Truth DR. FINDLAY'S APPOINTMENT.

NZ Truth, Issue 76, 1 December 1906, Page 4

Truth

DR. FINDLAY'S APPOINTMENT.

Published eSvery Saturday Mobnistg at Luke's Lane (off Mannersstreet), "WELLINGTON, N.Z. Subscription (m; ad^a^ce), 13s. pee annum. SATURDAY, DECEMBER 1, 19Q6.

• —. • -..»■' '"•" ■ With few exceptions the daily press has expressed approval of Dr. Fin.d\a.v's appointment to the Lecrislative Council and his inclusion ,m the Cabinet as Attorney-Grenera.l, which shows how. % little "re<gaM tha Daily Press, lifts for oub.ijifc- 6P,ihi6,h. A man who has sought, the confidence of elect orr&te and failed lamentably, has a hide-fro.uiid gall to :^ccepi3 a position that no truly- democratic Government would h,ave dar*d \o offer. .At the General Elections of 190? ,#r. F.in:dla- stood tor Wellington CityHe.- opened, his campaign witb evfery prospect of sttceess, butt with .every meetiii£ lie ad^e'ssedw bite- chances y .weakened, imtil on the eve of polling .day eveh his. "most sanguine friends knew that he would not be returned. What a very poor showing he did make is only too Well remembered by Wellington eleotovs. At the last Genera] ftieetjon h? made no effort to 1 poeain his lost laurels. ■ He cviaently fe'li that, he was not cut out for a politician, or he feared such another damning deiert as .he suftered pre.viouslv. If ■ he hadn't the ability to win tW seat he Gpntest-gd', nor th.c pluck and tenacity- (so. necessary m a politician) to enter the fight again -art the - first opportunity, on what j*roiv»ds has the Government exalted hjm to his present position 1 His law 0d ,'his letters ? Law and letters; are: not the only requirements of a- statesnifin, thet are not even essential- And Dr. Fwidlay is ' not <m\v expected tp be a'siatesmaTi feut iJ\\o, leader pf the Council. Ke could not lead 7 the ejectors -whose suffrages' he SQURht ; how,. I;he-efore, can he Be expected •io lead a chan\ber of po'UtiOians; Ljet ijt be admitted that .lie is clever (he showed that yfhen Ec .rencrtinced his? . .fearly political - co«---vittions afrd beoapie. a Se'ddonite) b^t his cleverness very feyi'dent\y dof s np^ lie m the direction q! organisation,'. ox :a<iininrstratioii, rmp haa h© the 'possession <jf a atrong personality' — aH qualities very • necessary ,jn a leader of ■ any sptt. Had he ■a>ny . of ' ,these qualities • jn tire Wait . degree, he must, with 'ln's lfearftinp, his wealth, ■; and .-. his in--fluence and op.pqrtunitfy,,have tosen.p. Member of Parliaiiient.. before, fccnfov-. Itehas beeh thrust upon the neowlO, hdt because the people wanted him., Mt beesLuse he supplied the. most -6<>ilyetti©rit material with which .the Government could, fill a Somewhat pefpifcdng gap. - - . : ' - -.-. /.'■ -' • ..: •_ '■•.-: . . ,-.•,•'<; :.•■.' " The Chri^tchurch "Jpfess" refers to tire' apppiritment as a "dafiag c*-; "^efilfiejit;" It is •voorfee.. It' is a,m'fiist 'd^ri^erous a,fvd rotten ptpcederit/" It is deli'fi'eral/ely lloutinG; the exprerss.ed wishes of the people, #nd j{n. insult to those" rqafiy Meittlrers whose constancy and service demand that one of their nurntiet should hfive filled the Vacancy.. In camra.ercial life the young man who is a failure at the desk or on the roaid, Is not, as a rule, because he has his head crammed full . of the theory of business principles',, appointed to a position on the board of mana-gement... It is not the rule m the Army to promote to Generalship the ensign who has failed to carry his colors . through ati engagement. Nor m any other walk jn life is it the rule to reward failures .with positions of high trust and responsjibilitv. Then why m political life ? What has Dr. P'indlay done to earn his position. He has lectured on political science and has made money as a lawyer, but these two facts are scarcely ol enough national importance to warrant his sudden etevatjon to a. high political position. What are his nualifications ? According to the daily press he is a brilliant speaker. But surely not so very able or so very brilliant or he coukl not have failed to win a seat ! Ho is certainly not a telling speaker. Will even his most ardent admirer

dare to say that m the event of o, crisis he would be Worth a damn tip his side on the public platfcmn ? He may be interesting enough to. a class of students, and very impressive to a box of jurymen who ca-n'fc afek rude fjuestions, but with the crowd old Jock McLaehlan would score 6ft him every, time. As Attomey-Oeii^ eral Dr. Findlay may noli be called upon to use bhose fighting tiualities Ho essential to the successful states^ man. but as leader of the Upper House he most assuredly requires them. • • • Personally Mr Findlay may be a hi-ost charming fellow. He \n a weli educated man, deeply versed iii law, and a 'very excellent lecturer. He is an astute lawyer ani;d lvas -a, ffreat eye for the main chance. He is riot naturally a democrat,, or eveh a, Lifeer^l, but afc an early, age of his craeer' he saw that the g'eddon erivment was' a. power and decided that hunting with the hounds was a much better game than running with the hare. Had Fimllay been made of the stuff that great men are made of he \youl>d never have become a follower of the late Preriiier. Had he displayed strength of character eqaial tO. his undoubted ability he WQiUd have provei} , the, strp>vg««t bp^ p.onent the Qovertoment him. had. B.ub it \yas;..iust, that str^igth <*l <?}iwAe-. ter he. ; . W^s astute enowsh to follow, t°o .«-t r PiRS-. •■«Qt strong, enough to follow h.is CQftV^tioins.. ? It was this weakness thai tftade him a Liberal, the same w.eakhess that lost him ,the , .Wejlingtoii , s^at, and the sami? weakness, will n\ak«. gjir- Josei^ti WaT^rue the day he put, his o.w^i co.riyenien.ee. feef ore .^e expressed wishes of the; pi^lic .arid, appomted an inexn,erience4j Airitrie'd arid rejected candidate for, Parliament tary hoMjors to such an impo,rta:At, position as Attorney-General and leader of the Upper House. His legal talent, may prave- useful, but it is. not cheap at the price. The best that can be said is that he cah be trusted to do. as he is told, and so long as the electors ha.ye confidence m the Government he at least won't do any. harm.