The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and excat Justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, JAN. 15 1891.

Waikato Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 2887, 15 January 1891, Page 2

The Waikato Times AND THAMES VALLEY GAZETTE. Equal and excat Justice to all men, Of whatsoever state or persuasion, religious or political. THURSDAY, JAN. 15 1891.

Ti:: !!••!!•( iv -'in i:.'.:- [> l—«•«i ;mfl i >~>\v vi-.tr I: is «ml .>|hiu. It i- n-'.i in ,' I ; 111 i .s"'is"ii tor rv-TV 111 LI I to :11 ii ■ 111 < t, a MlWflSt ~r r\' :pwhich will ;ii' i-t during tin.' <-ni - ( ciit iwi-lvf months. ')f neei-ssiry tin* r.p'M'Ul poliuenl and soi.-hl position <<i' tins < olnitv must iMtcr into his calculations. The «ooil or bad management oi' public affairs

'jiiniK'l t'iiil to fiii.' or thwart his p"rnonn.l cxiH'tions and asriirations. J' 11coiony far from 1 >oinu in a I llonri.--.him,' iinaneml position and | reijtiires tlif, mo.st c'tfi'lul li by those who are to meet shortly ni Wellington, to consider in the first place into whose hands shall lie placed the responsibility of initiating a policy of reform and villi effect to it. It is an unfortunate circumstance that the two parties into which our politicians are nominally divided should he so evenly balanced, ■ih w!i<=ri this is the case the usual and almost invariable result is that no measure of any importance can be carried, so at any rati', as the two parties sit facing each other with unbroken ranks. I'oalition, on the other hand, means that a milk and water policy is the only one possible. Milk and water is an excellent fluid for children, or for that matter weak adults, and it is very questionable whether, in its po'itical it is not the best suited to New Zealand at the present time. In reality there is no scope in this colony for government on purelv party lines, and this fact is practically acknowledged every time men talk of possible future Ministries. The names are selected not because their owners are the exponents or agitators for any particular social, political or financial principal, but for the personal reason that they will follow one or other of the selected leaders, who for years past have allowed themselves to be tossed hither and thither, regardless of all consequences, so long as office could be retained, or a probability created of acquiring it. This fact does not convey the censure which at the first glance appears to be the casethere was in nine cases put of ten r.'-iaiiv no principle involved, and those on the top were in a sense justified in acting upon the children's rhyme used on somewhat similar occasions—" I am the Iving of the castle, ko." We prefer to allow the second line of the doggrel to be recalled by the memory of our readers, and to leave them to judge as to its hitherto alternate applicableness.

A fresh shuffle of the political ..-■•irds is inevitable. The Atkinson Crovernmeiit Hst the odd trick on the lust deal, their combined opponents have a majority, therefore the Atkinson Ministry must fall Under the e.ircnnisUnoes it is manifest to us that the most politic and graceful course tor thern to pursue is to tender their resignations to Ilia Excellency immediately Parliament meets and advise him to entrust Mr Ballance with the responsibility of getting an acceptable team together. We quite endorso the position they have taken up to the present. It was most ■lortftinl v their duty to retain office ■ill Parliament could be called toother, in fact they would have been guilty of a divelictiou of duty iiad they put their resignation in the hatuls of the Governor and thus placed the affairs of the colony in the hands of Mr Ballance and tu's untrained followers for some months, with no Parliamentary jheck upon their proceedings _ or my sketch ot their intentions being before the country. As wo said above, party in this colony is based more upon personal likings and disi kings than important political litiVrencos, Many ot' those who are classod as Oppositionists are so, for tho reason that they object to the Premier. This being so, for tho sake of those who have followed him he should resign and thus afford them an opportunity of organising a compact Opposition or strong Ministry. In addition, his health demands that he shall retire from the arena of active politics; he should no!\ therefore, be a member of any Ministry that may be formed. " His services need not be lost to the colony ; he might iind it irksome to follow where he has so long led, ; it would therefore be well that he should be moved to the Upper Chamber until such time as the Agent-Generalship shall become vacant. Sir Harry's claim to that position so far surpasses that of any other man in the colony, that we look upon it as a matter of course that he would receive the appointment no matter what Ministry might be in power. As a ntnttP.r of V rt y tactics tlin Government should fes'S' 1 ; tllen; are sevcrn ' l members wlio W» marked as doubtful, and it is possible tliat some of those, although j&dgrd to oppose the Atkinson 3i»)Js-t"y., would see their way to east in their lot with a party which shall lie ires tfom belief in the dangerous fads ot 4ir ftiiianee and his followers. Tiiin w*i for experimental legislation—str<ll economy, judiciously exercised, is what the colony wants above all things. We do not anticipate for_ one moment th<j,t Mr B illauco will bo T.ble to form a mipistry that wi'.l command t.iw jcoii.tidn.nce of eitliei Parliament or flic .country, JTe has, however, the right ■?© tho attempt, and no man ahoui'i be debarred from the privileges which Mppc. uin to the position l.e holds. We have from '* pricking uti'the selections. ~.c '.could pro' l " | nbl'- make . tins much :$ cei'tein, that lie cm only one mae

j with each portfolio. This will not jn< :triy exhaust the list of thos,» ! t hi»i k tlifv h.iva claims, aml [ disappointed men aro easily turned I into opponents or vory lukewarm ' supporters.