THE NEW MEMBERS.

Ashburton Guardian, Volume XV, Issue 3419, 25 October 1894, Page 2

THE NEW MEMBERS.

Than* the leader writer of the Wellington Evening Post few journalists possess m a higher degree the faculty of saying hard things about people m a graceful way, but he can at times divest the saying of these' hard things of all grace, and use a cudgel unmercifully. At the close of the session, and after full experience of the new members of Parliament, he devotes about a column to summing them up, and there are several of these new members m whom this district is very closely interested, who come m for a hearty sweep of the tawse of his wrath. Ho tells us that twenty-four members of the House are altogether new to Parliamentary life, and the most remarkable thing about some of them is that they should be there at all. fi £ It is a source of enduring wonder that they should ever have aspired to a position for which they possess no apparent qualification whatever, and m which, it is evident they can never attain any distinction or become of more importance than is attached to the varying value of their votes. It is also a source of wonder that any constituencies should ever have selected such political nonentites to represent them, This group of " flies m amber " may be taken to number at least seven. Messrs Buddo, Carnell, FJatman, Hall, Lang, Maslin, and Te Ao possess no political characteristics or idiosyncracies which call for individual criticism or comment. They are indistinguishable personally m the ruck of the race. The other new members for one reason or another, deserve individual mention. Mr M'Lachlan, the elect of Ashburton, narrowly escapes from the ruck, by having once or twice during the session displayed some individuality of character and capacity for Parliamentary duty. He is, however, a very poor substitute for Sir John Hall, and that Ije should lon occasions prior to the last general election, when Sir John Hall did not run, have polled any votes against that statesman, is a surprising fact, not at all to the credit of those who could have preferred the present member for Ashburton." After disposing of the chosen of Pareora, Rangitatq,, and Ashburton m this 'knock-em-all-down-mr one-cheap-lot' sortof way the Wellington critic moves on to the apostle of Freethought, to whom he applies the foot rule, and finds his foot measure less than twelve inches. "Mr Collins is one of the best speakers m the House, but bis speech is of the platform order, which convinces not m Parliament, and he has entirely failed to make any impression on the House. He has ability, out he has carefully refrained from bringing ft pr any independent thought *9 b «»r pn the questions befo, re Parli^ent? fttc? has been content to be a

more dulcet Minis Serial echo." The critic takes rather kindly to blunt Mr Orowther, of Auckland, and to Mr John Graham, of Nelson, but regrets that the latter gentleman was emphatically the member for the NelsonReef ton railway, and this one-idea killed his usefulness. The critic then goes on to Mr J. A. Millar, of whom he says—"ln Mr Millar, whose name is inseparably associated with the great strike business, those who did not know him were prepared for a red-hot Socialist of the most pronounced and objectionable type. Instead of this he has shown himself to be a well-informed j and moderate man, able to grasp poli- : ticai subjects, and to discuss them intelligently and fairly. He has made a decidedly favorable impression, and has shown that he is not content to be regatded as a mere party tool." Mr Roderick McKenzie is then sized up, not unkindly be it noted—" Mr R. Me Kenzie is sui generis —fortunately for the House and the progress of public business. He has shown great staying power, and much dogged determination to have his own way where he feels strongly. He is clever m a degree, and seems to have mastered the Standing Orders so as to use them to the worst advantage, but he has let his tongue run away with him on several occasions m a manner which would be fatal to a much better man than he is. He will probably never be able to recover from the effects of his outrageous and unprovoked attack on Mr Bell any more than Mr "Marsden" Thompson has ever been able to live doirn his memorable onslaught on Sir Julius Yogel. Mr R. McKenzie represents not only the Buller, but some lof the most objectionable features of former Parliaments." Mr Montgomery, of Ellesmere, and Mr McNab, the hero of the 100 amendments on the Licensing Bill, are also weighed m the Post's balances, and found if not wanting, at least not full berried grain—" Messrs McNab and Montgomery may be classed together. They are a very long way above the majority of their Parliamentary associates m education and culture, but we doubt whether either is destined ever to make any great, figure m Parliament as a politician or statesman. They belong rather to the class of " nice young men for a small tea-party." They would do better m a Debatiug Sooiety than m ParliamentIt is but fair, however, to add that they have evidently felt themselves this session m a false position owing to indiscreet election pledges. Freed from these, they may take a higher place next session. Mr McNab has laboured under the further disadvantage of intimate association with extreme Temperance fads. Unless he shakes himself clear of these, he will never rise to Parliamentary usefulness." The last on the list for the day is Mr G. W. Russell, but the list is not exhausted, though most of those members m whom we are more particularly interested have came through the mill.' The writer promises to cut and come again and deal with the men of promise, and meanwhile closes with Mr Russell, whom he says "is a man of considerable ability and greater volubility. He entertains a much higher opinion of the infallibility of the member for Riccarton than other people do. If he were more modest and less talkative., he would be a much better and more useful man. His ability is quite sufficient to carry him ihto a fairly forward position, without the incessant use of his tongue to proclaim it. If he were content to be he*rd less he would be heard of sooner m public life. At present his running is heavily handicapped by his tongue."