The Daily News. MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1913. AN ERRATIC POLITICIAN.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LV, Issue 248, 10 March 1913, Page 4

The Daily News. MONDAY, MARCH 10, 1913. AN ERRATIC POLITICIAN.

Ij.ie fact tliiit necessity make*. strange; hwl fellows prolwlily originated jiie proverbial t-rv of "Save ine frwii my friejids,' and at tlni moment t'h;i» is being * insularly illustrate! i l our polities. Y\ her; Mr. Massey formed Lis KeJ'orm Cabinet lie ma<(<• that dangerous experiment <t-' including Mr. )■'. 31. 13. Fisher in its ranks. Possibly this was done with a view to silencing a dangerous critic, bin at any rate those who knew wiything cA Mr. Fisher's political career wvre eontem' to sit down ijuietly and wait for the laugh. This has not been lon* in coming, and Mr. Massey has now surely begun to realise that a severe critic may be i-r.en preferable to a too enthusiastic friemS. Clever politician as lie is. bis elevation to Cabinet rank appeal's to have added to such politics as Mr. I'islier has a quality of arrogance that threatens (o seriously embarrass his Parly. This patiicular political Vicar of l!ray lias always shown colors enough in his politic* to put to shame a hopelessly inadequate and envious sp»«triim analysis, lie has been violet, indigo blue, green, yellow, orange and red with rainbow brilliancy, and then has proceeded to combine the colors in less fasinonable shades. As a matter of fact, be appears to have assumed control of the Government's policy, and to have become a I'arly to himself. This taint of IshinaeliMii must have alarmed his chief seriously, for this precocious infant whom Mr. Massey has adopted has not hesitated to scold even the Prime Minis-

| tor whoa his youthful confidence in him- j self has suggested that it was advisable. It is not easy to find a parallel for Mr. ' Fisher in history, but lie perhaps most nearly resembles the precocious baby of the Hab Ballads who '' turned up his nose a't his pap," and who was wont when his elderly father narrated to him the stories of Little 80-pecp and Red Hiding Hood to chuck him in the ribs. With his "Vk! oh my! Get along wis 'oo, fie! I'm sadly afraid 'oo's a socking ole fox.'' 'This "digging in the ribs" must be causing Mr. Massey some, concern, and it! is really hard lines oii the head of the Government that he should lie committed to views and opinions that lie lias never even shuddered at in his dreams by his enterprising political progeny. Speaking in Auckland, Mr. Fisher emphasised his scorn of being "bound by regulations and statutes," with an airy nonchalance that tfe cannot help envying, and then proceeded to say things "from an impersonal standpoint," whatever that may mean

as comfort to Mr. Massey. The ardent Minister ventured the opinion that the day was not very far distant when municipal councils would be "wiped out of existence." "We shall not," he said, "lie able much longer to tolerate the system by which a large number of men arc elected to control municipal undertakings, and who increase wages and give benefits to the public." Experts, be coiv tinned, should be appointed, because ii will not pay an expert to raise wage? or extend benefits to the public. Tnci dentally, Mr. Fisher, during his visit t< the northern centre, has announced tin coining removal of restrictions placet upon shipowners, the "salvation of tin Reform Party," through a solution of tin eiisual labor problem (involving, ineiden tally, the annual importation of 2s,(M)i workers from Britain or Europe), tin destruction of the Labor Party, and tit -abolition of elective local bodies so'tha wages shall not be increased nor publi benefits extended. This is a fairly elaboi ate Reform platform, but we sbonh really love to know how much of it i approved by the Prime Minister and hi other colleagues. Perhaps either Mi Massey or Mr. i'lsher will explain.

A CANDID FRIEND. It will not lie the fanM of th'e Government Geologist (Mr. P. G. Morgan) if the members of the Dominions Koyal Commission, who will arrive Ihei'e to-morrow night on a visit rtt" inspection of. Taranaki's resources, are not prejudiced against both itmr oil and ironsand operations. Giving evidence in Wellington 011 Friday tliis cheerful authority admitted that'Taranaki ironsand made iron of good quality,%ut said there wou|d be a great flifliciilty in .transporting it to the smelting works, for it was scattered over a great length of coastline. Mr. Morgan did not indicate the locality of the proha'ble smelting works, but if an effectual process were available the site for t'lie works would be right alongside the sand. Theirousand is certainly scattered «'.r ai 'big .area, but inexhaustible supplies can -be obtained at many points.. For 'instance, a works established at the loot of >the breakwater need not go elsewhere' for its supplies; the sand exist* in :that i neighborhood in hundreds of thousands of tons.' And it is not confined to tbe beach. Having made these pleasant -observations, be proceeded to -say that the Taranaki district appeirnojl -most promising for petroleum, but the yield was not up to expectation- 111 t'he course of a subsequent eross-eiaminatioin, 'he -said there was 110 proved oil in Neiv Zealand; Tarajjaki, he said, could hardly ibe said to -be proved, lie did mot know where .supplies were to come from to feed the refinery works now being ejected in New Plymouth. Mr. Morgan, froui the official position be holds, ought .surely to know thai!, up till recently the oil industry hats Jiot had a fair chance.. The conditions associated with boring here are unlike those of other countries, and it is only from experience. dearly purchased, that methods have been evolved to meet them. Then right from the commencemrtft there has been a shortage of capital, -wiilst the plants have I wen as antiquatufi as they have been unreliable. Considering the disadvantages, it is surprising tha-t oil in any quantity has been obtained at all. Now the position is different. The industry is getting a fair show, and up-to-date. efficient plants have been secured and, in many instances, are mow in operation, the services of men expert in their several detriments have 'been secured, and a littery to deal witil*. the oil is being ejected. It is too eiirly, yet for anyone to fell the extent of Ahe Held, but the Knglish experts who lui-ve visited Taranak'i oiiould know as 'lmicli of its possibilities as Mr. Morgan. Tk'y evidently have ins fears about Taranaki's oil prospects, or they would not havo recommended tl>e installation of the new boring plains and the erection of a refinery. Tbe Dominion Geologists, from the time of the late Sir James Hector, have repeatedly demonstrated, to their own satisfaction, if not to others', that it was a scientific impossibility for mineral oil to be obtained in Taranaki; yet we have seen one well at least (lowing payable oil without interruption for a period of three years and two months. We have also seen two other wells Mowing. all put down, be it remembered, with primitive appliances and under Hie greatest difficulties. No one connected with the industry here desires .ill'. Morgan or anyone else to describe our potential industries before the' Commission in glowing language, Imt we certainly would like him to keep his counsel about matters of which he is not fully informed, and let those who are show the Commission what the actual position is.