-Main Trunk Railway; that was hardly to be expected. Still, there is every reason to hope that a considerably better feeling on general lines was established., and a much clearer knowledge of the aims of the settlers on both routes. Without a doubt this is as it should be. Interchange of ideas is absolutely essential in all districts, and even where the interests of each come into conflict and the parties agree to differ, a mutual respect is engendered and the way left open for co-operation in other matters. The interests of all in this district are too much intermingled for the settlers to differ with regard to most issues, and it is unfortunate that even the railway created a conflict of interests.

™ However, publicity is always the bjst test of any question affecting the common weal, and with both sides of the case stated freely, the verdict is much more likely to be on the lines of equity and public good. In the case of the railway there is little doubt that the pros and cons of the rival routes were placed before the Government, and a decision arrived at after full consideration. If the case for either route was not made as clear and as strong as possible, the onus is obviously on the advocates of that route. On the other hand, assuming that the most was made of each case by the respective advocates, the Government is solely

responsible. That personal bitterness should be engendered as a consequence of Governmental action would be deplorable in every sense. The matter is essentially a public one, and which ever way the railway goes, feeling in connection therewith should -be kept apart from private considerations. Public men are usually animated by the spirit of progress, and desire to benefit the district at large. The King Country requires the services (in a public sense) of all good men and true who possess the public spirit.