Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1892.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XIII, Issue 4240, 11 October 1892, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878]

TUESDAY, OCTOBER 11, 1892.

Being the extended title of the Wairaiui'a Daily, with which it is IDKNTIOAIi.

The Lytklton Times bas been singing the praises of tho Labour Bureau, reciting the objects for which it was designed, and the admirable manner in which it bas realised the expectations formed of it, One object of the Bureau has been altogether ignored by our contemporary, and yet it iB one wbicb, in tbe eyes oi the Ministerial party, must be considered as Becond to none other. Tho special and particular object is no discovery on onr part; indeed, the first we heard of it was from a member of the great liberal party, that party wbicb is, now-a-days, endeavouring to get its bread buttered on both sides, It did not occur to us, till tbe fact was pointed out hs wo have indicated, that tbe primary intention of tho Labour Bureau was tho construction of an electoral machine, which would enable the Government to win all along tho lino at the coming general election. It is well known that the Ministerial Party, in all they say and do, keep one eye fixed on the coming general election. The period of this event is still remote, but Btill legislation is carefully biassed to give the party in power an extra chance on that occasion, It was for this reason that the Government killed the female franchise bill. They ara of cour.se fond of the ladies, but'they fear that the balance of their votes would be against them, so they boycotted them out of the now privileges which had been promised, Tbe idea of the Labour Bureau is that it may be used as an instrument to win doubtful seats. In almost every electorate tbe Bureau has, agents and connections and it may be expected to use them unreservedly for the party in power, If in a particular electorate the Government candidate is doubtful of his' chances tbo Bureau can send up at a short notice fifty or a hundred men, good men aid'true, ostensibly to work on a Government contract or co-operativo job, but really to give a block vote for the mau whom Ministers desire to be returned. There is a sweet simplicity about this idea and should it be carried out Ministers will have no reaaon to regret the establishment of tbe Bureau, Of course it is somewhat undesirable for resident settlers to be outvoted by a floating population, and it is perhaps hardly fair that an electorate instead of choosing its own representative should have a man picked for them by the Government and returned by a judicious importation of outside votes. We are rapidly reaching a stage in New Zealand when all taxes will be paid by resident settlers and all political power will be hold by non-taxpayers, birds of passage, sundowners, and publio agitators.