South Canterbury Times, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1880.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2359, 8 October 1880, Page 2

South Canterbury Times, FRIDAY, OCTOBER 8, 1880.

What is a Free-lance? The term has lately been acquiring a growing popularity. During the past session of Parliament it assumed apolitical significance. Mr Reader Wood and the other members of what are known as the “ big black four ” in Auckland are styled “ Freelances.” To travel near home, Mr Wakefield, the Member for Geraldine, is called a Free-lance. We are not aware that the noble order of “Free-lances” has found much room for development outside of New Zealand. In Australia and in Great Britain there are Stonewallers in Parliament just as there are stone-breakers in gaol, but we do not hear of Free-lances. When Sir James McCulloch was in power he represented what were called the Iron-hands, but the order speedily disappeared with its leader. But although “ Free-lances ” are unknown in the other colonies, there is an old and familiar order of politicians called “ Trimmers ” in these latitudes who bear a somewhat striking resemblance to the New Zealand " Free-lance.” These Trimmers are usually smart politicians—parti* cularly smart in their own estimation but they have the misfortune to be mistrusted. Having a redundancy of the jackdaw element, they can speak fluently and also forcibly. Like Punch’s dog, they can assume the appearance of great seriousness, and the admirers of clap-trap readily give them credit for much wisdom and great ability. But just as the “ Free-lance ” is

understood to cut deeply and keenly but without much concern as to consequences, so the Trimmer reserves the right of following the course of the weather-cock and turning his head to the wind.

At the Education Board the other day, Mr Wakefield gave a telling exposition of the rights and privileges of the “Free-lance ” by cutting up his friends in the Ministry. The Member for Geraldine has all along been supposed to have been an admirer of the present Government. Whenever they have been menaced he has readily given them a helping hand, and at one time it was believed that he stood a fair chance of securing a portfolio. But during the past session Mr Wakefield has been ominously silent. As a member of some of the Royal Commissions he has done the work of the Government, but from his seat in the House he has rendered them but little assistance. It may be that he has been blooding over his wrongs in being persistently excluded from the Treasury benches, but his friends have remarked a singular change of front. Some have gone so far as to suggest that Mr Wakefield’s strange silence is the calm that precedes the storm, and that when the opportunity arrives he will make another somersault, and denounce his former political cronies. At all events Mr Wakefield has recently been regarded as a very doubtful supporter of the Government, and hence he has won the expressive appellation of a Free-lance. As a Free-lance at the Education Board, Mr Wakefield made some remarks in reference to the Government that were very cutting, if not unkind, lie commented on the terms of an exceedingly polite circular from the Education Department in no merciful strain. He taxed the Government with attempting to throw on Parliament the responsibility that belonged to themselves. He accused them of shirking the education maintenance difficulty,and of throwing the obligation of cutting and contriving on the Education Boards. He was particularly wrathful when referring to the Hon Mr Rollcston’s resolve to preserve the education system in its cntiret}’. Now a scriptural authority has said that there is a time and place for everything, and it must have struck our readers that a political address from Mr Wakefield at a meeting of the Education Board was somewhat out of place. Had Mr Wakefield pitched into Mr Ilolleston and his former colleagues in the Ministry before he left Wellington he would have been entitled to the credit of betraying a fair amount of courage and independence. But to travel all the way to the New Post Office buildings in Timaru in order to denounce the administration of the Government is childish rather than consistent. Mr Wakefield will excuse our presumption for giving him a kindly hint. In future he will do well to reserve his political sentiments and opinions for his constituents, or, if he does care to meet the latter, for the re-assembling of Parliament, instead of parading them at the Education Board, When the Member for Geraldine reprimands Ministers, it should be in the presence of an audience more numerous, if not more influential, than the half dozen gentlemen who represent the South Canterbury Board of Education.