THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1892. THE MEMBER FOR TIMARU.

Temuka Leader, Issue 2358, 19 May 1892, Page 2

THE Temuka Leader. THURSDAY, MAY 10, 1892. THE MEMBER FOR TIMARU.

Fkom time almost immemorial Timaru has been represented by the truest and the sturdiest pf Liberals. Sir Edward Statibrd was a far-seeipg, patriotic, and truly Liberal representative, apd his eloquent speeches in favour of land settlement are quoted even at the presept time, Though not so able, not a whit less Liberal v/as the late Richard Turnbull. He was a party map through thick and thin, and the Liberal leader, be he Sir George Grey, «ir Robert Stopt, or Mr llallance, never had tl more r<?Jis,Wg

Timaru never gave anjT nG except a true Liberal, any countenance, and we are glad to find that the present representative of that thoroughly democratic constituency is walking gallantly in the footsteps of his honoured predecessors. Mr HallJones is a new member. He sat for two or three weeks in the last Pariia* ment. but practically lie has had only one session’s experience of political life. That he showed an aptitude for politics very early in his career is proved by the fact that he was appointed Government Whip almost on his entering the House. The office of Whip is an important one. He is, to use a military term, Adjutant-General of the Government forces ; he has to arrange pairs, settle sometimes when certain members are to speak, and take care that the full strength of his party is present when the division bell rings. He requires to possess much tact and energy, pleasant manners, and good persuasive powers, so as to talk over refractory followers, and he wants to be always ready for any move of the enemy. These qualities Mr Hall,Jones possesses in a high degree, and We have it on good authority that he has an ideal whip. Mr HallJones has not ‘J'stinguished himself as an orator. He very prefers to I hear others talk than himself, biu ‘ speecdi he recently delivered to his constituents at Timaru showed plainly that he is a keen observer and an industrious student of politics, of which he has already acquired a comprehensive grasp. To the Government he gave credit for having

done their best. They had effected a saving of £15,000 by cutting down salaries and amalgamating offices, but with increased responsibilities they increased the pay of some of the public servants. The total increase, however, did not exceed £OOO, although this was magnified into thousands by the Opposition. His explanation of the Land and Income Tax Act also was lucid and able, and showed that the tax had been designed in the interests of farmers. lie pointed out that out of ten farmers in Parliament nine of them supported the Government. This is a fact farmers ought not to forget. The farmer members all support the Government except Mr Rolleston, who, no doubt, feels flattered by being leader of the Opposition. He was also very emphatic in his denunciation of large estates, urging that they were a curse in a colony where good agricultural land was so limited as it is in New Zealand. He ridiculed the cry about the withdrawal of capital, and said it was got up simply by self-interested people, who wanted to raise the price of money, and that the cry about the double taxation of debentures had ended in smoke. He showed how the Legislative Council destroyed the chief features of the Land Bill, and held that the Government were justified in not going on witli the measure. He praised the Hon. J. McKenzie for the way he w r as administering the Land Department, and urged that only that he was doing his duty he would not have been hated so bitterly by the land monopolists. This is a wrinkle that might well be remembered. Mr Scobie Mackenzie is a most violent opponent of the Hon. J. McKenzie, but Mr Scobie Mackenzie is the owner of five sheep-runs, and the Hon. John McKenzie tried to pass the one-man-one-run clause of his Land Bill. If this had passed Mr Scobie Mackenzie would have to surrender four of the runs, and under such circumstances is it wonderful that he does not like the Minister of Lands '? Mr Hall-Jones treated many other questions of the day in an equally able manner, showing on all occasions a keen understanding ol his subject and thorough sympathy with the Liberal aspect of political matters. His speech throughout was vigorous and well pointed ; there was no subject on which he had not a very decided opinion, and he touched none of which he did not give a very lucid explanation. We congratulate Mr Hall-Jones on the very clever speech he made, and Timaru on being represented by such a sterling Liberal. lie has evidently made excellent use of his time in Parliament, and we feel certain he will give a good account of himself as a politician.