WELLINGTON ECHOES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 71, 2 July 1910, Page 9

WELLINGTON ECHOES.

(From Our Special Correspondent). Wellington, June 2li.

The biggest echo is supplied by his Excellency the Governor. It is an eclio full of gracious words, pleasant impressions, given and received, and a cordial pageant. Among the sounds of this last there was not as much cheering as one feels called upon to require, and as a matter of fact everybody does require here on every public occasion. But our public is not famous for its cheering proclivities. Moreover, the circumstances of such a reception as Wednesday's do not lend themselves to cheering with anything like irresistible effect. When a crowd is drawn out into < a full mile or so of double street lining with large fringes running about looking for coigns of vantage, it can't be expected to cheer vehemently all along the line, especially when the object of attention is driving quietly past. The average( Britisher would not cheer even his mother-in-law under the circumstances. How should he cheer the representative of his Sovereign?

Joking apart, the public was immensely plea=e.i wit : i the :ir.,>, Governor, and the pleasure seemed to be mutual. "His Ex," turns out to be a good deal older than he appears to be in his portraits. But there you are. The enterprising journalism of to-day digs out pictures from anywhere quite irrespective of dates, for the simple reason that it cannot always get the right dates, me marvel is that it managed to get any pictures at all, because when the appointment was announced "His Ex." was absolutely unknown to the public of the Dominion. The papers did their best, and their best was to find the .best photos, taken when 'itUs Ex." was a good deal young ?:. -Hnue thuy wire recorded their subject has done man} strenuous things in the years that have passed, among them being the taking of a really solid part in a great war. Hence he is older, as everyone said, than his pictures. But no one said that he was any the worse for that change. On the contrary, the general comment was of the softening of the strong features which had come with the grey lines in the hair, and the look of assured power and genial kindliness.

Of course lie gave the message with which the late King had charged him for his people, and he did it remarkably well. Such firmness and delicacy of touch in reference to the illustrious dead are rare. They had their effect on the hearers. In another respect "His Ex.' ; has shone. Every Governor has ueeu the object of a special Maori ceremony of welcome. But this is the first who has thought it necessary to call the representatives together for the purpose of giving them a special expression of thanks. In doing so he took occasion to say how much King Edward thought of the race which he had commended, almost his last words, to his care. It touches all our hearts to learn that so had read the character of the Maori people so accuracy and so sympathetically.

One mistake "His Ex." made in telling the story. It was in winding up his discourse of appreciation. He said that once the Maori race was against us, but that now it was with us. He will, I am sure, pardon me for pointing out to him that the race as a race never was against us. There was always the '"kupepas," the friendlies, who fought on our side against tfie revolted tribes. The long roll of illustrious names is still familiar with all who love the history of their country, and have admiration for the splendid race which as a race never was conquered but came into touch with us of its own good will. Kemp and Ropata, and Tuta Xihoniho— Fox, the major of the Maori contingents, he who won the rifle offered as a special prize )for ''the bravest man in the forces"; Topia Turoa, Mete Kingi* flimona Hiroti, the hero of Moutoa, and a hundre I other.; none ->f ever to be forgotten .by the men who stood with then), shoulder to shoulder. Then there are the fights of historic fame, in which the name of ''kupepa" was made brilliant, the battle on Moutoa Island so chivalrous in its arrangements, the storming of the great pa on the slopes of Tongariro, and the taking of the Xgatapa stronghold. There is. moreover, the decisive advance of Kemp's brave Wanganuis (parallel with the European coast column), fighting battle after battle with the rebels of Titikowaru in the bush all the way from the Wanganui river to the great Xgaere Colonel Whitmore would have bagged the whole of the enemy's force, had it not been warned, by treachery. However, the new man could scarcely be expected to know these things. -Neither could he have heard anvthing about the part played by Tamati Walker and the other great chiefs of the Ngapuhi in the days when Heke was out and .the town of Kororawcka was taken by storm by the valiant Maori, and Despard caused the disaster of Ohaeawai. Neither could he have heard of the faithful watch kept by the Arawa and the Ngatituwharetoa over the Duke of Edinburgh when he visited the Eotorua country, and how they kept 1 the land clear of the enemy for miles round him. But we have got beyond the reach of our echoes, and we must stop with the hope that "His Ex." will before long understand tfcis part of our history as it deserves to be understood.

We are looking forward to the opening of Parliament by "His Ex." and the tipsters are full of'the customary prophecy, i Thus there is the usual confusion of sub-1 jects about to be introduced. One notes i with a kind of wonder the promise of | Mr. Millar to introduce an Arbitration i Act and on Act for improving the method of compensating the injured work-1 man. One notices also the promise to extend the age of compulsory service, and here an echo that disturbs has resounded. The Opposition organ has cried out that the Government is not in earn(*t about the thing because it will not (r'iveoay to the railway men •vUokno'ud off to take nart in the landing of the Governor with their respective corps. The defence is that ceremonial is not military training, and that the men at Petone" cannot expect different treatment from those in the other workshops which are not in the capital. _ lie this as it may, the matter is too trivial for the importance assigned it by the vouiM lions of the ioiunM. Parliament is not going to be childish even to .please the?e royal beast? of the political forest.

