The Wairarapa Dily SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1891.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3855, 11 July 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Dily SATURDAY, JULY 11, 1891.

The financial debate is drawing to a close and the mouth spent over it has not been altogether lost time, for it has disclosed many holes in the Government defences and unmasked many shams under cover of which a malign legislation might have been possible. The ground has been cleared for dealing wicn the policy bills by the Government, bills which Ministerial supporters declare must be amended notwithstanding that the blatant Seddon talks about " nailing their flag to the mast." The proposed graduation tax on improvements is doomed, and the Premier must be beginning to find himself between the devil and the deep blue sea. Of course Sir George is not the devil, bnt he will stand very well as an image of the deep blue sea in which the Government haye been dredging unsuccessfully. The 'financial debate has also blown up sky high the retrenchment pretensions of the Government. This is a line in which Ministers did a considerable bupiness at first, but they are beginning to drop it since the Opposition proved conclusively that the whole business was a shameless sham. The • various items which have been struck off higher salaries by the occupants of the Government benches and by the ) Skinflints have been replaced on the estimates and in some instances exceeded. In this matter the Govern- ? ment have dropped tlie mask and are now quite prepared to bear their " natural characters as volatile spendthrifts. Ministers may, however, reach the recess by abandoning their bills. t The blustrous Suddon may nail their b flag to the mast, but the Premier will r draw the nail speedily enough if he 1 finds that the safety of his party demands a surrender.

! The laying of the foundation stone of the Harbour Board offices at . Wellington on Wednesday was • noticeable first for an excellent speech ' made by Mr W. Booth, the Chairman of the Board, who traced the rapid and substantial growth of trade and production in the Empire City, and the country which feeds it, and secondly for a few home truths from that exceedingly sharp individual who does us the honor to govern, and the favor to criticise us. His Excellency s declared that Wellington did not possess many attractive residential qualities, and had a worn out drainage system. Let us hope that the

enterprise of the Wellington people will shortly remove the stigma with respect to drainage, and thougL, possibly, the cifcy may never be attractive to a Lordly Nimrod like our present Governor, it is yet considered by some to be a pleasant place of abode, where many of the most sterling citizens of New Zealand are contented to reside. The certificate given to the Empire City by Mr Booth is, on the whole, better worth having than that accorded to it by Lord Onslow. Sir George Grey has made a characteristic speech against capital, against rank and against privilegehaving in his own lifetime enjoyed more rank, more capital, and more privilege than any other man in the House. How is it that he exercises such an influence on the politics of New Zealand ? Is it not in a great measure due to the fact that he has been the rich man of the liberal party, the plutocrat of the radicals, and for this reason many a man has clung to him, and slobbered over him, and bowed down before him, and almost worshipped him. lad he been a poor man he would have been patronised by many who now fetch and carry for him, and who are proud to be regarded as his familiars.