MINISTERIAL ABUSES OF POWER.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 594, 24 August 1909, Page 6

MINISTERIAL ABUSES OF POWER.

Sir,—Honest and impartial administration is '.tho sovereign principle of good government. We; may differ on questions. of policy; but- compliance : the recognised' principles of equity and justice' admit-of .no dispute. 1 . One of. the chief duties of the State is' to ..display,.-in' all its actions,! a standard of honour : tuned to the highest moral axioms and thus .conforming'toAll that is. noblest and best in the 'aspirations 'of its leading citizens; -Without such Itn 'example the real progress.of a nation must suffe^-the^tido-of advancement must be, retarded; and stagnation, with' its poisoning influences, stultify thbvefforts of; all..those who labour for the uplifting- of mankir.c:.- Tho prostitution-Vby the State of its sabred functions, could not evea exist—were it not for the' apathy:- ofythe joeople, for /tho.-great heart of. the.,populace'jis sound and just, but unfortunately often - lacks ; tho energy to wield its mighty power,for good. , - - I;have.b«fbre\me.a copy; of' yoar - issuo of .Friday last giving a further instance 1 of the despicable, action of the' Government, in boy-cotting-yottr .journal with reference to State The value 'of: Thb Dominion as ah'-- advertising ' medium admits - of no question,,- and requires no-elaboration. , Tile sole inferonco, therefore, that can be gathered from this mean'and contemptible policy of those in power >16 the' desire to thus pun-, ish;: not-onlys your'paper, but also its : read : ers on account of, the political .'views' thfey ; dare' to hold. What .'would be thouglitof ail employer who .:sp'' far forgot, what is .due to the ~laW;of: common' debency as 'to. penalise those' under ' him because of their political opinions? . In everyday business, we do not • inquire into a man's :politics ; or religion. Were''this -'a and heartburnings would preyail where : harmony'" now reigns.... Yet a 'private, citizen has an infinitely greater right to thus differentiate than a. Minister of. 'the Crown, for tho former is ' handlingV'his own ' funds, while the latter "merely occupies the' positioh of trus»publicfpurpe.. fori, uptime-: being/ Such miserable tactics, "a're.j' however; .but' on a par .with many other acts, of the present Administration, and it is. high time selfrespecting people gave serious attention to ! what is going .on .in our midst. Your readers are no ;doubt fully .acquainted with 1 particulars of the recent {Supreme Court bases, of, Barton v. the King, aiid the New Zealand Farmers Co-Operativo Distributing Corny. the King..- Suffering grievous>iiijur- ■ hands of. a ..State' Department,, both Barton and the company stand to-day m the uri-British position of having no law court'open'to. them in which l their respective causes may. bo pleaded.. With callous indif-' ferenco tho responsible Minister, shields him-' self , behind an - Act detfrepit and obsolete,! and never, intended to ho put to such an'un- 1 righteous, purpose., ; Is this sort of thin£ to. be tolerated in a country priding itself* on its democratic virtues, 'or, are ~tho people' awakened to a true sense of their responsibilities, willing to exercise their ever-present power and give short shrift to those who in :the. most'brazen manner outrage tho cherished principles of what is right and just? J lie Hon. M'Kenzie,: Minister for Mines (in charge of tho -State Coal Department), has lately stated, with his characteristic omphasis, that his Government inten- : tion of amendieg. tho Crown Suits Act in' tho direction. of ( making- the State trading' amenable to the law for any acts ■of injury or damage they mav do to private citizens. I' venture to',say,' sir; : that if a vote of tho people were taken to-morrow on this issuo there would not- bo' a scoro of votes in ; favour ' of: such a dishonohrajblo course as tho Ministry are' following. Notwithstanding my official'connection with ono of'. the suppliants'above, mentioned, I claim my right'as a citizen i to express my indignation at the manner in which the'honour of. my. native country is' being besmirched by such-acts us those cited'above.—l am, etc.,' VA. LEIGII HUNT. AugusV 23, 1909. ■ • 1 -