THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1909. MR MASSEY'S PRESENTATION.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 9575, 23 August 1909, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. MONDAY, AUGUST 23, 1909. MR MASSEY'S PRESENTATION.

The Leader of the Opposition ha? been presented with a national testimonial', and on the occasion thereof prominent Oppositionists duly felicitated tfcifeir leader on the event. The presentation was of a handsome character, and we have no dcubt that Mr Matssey very naturally felt proud to be the recipient of it, but, all the same, we are inclined to the opinion that it was not only a mistake, speaking generally, but a tactical error as well One thought begets another. Reflection on the testimonial to Mr Massey calls ,to mind various statements that were made when the late Mr Seddon received, also, "a national testimonial" before his departure ior England to attend the Conference of Colonial Premiers in 1902. Must the Opposition adopt the tactics of the Government party to gain their end, or do they do so because it is natural unto them ajiso, anrt because they delight therein? We have always held the opinion th'at the Leader of the Opposition shouid be paid a salary in keeping with the importance of his position. Our system of government is a recognised party system, and, as a consequence, the Leader of the Opposition is very properly regarded by both supporters and opponents as a politician of weight and influence. His work is a great deal more important and onerous than that which falls to the ordinary member, and the valuable character of his services should be—and as a matter of fact is—recognised by the people as a whole, and the tangible expression of that recognition should be a salary somewhat approaching that paid to Ministers. The present Leader of the Opposition is a gentleman respected from one end of the country to the other, and that he is sincere in his convictions, and that he can fight doughtily to uphold them, is generally admitted. There are, nf course, very many who disagree with him on different matters, and even in his own party there are those who wish that on some questions his views were more progressive. view of all the circumstances we are of opinion that "a national testimonial" was a mistake —we think that had it been described as "a party testimonial" that it would have been more to /the point, and that more "weight" would have been added to the event.