The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1889. Refusing the Baubees.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume X, Issue 3151, 12 March 1889, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, MARCH 12, 1889. Refusing the Baubees.

In Wellington it is customary to pay His Worship the Mayor a little income of a hundred pounds or so per annum, This ; sum is, perhaps, not intended to be a salary so: much as a reimbursement for certain special expenses which a Mayor has to provide for, a dance perhaps in the drill hall, or a refection to tlie City i fathers. Hitherto, ' Wellington i Mayors -haire drawn their little ■ emoluments with 110 doubt satisfaction to themselves as well as to the burgesses, But, in this year of &race it has happened that a certain Scotchman who is serving his twelve- > months in the 'City Council offices scorns the baubees, and will not draw the income, which has.been secured to him, Now this matter of emoluments'is the burning party question; in Now Zealand, and Mr Dutliie by declining' to open his inoutli ami shut his oyes, and take everything that is sent him gives dire oflence to the liberal party of New Zealand. It is the'fundamental plank of this party that oyery public man should be paid-paid handsomely, and it is this tenet—to which tbe party clings', like a limpet to a rock-which; has half ruined New Zealand, -Of course their contention is that if M.H.B's, M.L.C's, M.W.L.B's, ..Mayors, and.,such like were not paid, wealthy, or indepen': dent men would alone fill all billets and the poor .men of the Colony Wtiuld be shut out. So the party vote the. public i'money freely and' fully, and to each office is attached a suiti which' not only compensates a poor man tor accepting it, but in many instances induces: the impecunious politician to come forward for the sake of the loaves and fishes. We.sympatliisa with the 'prejudices of the Liberal party, l but in practice there is a good" deal of danger in them. Take Mr Dutliie as ail illustration, Everybody, knows that he, is unlikely .to plunder the public himself or; toilet anybody else rob it. 'lie ia a man of Borne capaoity who has, been- able to attain %' cortaih position of independence. It will,be, admitted that , snch a man is ,a very safe: person to have in power.' But', if ■ the: Liberals had their own way they would give the Mayor of Wellington not one-hun-tired but three hundred a year, and some poor. Dick,-impecunious Tom,' or poverty.stribken.; Hairy would stand as' a.' poor' man's' candidate, an,d iij a}l probability be returned. Just as fleas' are said to liaveother fleas on their back to -bite.; them," a poor Piclc, when he gets into office, usually caries: 'with Jiim a number of' adherents whom lie cannot conveniently. shake, off, .. .These people, in tlieir ton, have to. be in some way. helped, and : :tlie only:way for ry "''" is in office to feed ?! - " " t,,a puhiip or help them is to utibze ' ... purse for their benefit. There are a , hundred ways in which this is done; i and the accession of a poor - Dick to. J power,.usually :i drain .011 fhe resources of the com- 1 munity; For this reason;. men.'of > J business, ;: *meh^wKo:; ! pa;y ; , taxes, men who have a stake in the ! country prefer putting an indopeii. 1 .dent wan like Mr Dut-hie in office, :i

A seller of considerable means in : thiß district was 01100- aßlfecV to:come fonvaid to .contost a general election, but loplied that he was neither poor enough nor rich enough to he a candidate. His meaning was that only poor men and rich men have any buflmoss with politics; the poor man has nothing to.: lose, -.uiid; ".therefore; politibsi ;to kn^''-ara^a\':aafe\-:'Ventare,vand). ; --ilie' rich man can' afford to give his time and energies'to ,the public. -New Zealand has suffered, so,evenly.from poor patriots in V the past that'the pretence , of providing for them can no longer bo sustained.. It is at last seen pretty clearly that persons who have not sufficient; prudence" and capacity to,provide for their own wants,-are not fitted to be the rulers

)f the country ; that tho,.,man who laiuiot look,his butcher or his baker

in the face is not calculated to make a good legislator; and that the aspirant for ; tt paid office, "who lias not a sixpence to liloss himself with, must necessarily, depend upon, the public funds, not only for his own necessities, hut also for those of his followers. • .