OCCUPATIONS REPRESENTED IN THE NEW PARLIAMENT.

Manawatu Herald, Volume II, Issue 11, 30 September 1879, Page 3

OCCUPATIONS REPRESENTED IN THE NEW PARLIAMENT.

An examination of the callings and occupations of the members just returned lothe new Parliament may not be uninteresting to our readers, affording, as it does, an index to the various interests represented in the House, and the numerical voting strength possessed by each. Small farmers and settlers head the list with 16 representatives, and as they are now generally recognised as the backbone of the country, and the class demanding specially favorable attention in the shape of legislation, it is a matter for satisfation that they are so well represented. The run. holders, and proprietors generally oi large landed estates, are only o c behind, numbering as they do 15 representatives. That fluency oi speaking is an important assistance in getting into Parliament is shown by the laut that a dozen Gentlemen of the Long Robe " will make theii bow to Mr Speaker this session, "The Fourth Estate" is almost as well represented as the Bar, 11 of the new M.H.R.'sbeing journalists by profession. It has often been remarked—and whether the statement is complimentary or otherwise vt will not venture tosay — that there is no better preparation for political life than a journalistic training This seems to be thoroughly exem plified in the case of this colony, anc we doubt whether even the Frenci Parliament, which is noted for the number of newspaper men whicl it comprises, contains so large a pro portion of journalists among iti members as one-eighth. There or< also eight merchants, three store keepers, three financial agents, t\v< members connected with the mininj interest, two ex-civil servants, tw< auctioneers, two gentlemen of "n( occupation," one minister of religion one arehicect, one plasterer, one en gineer, one gasfitter, one house deco rater, and one publican in the nev Parliament. The malign influence of the solitary publican, if not neu tralised by the presence of the mm ister of religion, will probably b< counteracted by the fact that th< • new House will contain two, if no more, prominent members of th< Good Templar body. In this analysis we have omitted reference t< tne four Maori members, whose in terests to a large extent would stan< atone. — Post*