POLITICAL NOTES.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2091, 28 August 1890, Page 2

POLITICAL NOTES.

We have been digging in the pages of Hansard lately, and have found there another speech made by Mr Ehodes. Mr Ehodes’ speeches in the pages of Hansard are like angels visits, “few and far between,” but they interest us, and particularly so when we find the Speaker calling him to order for reading something. The humor of the situation at once forces itself on ns, and we laugh. But there is a pecularity about Mr Ehodes to which we have directed attention before, He does not like enquiries, and the speech to which we refer was delivered by him in condemnation of the action of Mr T. Duncan’s action in causing an inquiry to be made into certain Otago land transactions. Briefly put the whole thing arose as follows :—The famous Californian Thistle McKenzie spent hiu'holidays a couple of years ago in exploring the wilds of Otago. He discovered waterfalls, lakes, mountains, cascades, rills, and rivulets, concerning which he made a tremendous amount of noise, and he

discovered a valley containing some excellent'land, but never told a soul anything about it. He quietly sat down by his “ aiu fireside ” and wrete a letter to the Minister of Lands suggesting that land in this district should be opened for settlement, and after, as he says in bis letters, “ vexatious delays ” his request was complied with. What followed may be told in Mr Duncan’s own words. Mr Duncan says “The Government valuers cut up a block of 10,000 acres and value it at; IQs per.acre, and the Government allow a gentleman (Mr McKenzie M.H;R ) t» put Are dr six applications,ih : for it, and secure all the frontage and all the best of the land, ! and' render 1 the' 1 ' rest : valueless.” Furthermore it was shown that Mr McKenzie’s land was not continuous, but that it was l taken up in more than one block with' t: worse land between them. The whole transaction came to Mr Duncan’s knowledge *- and he brought it under the notice ofParlia-' ment,- with the 'result that it was referred to the Waste Lauds Committee. In his speech on the subject Mr Duncan called it a case of dummyism, and as such it went before the committee. .Mr Duncan having discovered his. mistake went before the committee, and; said, ‘‘ I withdraw;, any. remark I made as connecting Mr. T. McKenzie with dummyism. I meant gridironing.” The chairman qf the committee brought down his report exonerating Mr McKenzie from the charge and moved, that it be .laid on the table. The whole thing would have - .ended, there -only that, the virtuous,, indignation., ■■ of Mr Rhodes was so excited that, he got up. and delivered ’ a,,moral lecture in,,a -most unctuous; manner’ ,on ,Mr, Duncan’s inifjuifcy.iii eyer^introducing the subject. Now.the fact is that the law as made by the present.. Government had not been violated, but common sense must show that no man ought to be allowed to pick, the eyes out of ; a ' block of country . for 10s an acre, and thus depreciate the value, of ,surrounding lands. Mr McKenzie is not to blame. He did only what most men would do if they had,the,,chance. .The .system ■ introduced by the present Government is wrong and ought, to be altered. Considering,,however^how very seldom Mr Rhodes speaks : , we think he might very ,well,have ~allowed this matter to have passed unnoticed.. But Mrißhodes does npt like inquiries, he wishes to let things alone; he does not like stirring, up mud, especially if damaging to the present Government,! ’

• Has the present Government done one honorable thing in all their career? We think not; We got glimpses of a petition by a Mr D. Mah one j through the papers, but one has to read Hansard to get at the • truth of the case. Mr Mahoney (was clerk; of works at the Wellington gaol, and lhere it was discovered that; he was an architect of considerable ability;

Owing .‘to retrenchment (his salary- was: reduced,- and .he iwas instructed to' prepare plans for a gaol at Wanganui j for which he got a bonus of £25. He was instructed to prepare plans for a Supreme; Courti at Dunedin, and; did. so, r but! when he sent! ih his billr of costs-the>.Minister ' repudiated it, and dismissed! him’ from' the service.' ! Mr Mahoney brought the case before) the Supremb Goiirty and) the question :#as whether' there was ra special contract; made' between himself and the i Minister or whether the contract was an implied one. v Mr Mahoney, s;wore that the Minister of Public Works agreed to, pay! 1 himi the prdinary commission:

wmcn tie): usually sallowed to private architects, and the Minister J denied this. The amount claimed was £BOO or £9OO, and if the jury found that there existed a “ special contract ” they would have to bring in a verdict for that amount, bo the judge told them. The jury thought the amount claimed,;too much, and brought; in a verdict to the effect that there was an “ implied ” contract, and, that Mr Mahoney was entitled to £495. The solicitor for the Government pleaded that there could not be an implied contract, and thus on a technical point Mr Mahoney deprived of the verdict of the jury and got nothing. Now'.is this honest? The jury was a special one of select men, who.evidently did not believe the Mini star of Public

forks’, oath, or they would not hare given the verdict in favor of Mr I Mahoney. Tet what did the Minister: do ? Just as a miserable drunkard in a publichouse case pleads the Tippling Act, Mr Fergus got eut of paying a lawful debt by technical means; Who can say he is aii hopeist man ? But this is not all. JMr IVlahoney petitioned Parliament, and the Government have used ,their, influence to prevent justice being done to him. This case is really a shocking instance,of the;, dishonesty of the Government.

Unionism is getting fashionable. The.Oivil Service have formed a union, but they.; do not .call itrby that name. Oh dear, mo ! but they use a synonymous term—they call it an association, ‘just so that they might be distinguished from ordinary mortals. They do not purpose to strike, but their objects are avowedly similar to that of the other unions. They purpose to watch over their own interests, and they have got the Governor as their patron. Now comes in a nice point. Is a patron supposed to strike when the rank and file do ? If so we are to have some fun in New Zealand yet. It will be an edifying sight to sea all the civil servants out on strike, with His Bx-1 cellency at their head. With regard I

to the civil service the position is this: The lower grades are badly paid, but those of the “ hupper ancles ” are about the best off class in the: colony, and have, nothing to complain of. Wbat ought to be done la to begin at both ends of the service'and divide the salaries more evenly. The attempt to work the railways by boy labor, and to coerce the railway employes into compulsory insurance, produced the tradesunion of railway employes. The, parsimonious cheeseparing of the past few weeks has given us as a result the Civil Service Association. Tradesunions everywhere are traceable to the fanatical attempts which have been made to screw down labor, and without doubt the result will considerably disturb the calculations of those responsible for it before things will reach their proper level.

Mr Hutchison has been served with a writ at the suit, of Sir Frederick Whitaker, and now the whole case will come out, in a court of law. Sir Frederick) somerlSyears ago took tan an action for libel against Mr Geo Jones, of the Gamaru Mail,’and: was ignominously defeated. He has; now a harder nut to crack in Mr Hutchison, and unless we mistake not he will find the task a difficult one.