VICTORIA'S GOVERNOR.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 257, 23 July 1908, Page 8

VICTORIA'S GOVERNOR.

AT FREMANTLJS. ; ' (BT TBIiKOfiAFH —mESS ASSOCIATION—COPTEIOnT.) Fremantle, July 22. Passengers by the Macedonia include Sir Thomas. Gibson, Carmichael,, the..new Gov-, >rnor of Victoria, and Lady Carmichael. SIR THOMAS GIBSON-CARMICHAEL. ~ PUBLIC .LIFE AND PERSONALITY. ■ ,' Tho appointment of Sir Thomas'D. Gibson-' Carmichael, Baronet, of Castlecraig, Dolphin- - ton, N:B.i to the post'of Governor of Victoria, ocasioris; this appreciation of,one,of-the wholenoinest,of.liberal.politicians. Anyone acquainted with tho'nepotism and favouritism -which, ... obtains in-.high, governments like that; of Great Uritain, with its. many .sinecures,; must also, have'noted the, caput mortems who get pitched .' ' into 'office in the;consular and diplomatic service of great nations: .The''syst'eiri of'selection; ■■■"' the.: inexperience .of those selected, - and the unoducatiyS.'value of roports-.of .men not' speci.'ally, prepared - 'for ..the, work—with no' stiper-\i-iory'office with expert authorities-to expunge, • and ■ sub-edit and control—has been the subject ' of much private comment amongst' those who 1 really care for the. welfare of the Empire. Tri a lecture on edncatiou reform, dealing largely i\ith the diplomatic service, the young.Earl. ■ Lyttoii lias given a comparison of German ; and r ■ . other methods, all' of;which 'showed' Britain lacking in-points of .vital' importance.' -It - is' jpleasing, however, ■to note' that occasionally ', men of. "sense and ..worth" ' find 1 ' their way ' into'.offices of: such ; high' importance as;that ; given to Sir Thomas D. Gibson-Carmiehael.' ;' ■ "A Real Farmer." . Sir Thomas is a typical . Scot,, of. that species! which, while moving with the times, preserves >. • most of those admirable conservative qualities of the original Scot. Through extreme hardships and parental poverty,- arid the reading of nearly all the world's classics iobtained 'atjrea- • libraries.in youth, I was aind' am an opponent' of Sir. Thomas's party, as well as the Conservatives, but I have never yet condemned a - man; ■ ■ however: wealthy, without studying, his-actions'. in the.public cause, arid giving -.'them due cre- i ■ dit. Sir Thomas I- could appreciate,- if only' because he was a'real farmer. His Homo farm - would put to blush anythingiin New Zealand. His prize and pedigree stock was a pleasure. to■ '.behold.■ '[The milkand - butter,'; a. luxury ' to ■, taste,:hisfields and grounds a joy to the-eye.. His tall, buirdly broad figure and his, coiirte-: ous manner—free from every semblance of con- '*:; -■ descimsion—would have' won for him ,'a : ; C'ar-' i lvloan captaincy in a Socialist co-operative Commonwealth. - ; ■ A -Party Man,:Nota Plimsoll. 1 • 1 : Sir-Thomas,- who, in-,answer to cross-exami-' 1 y, y;''nation frorrime at;' a. public' meeting, at Loan?, head,' as to why he, and Mr. /Alexander: Hre; K.C., had deserted .the; fight .against the Amcrican : ail,' the flashpoint'; gf which caused the. death ! of. hundreds an. doperated against the - sale.; of the Scittish paraffin, which was of a ■ 'high-quality and safe,, almost confessed that a- , - private .member could .do nothing, was hardly, listened; to in the House;..'; When T pointed'out' the persistency and success of Mr. "Plimsoll in : 1 regard (to the load-line on ships,! he '.promised: good-humouredly toVtry- again. -: I had, ..how-' -- ' i ever, gained'; my, •; point, namely, to learn ; why ; V.'; ('reform;- was .shelved. "Interests'' (not his); were. '■ ' lat stake. in'the matter, and anyone who knows the House of Cominoris .knows;that .when .tliat, .V .! V.' is"-attacked,,/the, people; are 'representativeless. • Sir Thomas was too loyal to party to be a Plimsoll in tho House. ; ' ' \ On the Platform. , . .■ ■ .As a; public Speaker, Sir Thomas could round; ,: ; f :. a period 'with ,grace.', His voice,, however, - was* on. the husky;side, -and' from the' platform his .<■ v.'. sentences—sometimes'. long, like ' those ( of_ his : ... predecessor (Mr. 'Gladstone)—firiished 'tip ; as''if too lorig for the' breath that 'be'gan : them: " Sir ■:'f-. ■; ;;Thomas' and : Lady." Carmichael: were. - ever at • the .service of the various, borough and village Liberal Associations. -On. the coldest,, dark- . est; and,dreariest nights,,in ill-lighted draughv:- 'ty halls, Sir Thomaswould give, able, political • addresses, which always rivetted attention, and l I believed., often ;f6r.;the sake of his faith ,in , the ultimato -democratic . progression . ofi-.his ;- party -put. the .best' face. on. the, how-not-to r do-it. •'' lonductv of .his . party; which -wis' .becoming' ' nore^apparent' every, day, to the ,worker. '

