The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo. THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1884.

Auckland Star, Volume XXVI, Issue 4417, 10 July 1884, Page 2

The Evening Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News, and Echo.

THURSDAY, JULY 10, 1884.

For the cause that lades assistance, For tho wrong that see-is reaißtanc*. For the future In the distance. And Uie good that wo can do.

Mr Darc.aville's address at St .James's I hill last night will rank as one of the

fhff rfVwHTr"* of the election campaign He spoke for mo-e than an hour and a-half, keeping the attention of a very large audience, amusing them without

touching on a single dangerous topic or committing himself to a pledge that can afterwards be troublesome or hamper his future freedom of action. This, purely as a masterpiece of electioneering tactics, is very high praise. What in theatrical parlance would be described as " the scenic and mechanical effects" were good : tlie large map of the North Island on the tall stand was even brilliant, and carried the meeting by storm. The only place where the paint showed out rather obtrusively, spoiling a truly artistic effect, was in the evidently prepared reply to the question about the bushmen circular of seven years ago. In pursuance of our self-imposed task of" analysing the matter of these election speeches, with the object of aiding the electors to an intelligent decision, we have to look behind the gilt and glitter and probe the substance of the speech. And upon doing so with as much fairness as it is possible to bring to the task, we are bound to say that the component elements are rather thin stuff, concocted more with the object of amusing than edifying. The first half-hour was spent in proving that the defeat of the Government was not due to any honest action en the part of the Ministry, but to triennial parliaments and the fear of the coming elections ; and in supporting this position the speaker, rather unfortunately for his case, cited the votes of Mohi Tawhai— who stated that he left the Government because they had docked the salaries of Major Ropata and Rewi — and those of Mr Whitaker and Captain Morris, who changed sides because they were opposed to Mr Bryce's native land poiicy. Two out of these members have not ventured to seek reelection for their old constituencies—so much for the pressure of public opinion on their votes. Mr Pclrie notoriously changed his party, for the third or fourth time since his election, because certain works promised to his district I had not been executed, and other equally obvious reasons might be cited to account for other votes.

In some other of his references, Mr Dargaville was so vague as to be misleading. In playing one out of his two leading trump cards, the action of the Ministry in the agreement with Mr George Thome, jun., Mr Dargaville took immense credit to himself. Now, we think we ought to know something of the inner history of this tr;insa.ctioii, seeing that public attention was first called to the extraordinary and anomalous position and extravagant emoluments drawn by Mr Thome from the Insurance Department in a series of leading articles in the Star, based upon the published statement of an insurance agent who had rebelled against the payment of 5s per cent, to Mr Thorne. These articles appeared during the recess preceding the session before last, and they computed, from the annual business of the Department, the amount of Mr Thome's receipts. When Parliament met they were followed up by Mr Hutchison, on the 20th of June, calling for a return of the payments made to Mr Thorne and other officers, and these were found to tally in the most remarkable way with our previous estimates. The whole matter was then referred to the Public Accounts Committee, of which Mr Moss was Chairman, and jt was Mr Moss who drew up the condemnatory report referred to by Mr Dargayilje last 'night as having been suppressed by the Ministerial vote on the Committee.

Mr. Dargaville asserted that in denouncing this unparliamentary agreement, both papers- with emphasis on the holh — blamed the Commis-

sinner, but exonerated the Treasurer. Fortunately what is printed remains, and our article reviewing the report and evidence, flourished triumphantly in

the speaker's hand last night, will be. found in the iusui" of the Stai: of Oeto

ber 29th, 1 i>B3. Among other passages appear th« following :—

When erass-oxanimect ».m rolewmoe to *his agreement (which boro the following endorsement subsequently added), "This letter and arrangement has not yet met the approval of the Colonial Treasurer," Mr Luckio admitted that ho had submitted the preliminary memorandum to the Treasurer, and said', " I acted iv the belief that 1 had the concurrence of the Minister."

Again, in a paragraph too lung to .]aote, showing how unlikely it was ihat Mr Luckie should have acted on his own responsibility, the following r>c

The case is so peculiar that wo find i', dillicult to account for Mr Luckie's conduct.

. . . Is it that M r Thorno stands so high with the Treasurer, who is the oMicial head of tho Dopartmont, tint Mr Luckio, with that, sagacity which has distinguished him on so many occasions, thinks it safer to insult Parliament than cross tho path of Major Atkinson's protege '!

It was by the newspaper press alone lli.it the first ngrrcincnt with Mr Thorne was brought into the light of day, and it was to the strong comment made l>y the press] upon the Mark.iy telegrams that the country owes the i-mcetling <>l his second agreement. Parliament has never taken a single step to accomplish either of these ends beyond the abortive inquiry ol the I'iiblir Accounts Committee, which was suppressed upon the vote of the Mouse of Representatives.

