OUR NEW GOVERNOR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 362, 13 April 1910, Page 5

OUR NEW GOVERNOR

I NEWSPAPER CONGRATULATIONS. | __ By Cable—Press Association—Copyright. London, April 11. The Westminster Gazette congratulates New Zealand on Sir DicksonPoynder's appointment as Governor. The paper describes him as a politician with a liking for independent t'hougnt, and as having shown a capacity ior hard work. As a soldier, memuer of Parliament, county councillor, and landowner, his temperament should appeal to practical colonists. A CHARACTER SKETCH. The following character sketch of Sir John Dickson-Poynder was published under the feature, ".Men of the Day," in Vanity Fair during 1905: — lie is too sincere a politician to be quite successful. When Chippenham elected Mm in 1892 lie was a Conservative with ideals—always a threatening combination. He believed it to be possible to conduct the affairs of tiie nanon on business ines; efficieny, with a capital E, was the political deity which lie ignorantly worshipped. A?id thus it came about that, from a party standpoint, lie rapidly went from bad to worse. He had the inconceivable audacity to insinuate in the House that Air. Brodrick, instead of being a heavenborn marshal, had not the military intellect of a Snelgrove; he was progressive on the subject of trams, and was quite offensive to Lord Hugh Cecil and that gentleman's friends on the subject of education. Finally, he declared himself a Freetrader, and thus filled the cup of his iniquities to the brim. The clover 11 men t have put up a candidate ;igamst him in his own constituency, while the Liberals in that locality have accepted him as their representative. He will be as unorthodox a Radical as he was heterodox in his Conservatism. This is tlie one fact which lightens Hie woe of the Central Conservative Office.

But Sir John, being a popular man, very wealthy, and of a pleasant countenance, pursues his career undisturbed uy cautions' from the Cabinet, and the whisperings of Whips. He may no; be quite so optimistic as he was thirteen years ago. Yet he stands by his opinions with a cheerful serenity. Moreover, lie makes practical application of them in matters that are outside politics. On the London County Council he was ever opposed t.o municipal extravagance. He 'had the audacity to suggest that the council should leave business matters to business men. As chairman of the Great Northern Hospital, he has labored to promote a oetter understanding between the great hos ■pitals, so that the charity of the metropolis' may be divided to their common advantage under the general guidance of King Edward's Hospital Fund, lie has agitated to secure the regular employment of time-expired soldiers, and to reform the financial methods of the friendly societies. He did good work upon the Royal Commission on London Traffic, report of which body will be published very shortly. "'He comes of a good fighting stock, for of the five Dickson baronets before him three were adnjirals and two soldiers. It was in 1887 that he took the name of Poynder, for reasons connected with a great legacy. He lias travelled 'all over the world, and is now interested in gardening. He went out wit'i his yeomanry during the war, and was placed on Lord Methuen's staff, and returned with a D.S.O. He is. a good shot. Even those wlion cannot tolerate his politics, like him."