Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, OCT. 8, 1896. Spoiling the Ship.

Manawatu Herald, 3 October 1896, Page 2

Manawatu Herald. SATURDAY, OCT. 8, 1896. Spoiling the Ship.

How often has the old saying of •• spoiling of the ship for a hap'worth of tar " to be repeated to insure its being taken to mind by those entrusted with important duties 'f We are led to ask this question owing to r he way the Government are shelving tbe appointment of the flax expert. h is first they won't and then they will, and then you can't* LVs this position now. fhe folly of offering to find any sum up to £250 if the flaxmillers will do tbe same will be understood by the millers, and they would have accepted a straight out refusal in a better spirit than the meau attempt to make thorn bear the onus of there being no expert. The position the flax iudustry is in does not warrant any miller subscribing to a fund, the result of which, if equal to expectation, would benefit the wholeicolony alike, for, at present, therfe is no prohibition to any other settler, merchant, or storekeeper, starting as a flaxmiller if good times returned. Why then ask, in fact affront men, who have all ihey can do to pay their way, to ivbscribe to sending an expert Home? This sort of a proposal was never made in the case of any other industry: We were in hopes the present Government would have departed from its accustomed course, and would have proved by a prompt appointment that they were the working man's friend beyond words, but it seems we have been mistaken. To help the large number of unskilled labourers in the colony we find our Liberal Government is willing to risk a paltry £250, but only if the poor can raise as much. Unless tbe matter is re-con3idered right quickly, we trust each employee at a flaxmill will vote dead against a candidate for Parliament who will support a Government that thus shows so little consideration for their advancement. If enquiry was instituted in Wellington it would be found that tha merchants, ironfounderp, engineers, and middlemen, not to mention brewers, all made more money from the flax boom than any flaxmiller, and therefore it followrf that if the trade revived owing to the exertions of an expert, they would again reap a large benefit. Why then are the flaxiniller3 called upon to find money for these people's benefit? Thu expert must be a pure Government appointment, or else there will be none, and the responsibility of refusing this concession must lie upon the Government, and for which they must be judged on polling day.