The Daily News WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1903 THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XXXXV, Issue 37, 11 February 1903, Page 2

The Daily News WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 11, 1903 THE MINISTER FOR LANDS.

Every now and again one or other of the Ministers of the Government of the day is singled out for attack, and is subjected to a good deal of abme from tho Opponition Press. Indflau occasionally, for reasons which &ra no' always disclosed, newspapers which genially support the Government indulge in this objectionable practice. '. We say objectionable because uft«r I all, no Minister is independent of th> Cabinet, and these attacks aro geher- | ally a backhanded way of getting at I the Government as a whole. Som ■ I time back the Hon. Hall J one* was ihc I point of attack. He is now admitted to be a sU'ODg, successful Minister. Yet if certain papers Lad had their j way he would never have, had a chane* to show his quality. The Hon. W. 0. [Walker was the nfxfc Minister upon whom thos -, who could make no impression on the Ministry, vented their sple-o. Yet Mr Walker has doie more for the ciuse of education than any previous Minister for Edueation, ar.d his <fforts in that direction will have a p?rmanent effect on education

( in New Zealand. The Hon. 0. H. j Mills was next attacked, but his energy | and strong, active mind, yet courteous i self-reliance soon disarmed adverse j criticism. Now the Hon. T. Y. I Duncan, who has succ-eded the late Sir John McKenzie, whose .advanced land legislation was so cori dially hated by the Opposition, is being j attacked wich a bitterness that is uupiecedented. Mr Duncan has had an exceedingly difficult position to fill, Sir John McKenzie go completely revolutionised the land policy of the! colony that for 10 years he loomed very larj;a in tho public eye, at times almost overshadowing the Premier himsolf. Mr Duncan came into office on the retirement of Sir Join McKeczio, after the first glamour of his success had worn off, and whom thu policy which was having effects s me had not anticipated, and losing sonncf i<B former supporters, while its old

time opp.nenis have relaxed none of their efforts to bring it into disrepute. Further the policy had ltd to an enormous and unprecedented extension of fettlement, with enormous respoueibilidf s in the matter of roads, bridges, and in maintaining settlements established under the vigorous progressive policy which was such a striking contrast to that of previous administrations. No one can say Mr Duncan has failed in any respect to maintain the policy so vigorously prosscuccd by Sir John McKetzie, but rhe area over

which his operations extend, and being of a consolidating natuiv, it has not brought Ivm so prominontly befoie tho public. His work has been none tbe h-gi thoiough raid valuable to the Hta'.o and is recognised by those who hnvo the good of the colaey at heart. Even political opponents who are out of tho turmoil of party politics) recognise Mr ' Durban's spscia] fitness fi. the position ho occupies. An exceedingly graco-, ful tribute bus just been p;d fco Mr

Duncan by the Hob. John Bryce, who l is certainly better qualified to express an opinion than any of the journalists who have so grossly m-iligned him for party purposes. Mr Bryee, in a letter to a Wanganui contemporary, says : "The constant disparagement of tho j Mini ter for Linda makes me rather, impttient. Mr Duncan is a man of eouud common sense. He h*s decided views on the land question, aud knoAS very well what woik his department ought to do. I do not agree wuh his political opinions generally, nor with bis viaws on land in particular, but his opinious on land lass are perfectly in becord with thosa of the late Sir John McKenzie, and those who admire the late Minister of Lands should not dis-

parage tha present occupant of that office. The real reason of the " dead set " which is being made on Mr Duncan, whether consciously or unconsciously, is to be found in the fact that he k a farmer and land owner, and ; neither one nor the other is required ■ in a New Zealand Government. Replace him by a lawyer or a newspaper man,- and everything will go well. What should a, farmer, or landowner know about land ? The idea !" Mr

Bryce's rather sarcastic conclusion touches a weak spot in our body politic, and one which must be very carefully guarded against. Style, bearing, and station go a long way with somo psoplf, and there is a tendency to discard the plaio farmer or workman for eome one whose social standing is probab'y mo-e marked than his intelligence. The suggestion that Mr Seddon should resign to get quit of Mr Duncan would i be laughable if it were noS siuttedy absurd. Mr Seddon is not generally guiky of going back on his colleague?, ' and to believe he is capable of doing sj ■ in t't.is instance is to suppose he has , changed his nature.