* » * * Anions the 'other echoes of coming events—echoes of their footfalls, my ; dear, sir—we have local government, ; which provokes the usual smile, and we have others which n;.>ko u- • litii.it '■''<[ these the most important is the railway : league of the north formed by the a-- . soektted Chambers of Commerce. The. j man in the street wants to know 7 what j they have to do with it, anyhow. What is much more important is that the poli- i tician desires to he informed why the j Chambers have had the impudence to j lose faith in his endeavors for the public j nood of his district. This makes it appear as if the railway league will be as ! WMe a-, it is now, without hope of the I I mrpiwwrreiit wiiick-age-always-Jjas.fod novelty. ■ / * * * /» I An echo wants to knouf sometWng t from the Chambers. Whafc are they going to do about ttejuccVssful import of | mutton into the Unfair States m...rket?, 'Tis a matter much more nearly con.-! corning them than tKe railway furnish- I ments of the Dumin/, 1# T| u [.mnor d(lieu !s on them for f\ xv finding of the best markets, and ha/ a strange idea that this hj, about thfc last thing they seem to cart about./f{v- all ";he commwiioiH they get iiv,*. ih. -ale of mutton. It i is true that not iiiii- im-s 'been sent from I Palmerston by wa_) of echo of this matter. But what practical man would von-

ture to talk mutton to dairymen? Every such one knows that the "sheep stink" is fatal to cattle on every run. Everything in its place and all in their turn. Nevertheless, the time is not far off, so the street thinks, when the farmer will want to know from these Chambers why they talk of railways which the politician is quite competent to see to, and turn not their attention to the bedrock of the things for which they draw big pay. Possibly an echo of this may get into Parliament as many a worst thing has done before. , j

Another echo comes from Auckland, from the highest .place—namely, the Supreme Court. From the mouth of that ' clear-headed, outspoken Judge Chapman, who, like his father, has a" faculty for speaking his mind concisely and with a point that penetrates. In half an inch of reported print he said more against the admission of the bookies to the racecourses under the Jaw which ought, according to the practice of civilised nations, suppress them altogether, than had been printed in columns of newspaper report, and newspaper writing of the regular and irregular sorts. In the most luminous manner he has demonstrated—addressing himself to the case of an unfortunate who deliberately went into a systematic course with the bookmakers which would have been impossible under the totalisator—that the new law has, no doubt with the best intentions, simply increased the field of temptation which it is the business of the Legislature to circumscribe. Whai is going to come of this judicial utterance of the highest importance? Echo answers what. Perhaps Parliament may answer substantially. I know of simmerings, preparations, heart-burnings and plottings.

Knyvettites have made a descent upon us, but our dove-cotes remain unfluttered. No one seems to care a "continental" for Mr. Ivnyvett's sorrows.

The Powelka sorrows seem to be m no better case. A deputation of hysteria waited on the Mayor to get him to put himself at their head and batter down the Department of Justice. But Mr. Mayor, who understands law procedure, and has respect for facts and for the character of Judge Cooper, dissolved their hopes into thin air very effectively. He simply pointed to the long list of convictions and pleas of guilty; remarked that all particulars about the prisoner would in consequence —when the time had come for judgment —be at the disposal of the Judge, whom, moreover, he knew to be the most merciful of men. For the rest his Worship was most sympathetic, but he did not see his way to head that battering expedition of hysteria, neither could be see that the deputation understood the A.B.C. of its case. More power to his elbow! This view of things will not help any Parliamentary agitation. Nor will it result in either the release or the canonisation of the hero of hysteria.

Labor, contrary to expectation, .does not contribute to the prospective Parliamentary echoes of the week. Once upon a time it did seem as if the fierce threats of Mr. Taylor would be followed •by something in the waj'" of thatlabor demonstration he has so much at heart as the proper paving of the way for his march to political greatness, otherwise closed against him. But the publication of McKnight's very plain statement of the facts in the Auckland election nas "stouehed" the chance of such an echo. It has shown that Mr. Taylor invited himself to Auckland in furtherance of an agitation which Labor had no more intention of getting up than of Hung to the moon. Sic transit!

