The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

Waikato Times, Volume XXII, Issue 1834, 8 April 1884, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE.

sailing quite close enough to the wind to declare that the interests of the South require to be guarded from the rapacious North, but when a man of Mr Reynolds' status calmly states that Canterbury and Otago have not received their fair share of the borrowed money, there must be a few natives (very few of course), Otagans and Scotchmen though they be, who must hide their faces and, snigger, if they do not even blush.

Equal and exact justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. Here shall the Pross the People's right maintain, Unawed by influence and unbribed by gain.

TUESDAY, APRIL S, 188 J h

The energy which the people of the South have exhibited in their endeavours to find a policy for the coming session is remarkable. Politicians and the Press have been busy at it for months past. But they can invent nothing in the shape of novel legislation which will bear the reflection of their calmer moments. Even Mr Bathgate's brilliant scheme for changing the constitution, abolishing party government, and erecting in its stead a system of administration regulated by a plebiscite, seems not to have "fetched " the popular mind, and Mr Bathgate, if he have any lingering remnant of common sense, will try his best to forget all about it. But as a matter of fact the South, by which we mean Otago chiefly — for Canterbury is generally coupled with the sister province without her own knowledge and consent — does not want any policy. It never had but one, and that was a policy of When it discards that, we shall begin to look out for the millenium. Otago, provided only it can get money, will let politics slide with the easiest grace in the world. It was always understood that the Otagans would throw up their hats and shout " viva" to any Cabinet whose Minister for Public Works hailed from their darling province, provided, of course, he was sufficiently loyal to believe that Dunedin was the centre of the solar system. As no Otagan yet discovered ever believed any- 1 thing else, it is no wonder that Go- ! vernments have always been popular institutions as long as money lasted. It was no wonder that Mr Macandrew became the idol of the people's heart when he had the manipulation of the Public Works fund, because Mr Macandrew was always more or less popular. He was, and rightly, regarded as the personification of Otago, and he used to declare thab the name of his dear adopted province would be found engraven on his hearb. It was, we repeat, no wonder that Mr Macandrew should enjoy the affections of the people in any case ; but Mr Reid was also popular, and so was Mr Oliver, and so were their respective parties. But Otagans, without a Works Minister of their own, can see no merit in any party. It was bad enough that Canterbury should secure the coveted Minister, worse, much worse that he should hail from " the neighbourhood of Cook's Straits," but that he should have his home in Auckland is simply intolerable. No Otagan with a rightly constituted mind would put up with the iniquity an hour longer than he could help. Hence, if he could have any political leanings at all just now, they incline towards anybody who will promise to bring back the wandering portfolio to the bosom of its rightful owner. This is what is meant by the organisation of the j so-called Vigilance Committee ; this is all that is involved in the formation of the great Constitutional Association — which, by-the-bye, seems to be a big pill for even some Otago people to swallow,- It is