THE FREE LANCE ON MR J. B. WHYTE.

Te Aroha News, Volume II, Issue 95, 28 March 1885, Page 7

THE FREE LANCE ON MR J. B. WHYTE.

Unlike M r Lake, the member for Waikato is neither a new nor an untried man. His constituents have had experience of him in the past, and have confidence in his honesty of purpose and hid ability to serve them. Few members have had so great a compliment paid them by their constituents as fell lo Mr Whyte's share at last election, when in his absence his opponents were utterly trashed; by the' meeting called by them-s<-!v<»s.- Yet the member for Wailiaio. is, no orator .nor even a speechcnaker. , He speaks at rare intervals in the tt oiise, and \wwy sstys tnf'icliv /His Shrewd pom- 1 idm at^\ins^ lm% JitoWveiv. Often? jpiw.

further thvA\ tlirjfmre ? o\vy Nh'titsj^fj some "f his oiutjmpor rt> s. Thus lu\' had nlwayn w»»iv real foffaence tlian'MV' Whiacer, w .<> occujiiV..! the sN\u' seat for Wuiprt, and was ceitHiiilj not want in 15 in ability not* iti the power oF speech. Years before the return of Sir Julius \ogel to New Zealand politic. Mr Whyte, thoogli no financier? took it upon him to suggest the very financial expedient by which the present Treasurer adroitly changed a deficit into a surplus. The member for Waikato was a supporter of the Atkinson Government, and, as a mutter of course, he was opposed to the Stout- V os?el Cabinet, tie again supported Atkinson's scratch Cabinet, which lived so short anJ so melancholy a life, although lie could scarcely have mourned its early decease. Throughout the Session afterwards the member for Waikato < was in Opposition, but not in opposition of a strong type. Some of the Gorernment measures he opposed, others aeain he supported, notably the District Railways Sale Act ; but throughout he seems to have been inclined to judge each proposed measure upon its merits. Tins, after all, i* the test of any man's fitness for a politician. It is necessary that opinions should differ, for this they will inevitably do when, different men bring their different ideas to bear upon them, bu; a politician will never confound party ties with his duly to his constituents of seeing that the hgislation of the country is satis:«ctory. Between Sir George Grey and the member for Waiksito there a:e no ties. The plain common sense of the Waikato member finds lit.t)e attractive in the theories run wild of the great Pro-Consul, and whether from considciatiou (f each particular, or from a general conviction of Sir George Gray's unsoundness, he always opposes every measure brought forward by him. It must be admitted thai to a model ate support of Major Atkinson, last Sessio?i afforded a puzzling problem. It was but natural that members so plnced should oppose Stout, and it was hardly possible to escape a certain prejudice ag.tiusG Sir Julius Vogel. It is to be huped that matters wV\ be more easily dealt with next Session. So far as his measures are concerned, I imagine the member for Waikato has more real confidence in the present Treasurer than in any other politician, and it is to be hoped that next Session he will be able to support him in such proposals as he may make, unembarrassed by party considerations. On the whole, it cannot be questioned that the Waikato electors have a member who fairly represents them, and one who is ulways active in promoting their interests. They Inve not indeed, as they had in Mr Whitaker years ago, a veteran and an eminent poli;ician in Mr Whyte, but thay have the next best thing in possessing a clearheaded and straightforward member.