Contempt fop .Carpet-Baggers.,' ■ i... ■ Such a ; ihan-as;Sir V, ;: /nnutterable contempt; for''the ;carpet;-haggors, who, by. contribution' to the finances; hung on' to the wheels of the Liberal chariot'for .sake of' office or' title. irThough ; he. retired': from Par- : .-: lia'ment, he was not permitted to leave, the, :. counsels. of the . Scottish' Liberal!' party. Sir Thomas's -few.' words from; the' bridge were a tnbre : steadying; and-, safer: guide than endless' - ■ B'ords from. Earl ;Kosebery, or /others.; He did not fear the coming or going of Pre-'. : miers. and I' do not-remember ,anything finer: X' -than' bis; cool ; chairmanship : ofthe . famous . ; V: meeting in tjie; Empire.Music Hall, Edinburgh/. when Epicurean Rosebery so "dramatically gave' ■ up 'tlio'ghose-of statesmanship' in a' brilliant ' ' speech which showed alike' his strength and his weakness.- .: v ■ ■ j- ■■■■• :■ Lady Carmichacl's Assistance. As a master, landlord, farmer, art ,collector, 7 and an all-round good fellow, Sir " Tammas " ...: ranks amongst; the ■' one-time many. Scots, now • . growing . rarej- who'/bj;.! their' culture, " social- ' manners, tact, and dignity, upheld a grfeat country's glory and, good, sense.: Sir Thomas must have regretted the circumstances/which caused -. . him to partwith his' stock, on. whose purity from, disease:much/ expensive effort and scieji- ' tific. attention were bestowed, also his-;books. etc., which included a set of • the famous "•Kilmacott bindings,'.', the work of,that;.great. Socialist andjpoet, Wm. Morris.,. The,resigna-' tion froni. the. Parliamentary representation of . Mit}lothiani after pdr'strenuous and humorous /-- ' campaign'for' the • man - Ave knew ,: and admired , mora;, than his'-party's policy,-, was much ! re- / sretted. Aliady Carmichael, who co.uld knock- •' Scotch melody out of the worst of..the many : - lent and borrowed pianos, and ,who sang '?■-: sweetly, used to play, and : accompany /' .the' Dingers at many local, political socials. /. ' Some Personal Traits. ■. '

One of the best trails of the real - Scotch— ! who prefer, a steady job, -with 'enough, to live", : on,' ; and 'content, 'themselves with ail annual holiday to. various - parts of their. ain, land, to' big wages or, so-called;'better conditions abroad - -.—is ■ that they allow■ princes, statesmen,. poets;' • soldiers, »' etc..- to ■' ; wander about buying old books,"'etc.", or'shooting ;without: ever:" takin' ' notice." Sir Thomas;: therefore,' moved about -liko any other mortal, and spoke in passing to poor .or rich man, men'he'knew like any other, ordinary Scot of "gumption guid." When I ■ last met.him, lio stepped out of the same train at Queen's Street/Glasgow. I was idle.' He' -.'.walked'a.- bit of -the: way, and'spoke- in . the' usual ; " all-hand " manner, wishing :me luck' I must conclude, however, for • the many true; stories,. showing how much of the man - and wise counsellor ho ~ was, would ~tako , up. too oiuch' space. . He was pawky,' and .■ good-; ■ ' humoured, and. left no sting behind, though ; sausticity was not absent in dealing in speech, ivith public matters and 1 attacks of' political ■ opponents. • .'" -■ . ■ As 'Governor. ; I congratulate Victoria,'and if Sir Thomas ! i'b ho .of old, I prophesy a'.peaceful and progressive record of''governorship, for there is no' ;/ jne on the list, of 1 Scottish aristocracy—or ' ge'niry or ; gentlefolk,"' as we .ca' them, 'and' I Scottish... gentlefolk aro the sanest of all aristocracies—better. fitted . for; that. office; if that office is at /all. either needful or. essential. :orian ''.Sassiety,",.will discover in this scholar t " ind gentleman one wjth less interest.in,social 'unctions of the'"class" than in, the social, ■/ 1 welfare 'of :,the" whole. ... And' if Australasian' • finale society in that part have not founded '.heir womanly greatness on the Becky Sharp . ■ plane, or its male-society is not of the: "Dun-' dreary," or "Dogberry" kind, they should get v 'sn " gey. weel wi' Sir Tammas" and:" Lady Uary." / . . ' : FAA MACMASTEE.