The Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1886. PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XI, Issue 1646, 27 February 1886, Page 2

Manawatu Standard (PUBLISHED DAILY.) The Oldest Daily Newspaper on the West Coast. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 27, 1886. PUBLIC CONFIDENCE IN GOVERNMENT.

Nothing is more necessary for a Ministry to possess than the confidence of the country. The Cabinet may be a good one, or may be just the reverse ; but in any case it cannot hope to carry on the work of Government successfully, unless the majority the of taxpayers have confidence in its executive powers. In many respects the Stout- Vog el Administration is no worse than its predecessors have been; but, even its warmest supporters must admit that it is deficient in generalship. It 'has allowed certain things to hap-' pen. which of necessity damaged the

repute in which it might otherwise have been held. We refer more es pecially to the manner in which th>. Government Life Insurance Department has been worked. To some men — to perhaps the majority of men, a life insurance policy is an article of the utmost value. To him who supports a family with the results of his daily work, it brings peace of mind, in the * knowledge that they i will be provided for in. the event of his death. To him it is of paramount importance that the institution should be worked to the greatest advantage; that not only his money may be securely invested, but that his policy may reap the fullest benefits from bonuses and other sources j of profit. If the Government wish to instil confidence into the minds of assurers, they should give the Life Assurance Institution at least the appearance of being carried on with care and economy. We can hardly credit them with having done this. It is possible that the Department is managed as capably at the present time as it has been under any previous regime. From our perstfiiaf knowledge of its affairs we are not for one moment prepared to ; state that it is not. But there is hot tW slightest doubt that the feeling which exists in the minds of the majority of the policy-holders is one rather of disappointment than of confidence. : The manner in which an! appointment was recently made to a high office in the institution induced people to think that the Government Life Insurance Association was being made use of as a means for bestowing political patronage. The Government might take a lesson from this; they might be care 7 ful! that in future not even the 1 shadow of distrust should be permitted to fall upon their policy or their action. If they could win for themselves the entire sympathy, the complete confidence of the pepole,' what strength they, would add to their position [ -It is in the feature of £ood generalship wherein the Go-, ver'nment has failed since, .they have, been in office; and, as we hare said, is as much due to this want of political tact as to any other cause, that alarge -arid 'increasing section of the public do not place implicit faith . in., the Ministry as an executive body