Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, DEC. 17, 1895. Party.

Manawatu Herald, 17 December 1895, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. TUESDAY, DEC. 17, 1895. Party.

Hoav true is the saying of Pope " Party is the madness of many for the gain of a few."- -'-This is illustrated by the appointment of four gentlemen to seats in the Legislative Council for reasons, if any, best known to the Government. The labourer is said to be worthy of his hire, in some cases in the past the Government of the day have found this not to be true, and po3sibly these recent appointments may not turn out to be all that is hoped for. The four gentlemen to whom the tax payers of this unfortunate colony will have to pay £150 a year each for the next seven years are Messrs Arkwright, W. C. Smith, George Jone,s and R. H. J. Keeves. If the appointments were suitable ones all colonists should kno^ who these men are without telling, they should be known 'for the public interest they had shown, and the record of their acts should be on file in every large town in the colony. We are, how ever, prepared to assert that many on this coast will want to know who three of the appointees are and in the case of all four wonder will be expressed as to what they have done to deserve these honours and emoluments. We know a little about these gentlemen but to save

the appearance of bias tfe will first quote from the Government Wellington organ which is always ready to Oo vs besc to bobrev v■:>u ■:> occn^ hKo this latest one. The N.Z. Times says "Mr Arkwright is a true Liberal who has worked for the cause and made sacrifices for it." Mr Arkwright, we at once admit has the best right to the appointment in so far as position and experience goes, as in England he represented Mid Derbyshire in parliament, not in the Liberal but in the Conservative interest. In the colony he turns his polities and by the expenditure of money in attempting to successfully run a Liberal paper in a district inhabited by farmei*3 has " made sacrifices " which will now be partly made good. Of such is tbe present day Liberalism ! Some Government supporters have got a little wild over these appointments and say that which is true but not new and which is rather rough on those it relates to. Thus the Palmerston Standard reminds its readers that Mr Arkwright " has twice been defeated for the Rangitikei seat in the Liberal interest, while he has spent money unsparingly in support of the Liberal paper at Marton." It is clear that it can be no recommendation for appointment to tbe Legislative Council that the appointee has been twice unsuccessful, and not once successful in securing the support of the people in the district he resides in, so therefore it must be accepted that tbe Government proclaim their intention to repay those who expend injudiciously on their behalf! Wa know they are acting so in the distribution of their advertising but this last act is going one more step in a very foolish direction. Mr Arkwright is not the only man appointed for " sacrifices " as the Timea says of Mr Jones " He has served the Liberal Party in his paper (the Oamaru Mail) with staunchness, ability and conspicuous vigour." The Standard however attributes Mr Jones' first success to being called to the Bar of the House for a libel on the late Sir Frederick Whitaker. It also says of Mr Jones that in the one parliament he was a member •' he was never a shining light," and further on the Standard •evidently hits the reason for plaiu Mr Jones blossoming out into " the honourable Mr Jones " by remarking v as proprietor of the Oamaru Mn.il he has never tired of sounding the praises of the present Govern menfc, in whom he sees no dark spot to dim the lustre of his admiration." Newspapers, fortunate, and unftn> tun ate, pave the way, under a Liberal Government to a siiug appointment for seven years at a satisfactory salary considered in connection with the work that is done for it. Mr Smith as a late Government " whip " has better earnt his good fortune than either of the others. No one knows why Mr R. H. J, Beeves of Nelson has been made a Councillor. The Times feebly says be " has never swerved in his allegiance to the Liberal Party since the Grey days," which, being interpreted sigjifieth nothing as ihe Liberalism of the Grey days with the present dark days U as different as chalk from cheese. MiReeves political opinions cannot be well-known when the Government organ can only give us this hotchpotch. The Post says of these appointments '* compared with some distinguished men who should adorn the Council, as Sir John Hall and Mr Rolleston, they are political dwarfs," but what doea this matter to the Premier and his Party when, as the Times says, the Government "is sure of getting support in the Council for all measures for which they have received the popular man^ date." Are they? All we can do is to be thankful the appointments are no worse.