The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1887. THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1566, 17 March 1887, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, MARCH 17, 1887. THE COMING ELECTIONS.

Withih the next two months Parliament will be called together for the despatch of business. This is the last session of the present Parliament, and it is expected that it will be a short one, and that y rr afterwards we shall be called upon meet its successor. It is time, therefore, that people began to reflect on this and prepare themselves for the occasion by registering their votes. When the present Parliament was elected, nearly three years ago, most of the papers boasted that it was the best we had had for some time previously, but we took a different view of it, and recognised too many of the representatives of rings and monopolies in it to be of much service to the country. Some people guage a man’s fitness for Parliament by his wealth, bis social standing, and his personal influence. It is generally accepted that political sagacity and ability are inseparable from the above qualities, while poor men can be good only for nothing. Now, most of the rich and powerful belong to the rings and the monopolies, and the balance are bound to them by other ties. Pure and free as we regarded the Premier, it turned out that he was deeply interested in one of the District Railways which have been bought by the Government, and if all the private affairs of the rich men were exposed in a similar manner to the public gaze, people would then see the ties that bind them down to certain lines of action. For instance, Major Atkinson has frequently been accused of being a tool in (be bands of the Bank of New Zealand, and, in fact, Mr Dargaville went so far as to call him to bis face in the House “ the book-keeper of the Bank of New Zealand.” ftow, it is not book-keepers of the Bank of New Zealand, nor monopolists of any kind, we want in Parliament. They have had their tarn, and they have made good use of it, but they ! have landed the colony into a difficulty that she cannot easily get out of. Politicians animated by interested motives can only be a curse to any country, ami the less of them we have in Parliament the better. It was because we recognised in the personnel of the present Parliament many representatives and friends of monopolies that we did not chime in with the parrot-like cry that was raised with regard to its superiority over its predecessor. That we were not far wrong was proved by their own conduct. In the history of the legislature of New Zealand there never was witnessed—and we hope there never will be again—such scenes as those which disgraced the first meeting of the present Parliament. The Atkinson Ministry, finding the country in a fearful mess, committed political suicide by raising the grain tariff, and they were thrown out of office. Then came the scramble for the seats left vacant. Twenty per cent, of the members of the House aimed at the Premiership, while nearly all of them wanted to get a portfolio, and it was the best part of a month before they settled down to business, Since then their conduct has not been very edifying; “ To keep the Ministry in and their measures out” was their watchword for a long time—a policy humiliating alike to the Ministry and their supporters. We could enumerate many other stupid actions indulged iu by the present Parliament, but it is not necessary ;it is now on its last legs,-and in a few months it will die of old age, end we sincerely hope that 'many of its members will not be seen there again. One thing, we have to impress upon our readers is tbs desirability of registering their votes at once, and when the time comes to use them in striking a blow at the money-rings and monopo'ists and their friends. We have had enougb of them ; they have brought on the colony the curse of an burden, and they have taken care they.have secured to themselves many privileges and advantages. The colony is now reduced , to very serious circumstances ; do our | best we cannot produce sufficient to pay our way, and the ablest, the most patriotic, and the most unselfish men we can find in the colony are needed in Parliament.