RANDOM REMARKS.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 461, 1 May 1912, Page 7

RANDOM REMARKS.

By Onlooker.

The new Prims Minister struck a plain unvarnished truth the other day when he said the country had been too much disturbed by party wrangling. He proceeded further, and stated that the country desired a rest from such conditions, and wanted to near more of practice and less of party. Judging from certain significant signs, chiefly descernibie in the large towns it is questionable whether the desired rest is to be obtained. _ Party cries that have been heard in the recent past will probably become fainter from lack of interest, but the labour demands in the cities ana country is likely to suffer a disturbance of much greater and more far-reaching effect than that which it has been subjected to of late.

Politics is such an up and down game in any country that it appeals almost irresistib'y to a pei'son with the gambler's spirit. To the ordinary person whose chief call in life is to make the most use of his opportunities to earn bread and butter, and aspire later to tip=y cake and_ trifles the attractions are not sufficient to detract him from the even tenor of his way. Still, once a person has eaten of the political tree the hankering to return remains. It is evidently thus with Mr Jennings who, for years had the hardest and roughest parliamentary job in the Dominion. It is announced that Mr Jennings will again contest Taumarunui electorate against all comers as soon as opportunity occurs. According to some the chance may come at any time. Others aver that another election will not be held until the usual triennial period has expired. * * *

To borrow or not to borrow is a question which has agitated Government's from the time the country had sufficient credit to raise anything worth while upon. In the face of criticism, and notwitnstanding the periodical outbursts of certain timor ous people, the policy of getting as much as was possible has been pursued by successive Ministries. Criticism and denunciation to the contrary notwithstanding it is evident that succeeding Governments are going to continue the same policy, and trust to Time with its magic wand to pull the country through. In referring to the subject the other day the Prime Minister made a rather paradoxical statement when he said the demand upon the Government for loans was altogether beyond the power of the Government to respond to with any satisfaction to the prospective borrowers. Personally, he considered the country required money for development, but the fact remained that the people considered there had been too much borrowing. This cryptic utterance' leaves us in doubt as to what the new Government's intentions are. Perhaps that is what the Prime Minister intended.

We have it from no less an authority than the Hon. T. Mackenzie that political hypocrisy must cease. The animating cause of such an amazing remark need not bn considered. The statement itself is one whicn can calculated to give sufficient food ior deep and earnest thought. Well, let it be so; we must resign ourselves to the inevitable, and bid a fond and lingering farewell to an old friend —one who has made possible party government, cheered our wearv moments with its quaint humours, and tickled our faculties with its fantastic idiosyncrasies. A noticeable weakness in the Prime Minister s statement was that he did not suggest^ anything to take the place of political hypocrisy. It has been such a fond familiar friend that we shall feel lonely without it. However, the oracle has spoken.

A special brand of microbe seems to pursue certain men, and goad them into'doing work necessitated by the people forming communities, large and small, in certain places. The impelling microbe inspires men with the feeling which, in our poJite moments we term public spirit. At other times less polite terms are used to designate it. However, term it what we'may, it is a worthy sentiment, and is responsible for ihe building of the civic system from the crude efforts at the dawn of civilisation to the system in vogue to-day. Mr Boddie _ seems to be marked out for the special attention of the microbe. He rio sooner retires from the Mayoral chair than he aspires to the much more important position of school committeeman. Well, there is work ahead of the committee and if he helps to secure the technical and high schools which are to be earnestly striven for, his presence on the committee will be justified.