NOTES OF THE DAY.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1273, 31 October 1911, Page 4

NOTES OF THE DAY.

** --0- — That our ''Liberal'' fricnda are nore than a little uneasy as to what :he public will think oi' the Mokau and deal is clear from the extraordinary lengths to which they are ready to go in the way of misrepresentation. _A prominent Ministerialist organ in the South, for example, actually has the effrontery to tell its readers that Mr. Herries, in winding up the debate on Friday night, delivered a "pointed and wellmerited rebuke' lo his leader, and that he did not say or even suggest that the Government should not have acted otherwise than it did. Our contemporary makes the Press Association report the basis of this amazing statement, but how even the greatly condensed report sent by the Association could be interpreted as shor'jg that Mr. Herries had defended the Government passes eomprehenr>n. In point of fact, Mr. Herkies, as is clear from the reports published, strongly condemned tile Government's action. He urged, and proved, that the Government could have bought the estate as easily as the private persons concerned. He condemned the issue of the Order-in-C'ottncil, in that it had had the effect of enriching a few fortunate individuals and imposing an increased burden on settlers. If our contemporary really wishes to tell its readers what Mr. Herkies really said, it will correct its serious mis-state-ment and print Mr. Herries's actual words. The reported illness of Mr. Hine, member for Stratford, is likely to interfere with the opening of his election campaign, and as the boundaries of his electorate have been materially altered since the last election the delay may make it diffi- ; cult for him to corcr the whole of

(ho ground in the time available This will mean that his supportei M r ill require to bestir thcinsclvc energetically to make up for th lost time. Mr. Hike's brcakdow in health is not altogether surpri; ing. _ No member is more attentiv to his Parliamentary duties tha the member for Stratford. He is on of the few members who can be n lied on to ho in his pi, ice in th House at all hours, and i is no doubt to his constan attendance during the long si! tings which have marked the dor; of the session just ended that hi breakdown in health is due. It i really l'jmarkable that, working a they do in an ill-ventilated Chan kcr, and at such outrageous hour: the list of casualties amongst men bers, large as it is, is not largei The very great service which Mr Hine rendered Parliament and th country by his courageous stand i exposing the evil practice of men bers of the House of Bepresent.i tives receiving payments outsid their honorariums for services rei; titles him to the gratitude of all wh :lcred as members of Parliament er have any _ regard for clean an iionest politics. - 110 undertook task which very few would have ha Ihc courage and public spirit t face, and he carried it through, i ;pito_ of enormous difficulties place in his way, with an unfaK-crin Firmness and dignity that did hii infinite credit. The full value o the service he performed is no 'vervwhere understood owing to th Jistortion which _ unfortunate!; seems to be the inevitable outcome o ■■he present state of party politics A service to the community, how jver great it may be, which rcflect jn a political party, is certain t provoke bitter hostility from th party affected. In Great Britaii Mr. Hike would probably have bem lonourecl in some signal fashion b; friends and opponents alike as ; ncmber who, ny carrying out hi public duty unflinchingly, had sue locded in removing a clanger whicl Ticnaced the integrity and honour o Parliament. Mr. Hine does 110 'iosscss the arts of the showy poli lician, but he is a class of niembe: :hat the Parliament of New Zealanc :an ill spare at the present time. In a letter to the Editor, Mr. F 3. Bolton, who is standing for tin Wellington East scat, makes coin plaint of a passing reference in ow of our leaders of Saturday to "tin funny quarrel between Mr. Izari and Mr. Bolton as to who had re :oivcd Sir Joseph Ward's imprima tur." He implies that there was m such "quarrel." Mr.. Izard, whi began Jjy advertising himself a; "the Liberal candidate," and after wards called himself "the Govern menfc candidate," expressed, in i speech on October 29, 3903, his re gret that the contest could not havi been fought out between the Gov Drnment candidate and Mu. Herd man. Mr. Bolton, on the following night, resented this statement—am verv naturally and properly, tooand said he had yet to learn that i man had not the right to stand foi Parliament in his native place. Mr: Bolton had, however, been insist ing that he would give the Government general support, and that some friction was going on became evident when on November 10 Me. Izard referred to rumours that lit (Mr. Izard) was not the selected aovernmcnt nominee. The question was apparently an open one, and, jinco Mr. Bolton continued to say he would give the Government a general support, and neglected tc relieve Mr. Izard's anxiety by stopping the rumour, Mil. Izai:d on November 11 brought Sir Joseph Ware to his rescue. On that date Mr. Izard_ contradicted "the rumour that is rapidly spreading through the electorate that Mr. Bolton, 'if not the Government nominee, was the secret nominee of the Government." Sir Joseph Ward then formally adopted Mr. Izard. \Vc had all certainly thought Mr. Bolton and Mr. Izard were in conflict on the point; Mr. Izard was plainly very concerned and very anxious to show that he was the only genuine article. On November 12, 1903, Mr. Bolton, feeling, no doubt, that he should say something in reply to the sudden appearance of the Prime Minister at his rival's meeting, declared that he "did not require the patronage of any Minister." Ho does not despise the Government's patronage this year, we understand, and in that he errs ; To be the Government nominee is nowhere a recommendation nowadays.