Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] TUESDAY, MAY 23, 1893.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XV, Issue 4426, 23 May 1893, Page 3

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1878.] TUESDAY, MAY 23, 1893.

SECOND EDITION

We have great pleasure in welcoming into the joumalisticfiold a new, bright, outspoken journal, published at Christehnrch, and called "Truth." All round ability is displayed in it' columns, and the following extract whiob is copied from its Wellington letter, is the best description we have yet read of tho manner in which our new political brooms do their work Now the Under-SecreiaWes have lost much o; ihe'\' seuso ol responsibility a% Iccomc me;e Chief Cieits leaning up:j Kiri«tcr!(o;eve.'v;biii' J '. When Minimis go away ever)ibis; p:;ciica'ly remns at a standsiill as soon as immediate inslruello-is are oihauv'ed, and when Miaiolers re, .1 tbi." taV.es arc p".ed h'';h with files n" 'g for thcji io go ikouji, aud ttey mv-it work oi?ht aau day .o £0 tlvoujb, Th: writing occupies sometimes from fourti n b eighteen bom out o( ihc iweniy-.'oi to ihis is the'r habit ol eec'ng nearly everycoe who comes, no mjlier 1 w frivolous t.ni? mcs?r o e, of leavir ] a large p/opoi .ion o- thei: \ it'.to.'s to the Private Seoreiar-js as former Mioislcrs did, buaks i i on thjir work and readers it more and itore difficult, The result is a breakdown in healib, which has come (o neavly eve. 1 ; M'nisio.*. Even Mr Seddo'i, robuii as ho is, has aod' will undoulbdly breakdown i! he keeps up his p.escnt pre"suro. No time to <at o: sleep means no time to thiak, and when Ministers furn themselves into w-'klrg majors insvead ol niMasloj directors, something mnsi go, iwo big proilolios as well as ihe FrtJiie:ship, and the (fcecions of the pzj-y machine are ioo mi'ih Icr hi'mf. endurance. Any one of these things would becnojfeh lo: one man, Under the present system Mr Seddon must o! necessity Rive up one of Hs portfolios, unless he iB ambitious to figure as the central attraction at a Stain June/a!, so that th jte is not much likelihood oi'ihe present arrangement 1 sling long. Cofarastbat is concerned, Ministers are as much alive to f!.'i as anyone, and I believe myself if they are ieturned to tower after the next (lection thoy will greaiiy mdl'y their prsc.,! posilloj of dliect {;Honel Gove.mht and from absolute necessity (or iplf-presermon will place g;oate; admjninrative respnsibiiiiy on their permanent offlew With' Mr Ballaneedead, Mr Seddon notfeilingetrong, Measra McKenzie and Caiman knoekfcg themselves up every now and then (Mr MeHemie wai ill and away f.om hit office to.'some days, only last week)— Ministers have had a serious warning and will' be eareiuh Besides, tired, Irak-wetiy and over worked nen'eamt coiiduti Ihe business ol ihe country with profit toil aud credit to themselves, however willing they may bo,

It is only a ques lion of ticoß forthe preeeifc Ml:'*teri, sreipared

to rettia office, to fall into old lines. The only member of tbe Cabinet who bat Leon able (o keep departmental work at all up to the mark, has been Mi Seddon, and be, in administrative matters, is a giant. As far as we can learn, poor Mr MoKenzie's department has been in a. sort of hopeless muddle ever since he first assumed office. Ho has worked hard, travelling about the country and making himself familiar with ail portions of it; but he has not got his ohief's knack ofadministration, and he will never overtake his office arrears as long as he remains a Minister. Tbe other positions in the Cabinet are saddled with fewer responsibilities. Sir Patrick Buckley will never kill himsolf with hard labour, Mr Reeves can find time to mismi.ciage a newspaper, and Mr Cadtnan is not a man ambitious of doing too much, The two strong personalities in tbe' Cabinet. are, undoubtedly, Messrs Seddon and John MoKenzie, and these two are learning by experience that the ne* methods they have introduced into the conduct of pub» lio business arc failures. When Messrs Seddon and MoKenzie took office, they were old as parliamentarians, but young and green as regards Ministerial duties. This greenness accounted for a good dtal of the" warping" that they manifested in their early days of office. Much that was formerly urged against them for running amuck at i the civil service and other eccentrici» ties was the result of pure ignorance and inexperienoe on their part. They i are now becoming seasoned, and by the time they get turned out of ofllce they will probably bave learnt their ; business and be quite fitted to conduct 1 public aJairs. If tbey last, we shall get good government from them, but so shudder when ire think of the penalty the colony has paid during their ripening period.