Untitled

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 102, 16 September 1912, Page 4

MR. ASTBURY'S CANDIDATURE. Mr. Astburv, who is the acknowledged Liberal candidate, has been careful to avoid personalities, and to confine himself to general politics. We find him beating the'wind when he essays to take the Government to task for appointing Mr. Thomas Mackenzie to the High Conimissionership. The appointment was a purely national one, and had nothing whatever to do with party politics. As a matter of fact, the Government simply earned commendation for appointing the best possible man to the* position, and very properly placed the interests of f-ltate before those of party. Mr. Astbury. is also ill-advised in attempting to make capital out of the fact that Mr. Dive was thrown over for Mr. Wilkinson, who, Mr. Astlniry alleges, practically jumped his claim. As a matter of fact, the Government showed its good sense in putting forward so much stronger and abler a man in Mr. Wilkinson. Both the Seddon nnd the Ward Governments made the great mistake of stickin? through thick and thin to candidates of proved indifferent, ability. Plenty of better men, able to command influence and strengthen the- party, were available, but they were thrust aside repeatedly in favor of political derelicts and deadbeats. Sir Joseph Ward would never have gone out of power had he shown more discrimination -in this respect. and in choosing his Cabinet. To such a pass did things ultimately come that the majority of his Ministers were a hindrance rather than a source of strength to him. The Government is. therefore, to be commended for putting Mr. Wilkinson forward instead of Mr. Dive, who had his chance, and failed badly. Mr. Astbury advocates the construction of the line from the Te Roti end to Opunake, but thinks that the ; Moturoa line should only be built on | the interest on its cost being guaranteed ,by the settlers. To be consistent, tiie same condition should apply in respect of the southern end, for some kind of line to take the traffic off the roads is almost as badly wanted at this end as the other. We do not agree with Mr. Astbury's views in connection with the proposed appointment of a railway manager from 'outside. He thinks the proposal'is an. insult to every railway servant in the Dominion. We do not think so. Our railway system—we have not to go outside Taranaki for ample evidence of this -ris in a shocking state, blundering and managerial incapacity being shown on all sides. An outside man, used to handling big concerns like the railways systems in ■ America or Britain, would change all this. lie certainly could do no worse, and. even if he cost £BOOO a year he should soon be able to save the money and many thousands besides. Mr. Astbury has a trenchant manner of dealing with political questions. He shows the hypocrisy of the pretensions of the Massev party in regard to the past administration, borrowing, Local Government Bill, railway construction, civil service, and in other directions to which we have already referred, lie shows throughout that he has a good grip of the political questions of the day, and, like Mr. Wilkinson, he, ;too. could be confidently looked upon to faithfuly and ably represent the constituency. On most of the vital questions of the day lucre is really very little difference between the views of the two men. The difference is simply that ln<: ween the moderate Liberals and the moderate Government men. During the pa.;i I'cw months there has been a complete transformation of parties, and the time .is near when there must be complete re-casting of party lines. The present Government has practically takcn V '-ovcr the programme of the Lib-rnls and the difference is now one of administration only. More rapidly than at first seemed possible, the moderate Liberals are ■detaching themselves from the extreme Radicals, 'and before! long we will have the same political position here as in Australia—l he moderates oil the one side and the extremis] son the other. As far as we can judge, bollr the candidates that ire offering (heir services to the electors i>f Kgmont will be on the former side when the division line becomes more acute, and for tliaf rt :is<m we are personally unconcerned which man is returned to-morrow, Lgmont, in fact, is in the happy condition of being faced with an embarrassment of riches rathct than a poverty of ehoicc.