Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878] THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1893.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4369, 16 March 1893, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878]

THURSDAY, MARCH 16, 1893.

second edition

Being tub extended title of hie Wairarapa Daily, with which it is identical

In the Middle Island tbe question as to whether, our railways should bo subject to political control is being dispassionately discussed, Theoretically they ought to be controlled by responsible Ministers of the Crown, but there are in the peculiar circumstances of this Colony, good reasons why they should be managed by an independent commission. At tbe present time tho 'Government of the country provides the incomes ofabout ten per cent of its adult population. Assuming that parties are fairly balanced it is evident that this ten per cent block vote can be made to decide a general election, or in other words the paid servants of New Zealand can become the masters of the situation, The oivil service vote, the railway employe vote, and the cooperative vote are to a large extent at tbe disposal of the Ministry, At present the Government cannot probably rely on the civil service vote but before the general election it oan un< doubtedly come to a better understanding with it, The railway vote is secure because it is understood that the Government desire to resume control over tho service in the interests of the employes, and of course the co-operative labour vote is a certainty, The condition on whioh say ten por cent of the voting power of the Colony can be secured for a political party Is that the earnings of the employe's shall be increased or their hours of labour decreased, We. see the prestige of the Government as an employer of labour increased year by year, and it is evi« dent that it may reach a point when its growth may have a disastrous efleot op the welfare of the country. The vote may roach such a size that the only chance of a political party coming into power will be buying it at tbe expense of the independent settlers of the Colony. To obviate this difficulty it has been suggested tbat Government employes should be disfranchised, but this remedy, though it would be effective, would hardly be proposed by any ppljtipaj party. A time might come when tho settlers of the Colony might be compelled to resort to it, but certainly that time has notyot arrived, Should the Government oarry out their intentions of bringing theJtailway Commissioners under their control and further consolidating an army coip of voters which would be in the pay of the State and at the same time rule it, public opinion would probably go the length of demanding the disfranchisement of Government employed as the only practical solution of the difficulty. It would not b9 a deairable consummation, and it would only be brought about by a serious abuse of Ministerial functions, The real mas* tors of the colony are the settlers who raise and pay, all taxes, At present thoy are smothered by block votes, but a time will come when they may

be roused to put forth their power and vindicate their right to spend the Money whioh they have to find.