POSTURISS OF A POLITICIAN

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXIV, Issue 1041, 9 May 1912, Page 2

POSTURISS OF A POLITICIAN

PKKHAI’S the quaintest thing in New Zealand politcs at the present moment is the curious somersaults being turned by Mr George Fovvlds, for some years a Minister of the Crown, a dogmatic supporter of the Ward Administration and a stern upholder of everything antagonistic to Ward ism. Mr Fowlds obviously believed when he had been carefully regiegated

to private life and no longer had a hold on the emoluments and highly paid offices of a Minister that he could found a new political faith, that he might ripe the pollcal tune; thai the political rats would dance to the playing of the pied piper, and that he would eventually obtain a firm grasp of the political machine. When the soulful draper was relegated to the abyss, he explained ' volubly enough that he had for many years subscribed to a political faith that hurt him. He did not, however, explain that he should have pulled out of the team when Wardism began to gall him. He carefully relieved the Treasury of the honorarian that were coming to him for doing those things that were antagonistic to high thinking. On the whole, his present position is entirely indefensible. For many years he kept his own leanings severely in check. Although at heart he detested the policy which he was helping to administer, he stuck to it apparently for the same reason that induces a sailor man to stick to the task of raising a sinking ship —for the sake of the salvage. The Ministerial emoluments have gone, the support of his former electorate has gone, the new evangelism which he preached when he saw the emoluments slipping away has been punctured, and so with sublime confidence he emerges as the brand new apostle ol Labour unity, George Fowlds is the finest available example of a politician who, because the people dont’t want him, insists on using every possible means of pushing himself into place. The assumption is that the people of New Zealand are such tools that they will eventually allow United Labour —by the way Labour will • never be united anywhere—to rule the political roost. George Fowlds has apparently concluded that in the near future under Labour dominiancy there will be need ol a leader. George Fowlds therefore modestly discloses himself as the person lor whom United Labour is seeking. The late Minister has obviously sorted the situation out with the utmost Scotch caution. He sees the likelihood of a division between the Conservatives and Radicals within the Government. The expected weakening means that there will be a gap for some other extremist to slip into. The gap, illuminated with the necessary emoluments can be nicely filled by the Hon. George Fowlds.. So we find Mr Fowlds, who during the whole term ot his Ministry, never showed the slightest aggressive Labour leanings, pledging himself to take the platform as a revolutionary doctrinaire of United Labour. Mr Fowlds, while he was in the Ministry, did not mentiou that the country was being robbed of the alleged surplus- He says so now. He dared not preach single tax, for he was gathering a very nice salary from a Government that detested it. He did not suggest any reduction iu the cost of living, nor did he mention that the particular trade in which he is concerned frequently extorts from fitty to one hundred per cent, prout. On the whole, we are at;aid that Mr Fowlds is not absolutely altruistic. He has never shown any instance ot sell-sacrifice. At the moment, without makuj c any personal concession, he asxs the Labour Party to carefully take him under ifs wing, m order that he may again be entitled to a share of the spoil. Frankly, we hope that Mr Fowlds has been finally relegated to private life.