The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1885. MINISTERIAL PEREGRINATIONS.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume VII, Issue 1961, 10 April 1885, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. FRIDAY, APRIL 10, 1885. MINISTERIAL PEREGRINATIONS.

c The merabors of the present Ministry could pay no greater compliment to their predecessors than they are doing by their continual absence from the Government Buildings, where all the head-quarters of their various department* pre located. Had they found confusion on assuring office they would have considered it necessary to remain in Wellington until they had succeeded in restoring something like order, or if they had any serious intention of introducing a number of really useful reform measures during the ensuing session of Parliament, they would have been sufficiently interested in the work of preparing them to remain at their offices, where all the information they required would bo at their fingers' ends. We can scarcely Bee how the Promier can Vv uui,, t 0 jj n d muo ]i opportunity for elaborating his' part or ti, n . promised improvements in local government while he is engaged in leading intricate law cases and preaching golseasneas in the South. The Colonial Treasurer is not at all likely to proceed satisfactorily with the same measure, while he is being tossed about aboard tfte Hjnemoa, and proceeding either north or floutli knowing that he has promised to do more than throw a few crumbs of political crumbs to the hungry electors. Mr Bailance in his capacity of Native Minister, has probably acted rightly in making himself personally acquainted with the most important.of the native tribes, and he has this in his. favor, that it has been the practice of his predecessors. But as Minister of Lands we find him in various quarters of the colony, giving assurances of tho liberality of his policy, and pretending to gain local knowledge which he asserts is likely to prove of great assistance to him,. .But. wo-never find him leaving a comfortable' highway .arid-travelling through a bit of bush country to inspect such a block as, for. instance, the Mangahao. Of course, he hears what intending settlers say, but forgets that he would also obtain the same information at his own office. The Minister of Public Works is imbued with even more impracticable ideas, ■ He becomes saddenly aware that there is a bit of railway somewhere that he has not seen, or that the government is about to take over; or there may be a bridge that, from the designs, promises to be a very handsome one, and he immediately starts off to make a personal inspection, just as if he really considered that his presence was absolutely indispensable. But he takes very good care never to venture into new country. When the North Island Trunk railway is completed he will certainly travel over it —that is, if he is still in office,—but in the meantime he looks upon the country as a wilderness that is only fit to be travelled through by tht engineers of the department. The Colonial Secretary could, apparently do nothing with his proposed meaaure for the future management of hospitals and the distribution of charitable ' aid' until he had sgen nearly all the hospitals in ■: the colony. •It is to be hoped that his inspection of the various styles of the buildings, .or the manner in which patients are bedded, have materially assisted him in solv.ng.the difficult question as to the size of

the proposed districts, and as to what portion of the required funds should bo locally contributed, Thero is a good deal Qf tinsel about all this—a lot of show, but vory littlo honoßt' work, what little there is having been, in the absence of the Ministers, left to the Under-Secre-taries, The'inevitable consequence must be that bills will be brought before Parliament in skeleton form, and members will bo asked to supply those details which the Ministers did not find time to fill in, This is not as it should be, Ministers can efficiently direct nearly the whole of thoir departmental work Irani their offices, and they wouEthusleave themselves timo for preparing those measures which they desire to introduce during the, next session of Parliament. Cheap and showy travelling, is, however, attractive, so the peregrinations of Ministers are not, perhaps, to be wondered at, even though they must be condemned as a luxury for which the colony cannot afford to pay.