The biggest of all the echoes is a tremendous echo. It has been supplied by the conference of the No-license people. 1 referred to the "compromise"-last week, pointing out that if there were anything in the manifesto of the Rev. Mr. Walker there would be ructions about this compromise. Well, so there were. What they were exactly has not appeared, because these children of light have favored the darkness that keeps out the press representatives. The effect of it is, however, perhaps greater on that account. At any rate, it has come with wonderfully dramatic suddenness. The. No-license (Party, by unanimous consent —according to the official announcement —lias thrown away its belief in the bare majority. Thusly has it done so. The compact was attacked by hostile ameu.lment; the amendment was debated two days from early morn till dewy eve; tne amendment was beaten by a small majority and the compact thus affirmed was dropped. The official'explanation of the result is that the majority is too small 'to take the matter further. Exactly; Local Option, which has been trying and is still trying to force a bare majority on the Dominion regarding the liquor traffic, finding itself faced with a bare majority on an important matter connected with the liquor traffic, simply refuses to be bound by that bare majority. What chance has this party of ever again being listened to when it invoke?

the sacred name of Democracy to force a bare majority on the Dominion in the matter of an important question 'connected with the liquor traffic? Bare majority! Bare brass!

Having been beaten by the bare majority the minority is still demanding from the Legislature the programme which the bare majority of the party has condemned. Here comes in an echo. It is an echo of advice to the No-license Party to acknowledge itself "unstable as water," and destined not "to excel," and to retire for an .indefinite period from all attempts at legislation in the endeavor to rehabilitate itself into some condition of strength for the struggles of the future. It would not surprise me to learn that an echo an Evening Post echo) is prophetic. At all events, the hopeless division of the No-license ranks is too pronounced for any hope of success with either of the programmes ■before it. The position is the greatest surprise, therefore, to hear a rumor that on Saturday the Premier met the demands of a "deputation from the conference with the plain statement that until they agree amongst themselves nobody can be expected to agree/ with them. * » * *

Birthday and other -honors are in the: k air. Sir 'Charles Bowen has been eon- J gratulated by all the pioneers who are left and the friends of the Education j s Act have not been backward. The pri- [ vate secretary of !Mr flodley, Mr. Bov.-eu. \ s gave up the promise of a career.at the s Bar for the heroic work of colonisation. ] ] later on proved the best magistrate the i J country has ever produced, entered poli- j ■ tics as a Minister of the Crown, and 1 wound up his political career quickly J as father of the Education Act. The l six'iikershin of the Tpper House was a < fitting lienor for the evening- of his j ' da vs."and of that honor the crowning , ; i-i'-.i'-viiiient ; s the knighthood just con- ] < ferred on him hv his Sovereign. It comes ! ' as a custom and with the custom there j is iitness. May leii'ith of days be added, | is the praver of the many friends of Sir j Charles. One of his -best public services . was the appointment of Judge Williams to the S.C. Bench. ; I * . * * * i I Sir W. Hall-Jones is also the recipient i of many congratulations. The carpenI ter's chisel is the lever by which he has I nHninedgreatnesj:,, applying it with j I industry unrivaliecl 'aTKTT independence unimpaired. The* street / holds out its hand to the High Com- ' niissioner. The gallery of the House reI members the difficulties of, reporting ' presented by Sir William and is there- ! fore much reconciled to the prospect j of his continued residence in London where- he has received so much honor. ■ ! Ancient pioneers are in the same boat | 1 us these modern journalists. That is 1 to sav. tbcv have a small grievance ;' against Sir' Charles. It is that once : ', he perpetrated a volume of poetry. But i as he reoented and gave irrefragable ' proof of his sincerity by never trying - il again, they are content to remember

their forgiveness as well as his slight lapse from perfection. * * * #

' Exit Heyes; enter a new galaxy and new arrangements. Of the first the street has much to say, but the loudest thing that comes to my ear is "let him go." One otherjs notable, namely, that the declaration made in certain wise quarters that Peter would nevci' be interfered with because someone would never dare has been falsified by Peter's dismissal. So much for Buckingham! Colonel Campbell, who succeeds as Commissioner of Taxes, is a good man, and the separation of the Valuation from the Taxation Department is a good thing, and the best thing of the bunch is the appointment of Mr. Flanagan to be head of the valuers. The most independent man in the Lands Department and the most capable officer, there i is not a Minister of the last, twenty J years from King Dick down to the smallest man who ever signed a ministerial paper who has not at one time or other felt the sting of um-ompromise as upplied by the ruggedly independent and honestly fiery Flanagan. As his capacity is as enormous as his independence (otherwise he would never have got through), the public lias every reason to be pleased with his appointment to the office which it Jias been determined for the very best reasons to keep separately independent from all others.

When Mr. Tiobieson, who has been "doing" tourists since Mr. Donne was sent up higher, gets into his new place of State Fire Insurance, all that will be left to do will 'be to wonder why so excellent a tourist officer was ever plunged into fire. On the other hand, with Ben Wilson's smiling face at the tourists one has an instinctive feeling that the right man is in the right place. As secretary of the Arbitration Court Ben has had his eyes opened to many things. The fact will just act as an extra polish to his fitness for the new position.