Mr Dargaville's treatment of the (iinerntnent agreement with Messrs Shaw and lhandon for the candidature of die former gentleman in opposition to Mr Wakeheld on the West Coast is characterised by the same, we will not say disingenuousness, but lark ol explicitness. The only newspaper in the colony, so far :is we are aware, which had the courage to expose this arrangement was the S'l'.VK, in an article on the 29th of October, 1883, published w'jile Major Atkinson was in Auckland. The facts had Iwen ferreted out by our Wellington correspondent, although they hail been suppressed 111 the Wellington press. The matter has never been alluded to in Parliament, and when Mr Dargaville stated that the charges remained uncontiadicted u> this day, he could only have referred t" the allegations made in the Si.vi; article, the facts of which we have tinstrongest, assurance h" was ignorant of up to that time.

In the same manner the speaker, in his allusions to the property lax, ministered to a popular delusion by leaving it lo be inferred that the Hank of New Zealand has been the " power behind the throne"' which caused Major Atkinson lo introduce and main tain that tax. Vet he must know that the Dank of New Zealand, in common with every financial institution in the country, would do its utmost to get the tax abolished. Is it not the veriest twaddle of imbecility to accuse companies which had lo pay last year in sovereigns out of their profits, and in some instances out of their capital, the mum ol ,£77,235, considerably moie than a fourth of the entire lax, ol being in favour of maintaining it? We know a good denl better than that, and so does Mr Dargaville; and it is hood winking the working men lo eliminate them to believe otherwise. On whatever ground they oppose the properly tax, they may rely upon it that they will have the cordial aid of every monetary institution throughout New Zealand in getting it abolished.

The North Island trunk railway has been thrashed threadbare. The objections to the .central route were very forcibly stated, and the map—a capital idea—enabled many ol the electors who have not followed the question very closely to get a clearer idea of the subject than they have hitherto done. The reference to the " ear mark " on tl.e Act was rather unlucky, because it called to the memory of the people the fact that we owe this addendum to the original Government Bill to the Stupidity of our members in allowing Messrs Montgomery and Macandrew to table as an amendment upon this Act a vote of want of confidence, in which the leader of the party made a diiect attack on the bill. The Ministry were thus put in the position of either vacating their seats or guaranteeing that the loan should not be raised until the route was approved by Parliament. The "ear mark," however, will not prove serious if our members stand together.

There was one omission from the speech which we think ought not to have occurred. Mr Dargaville should have hung side by side with the map of the North Island a map of Northern Wairoa, showing the route of the railway from the township of Dargaville up the Kaihu Valley, for which he obtained, during his first session in the House, a grant of upwards of 20,000 acres of valuable timbered Crown lands. That this railway, with its wharf, buildings, and traffic, will enormously enhance the value of the township of Dargaville and adjacent lands, in which the member for Auckland West is so deeply interested, is unmistakable; that it will confer any public benefit equal to the large grant of the public estate made for its construction, is another question upon which the hon. member has failed to enlighten the electors whose influence Ihe used in obtaining the grant. That explanation was fairly due to them in asking again for their suffrages. Having laid bare the werfk points of the speech, it is only fair that we should point out in what respects it is strong. The production of the Public Revenues Act was a good answer to the charge that the Opposition prevented the Ministry from prosecuting necessary public works. Equally for cible were Mr Dargaville's protestations against the unwise cry that has been raised of the North against the South. The Southern journals, as the Canterbury "Press" theotherday frankly admitted, are chiefly responsible for the feeling, but it is still bad policy on the part of Auckland to join in fomenting ill blood, and provoking a contest in which we shall be out-voted. That the unfair amount appropriated for works in Wellington and Taranaki was the chief cause of Auckland's deficiency in the public works votes allotted to the North Island, official returns have fully established ; and the resolu tion carried last night will give a seasonable to the South Island that the people in this part of the colony are fully alive to the position of affairs, and are not animated by any petty feeling of jealousy against them. Mr Dargaville was likewise forcible in stigmatising as foolish the distinctions which are sometimes drawn between Ministerialists and Opposition. Ciiel perceives, as all men not blinded by! prejudice must perceive, that the party complications, which are inevitable from the course of the present

election:-, will compel inw combinations. That men who are now cilled Ministerialists, and men who are classed as Opposition will

walk into the same lobby upon questions affecting the progressive Liberalism of the country, and in opposition to political adventurers and gambling

extravagance. I Us lilt against the press, and specially agaiiiul our highly revered

morning contemporary was more amusing than true.and was not always in good taste. The love affairs of a reporter who may perhaps be damaged with lus; employers by a personal attack, is not what enlightened elector.; expect from a statesman who is aspiring to a seat on the Ministerial benches. Mr. Dargaville owes his last election solely lo the support of tht! I'resH. lie is anxious lo devote himself to a political career, and he has many ijualifiratioiis fitting him fur it, which, moulded by a vigilant criticism, may make him a useful representative for Auckland. No one know; so well as the press that they must convince the judgment and satisfy the feelings ol tke people in order to obtain any inilucnco at nil. They carry on their occupation in the full blaze of public criticism ; they are favoured with the back as well as the front view of public affairs; and Mr Dargaville may depend upon it that newspapers and newspaper men, be they ever ko strongly bent upon keeping him nut "I public life, will have no other weapons than those he places in their hands by his own action as, a public man and citizen.