POLITICAL NOTES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 79, 20 August 1912, Page 4

POLITICAL NOTES.

THE LIBERAL LEADERSHIP. Writes Frank Morton:—To talk of Mr. Russell as the acceptable leader qf a party containing Sir Joseph Ward is surely preposterous. Political differences ale inevitable, but they should not per* vert one's estimate of » man. Even today. no other man oh that side of politics has so biff and strong a following as Sir Joseph Ward has, and no other ir.an can pretend to his skill in leadership. In the end, he must resume control of his party. There are indications that that party will be supplemented by the open adherence of the body of the more moderate Labor men before long. j. give yon my word that Sir Joseph Ward had an enviable warm reception at the Trades' Hall in Auckland the other night. He was hailed, not as a figure deposed and laid away, Wit as a, force prominent and significant in public affairs; Prominent and significant he will remain, for his qualities are not the qualities of the background.

MEMBERS' SALARIES. The Wanganui Herald says:—What is really wanted is not an iniciease in salaries of members of Parliament, but legislation to stop the peisistent blackmail—for that is what it amounts to that is levied upon members of Parliament; in fact, upon every public man. Directly a man become* a member of Parliament, a Mayor, or in any way prominent in public life, he is at once elected a president or vice-pre-sident of a score of organisations, from football clubs to semi-public bodies. It matters not whether he desires the honor* or not; he has it thrust upon him, willynilly. Of course, the matter does not :• end there. He is expected to contribute anything from half a guinea up to five guineas to the funds of the club. if' lie does, he is regarded as a fine fellow, and, incidentally, has managed to secure a vote or two. If lie does not, he is looked upon as mean, and loses votes inconsequence. It i'b a species of blackmail so far as some clubs are concerned,, and practically forces upon public men the necessity of buying votes. ' Put into plain English, that is what the practice amounts to, and it is in this way that the greater part of a member of Parliament s salary is dribbled away. To increase the honorarium will not mend' matters; it will simply means that members will have a little more to be plundered of, and it may be taken for granted that toll will be taken of the increase. The only way to cope with thematter is to make it an offence for a member to give to these things, or for anyone to ask him to give.' It is not' only in respect of clubs and such-like bofties that the evil exists. If a member is asked to open a bazaar, resentment is felt if he does not follow thfr performance by spending a sovereign or two. If a charity subscription is got up the member is always waited on, and 1 his subscription trotted out as an advertisement for the fund. The cadgt is worked in twenty different ways, and should any member have sufficient firmness to resist it, there are immediately several small-minded people who mark him down to be voted against at nextelection. The whole business is lowering—to the member, to the people who blackmail him, and to our public life. It should be made illegal, and if this were done there would be an end of the complaints that a member's salary of £300" is not sufficient. As it is, or even £IOOO, would soon be found as insufficient as £3OO.

THE EG MONT SEAT. Says yesterday's Dominion:—"Mr. Wilkinson, who is well known in the electorate as an able and energetic innu of business, consented to be the Reform candidate to contest the seat with the Jatp Prime Minister, after the defeat of Mr. Dive at Mr. Mackenzie's hands] The position appears to be that Mr. Dive, after his defeat, recognised that it would be a difficult task to wrest th« seat from the then Prime Minister, and he is said to have expressed his willingness to stand down at any future election in favor of Mr. Wilkinson. The retirement of Mr. Mackenzie to London, however, has altered the situation from Mr. Dive's point of view, and he has now decided to seek re-election. As a result, there two candidates standing in the interests of the Reform Government. While this is regrettable from th't party's standpoint, it is not likely to. affect the result. Mr. Dive, as the. member for the district, rendered it some service, but .-unfortunately, he is a poor speaker and is somewhat lacking in energy and pushfuhiess; and no doubt these things told against him in hisfight for the seat with Mr. Mackenzie. On the other hand, Mr. Wilkinson has a reputation both as a forceful speaker and as a man who is likely not only to keep the needs of his district constantly before Ministers and Parliament, but also in Tune to play a not unimportant part in the general politics of the country"