Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1874.] SATURDAY. APRIL 13, 1896. MINISTERIAL WHITEBAIT.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XVI, Issue 5000, 13 April 1895, Page 2

Wairarapa Daily Times. [ESTABLISHED 1874.] SATURDAY. APRIL 13, 1896. MINISTERIAL WHITEBAIT.

It was the custom in " Merrie England " for Cabinet Ministers, onco a year, to unbend from their official duties, and meet for the enjoyment' of a" white-bait" dinner, A junketing of this kind, occurring but once in a twelve-month, waß very harmless. But, here in New Zealand, our rulers on pleasure bent take Ministerial white-bait at very frequent intervals. Theirs not to sit in the biggest wooden building in the world, despatching the business of their departments, but to roam ovor tho country as "bright particular stars," and to constitute ot each spot at which they linger a, Mutual Admiration Society, They on their part tell the settlers who [greet them what fine fellows they are, and how fond they are of them, and the settlers reciprocato, and are struck with wonder and admiration, They have heard of the great man, at whose frown the civil servant trembles, and whose strident tones strikes terror into the souls of heads of departments, and here he is amongst them as pleasant a fellow as over they have mot, Then at I their littlo banquet, he smiles and makes his littlo joke, and instead of being not half as black bb he is painted, they find that he is rosecolored all over. Then, too, is there not a bridge wanted here, or a road there, or a mountain-side needed in anothor direction, and have thoy not only to ask straightout, and the [Minister Bays he will give it them

las soon as lie gets back to town. 'Hurrah for the Minister! There was novor suoh a man bofovo, and never will again be such a one iill (ho next one comos, A hundred peripatetic pledges are mudo on route, and if we ask how many travelling p/n's of a similar character havo been met since Sir George Grey started the popularity hunting tours wo should say not five per cent, It is related of ut certain Minister, who once enmo amongst ns, that ho found on his return to Wellington such a crop of promises in his note book that ho was appalled. Ho was a conscientious man but he was also a Scotchman, and when people hoard that he hail lost his note book they wore by no means astonished. Wo are not quite sure that (he Hon, John McKcnzie in his present trip will not havo to fulfil moro than live per cent, of his peripatetic pledges. He may have to redeem ten per cent, o' them and mako quite a record, for is not Mr Hogg his bear-leader, a man who is very persistent in holding even a Minister to his promises, These ■ Ministerial peregrinations ought to be started on tho first of April, bocause with the best intentions in the world the distinguished itinerants have to make fools of people They don't want to do it, but it is a part of the business, and it is inevitable. It is not altogether nice to lind a bankrupt Ministry with a broken down policy swaggering through the country and scattering promises broadcast which are never likely to be redeemed. New Zealand will notprosper till we get another set of rulers, and wo sincerely trust that the present Ministerial appearances are farewell benefits.