MR SEDDON ON THE WARPATH.

Evening Star, Issue 8969, 31 October 1892, Page 1

MR SEDDON ON THE WARPATH.

It ib sufficiently clear from the speech recently delivered by the Minister of Public Works at Otaki that, like the French Boobbons, the Government have profited nothing by experience. Solomon said of a certain class of people that even if " brayed in a mortar,"' they would "no* V depart from their folly"; and we find Mr Skddon, in the face of his signal discomfiture before Parliament and the country, still bent on carrying out to the bitter end hit quarrel with the Railway Commissioners. His allegations against them have been refuted again and again, having been proved to be absolutely without foundation ; yet he reiterates his oharges with a circumstantiality which might tend to deceive were the facts not so well known and his disingenuousness not so notorious. The truth of the matter is that Mr Seddon, in his present course of action, ii actuated by several distinct motives, all influencing in the same direction. Firßt of all, he has to please that section of the party upon whom Ministers depend for existence, and who have been overtly hostile to the Commissioners ever Bince the strike in 1890, when by vigorous measures the Commissioners checkmated those who would have brought about confusion in the railway service, to the great loss and inoonvenienoe of the public. Then, as an influential member of, the Liberal Ministry, the honorable gentleman deeply resents the loss of patronage of the working railways department, which might otherwise be used as a powerful political instrument, and afford billets for any number of hangers-on. Last, but opt least, Mr Seddon has a grievance of bis own against Mr M'Kbbbow and his colleagues, who have actually had the audacity to condemn, as a waste of public money, the prosecution of certain railway works on the West Coast of this island, In their report on working railways, presented to Parliament last session, it was stated by the Commissioners that "railways connecting sea ports at " short distances apart, and serving only " small areas of country, are not likely to "pay any interest on the eost, and, in "many instance*, are not likely to " pay the expenses of woiking. Suoh a line "as that from Hokitika to Greymouth, "which has been under construction for "some years, is of this character," This wa9 a direct blow in the face to the Minister, who expended on this particular line last year nearly double what was spent on the Otago Central; which he himself admits to be "the moat important railway work now " uuder construction in the Middle Island." The Greymouth-Eokitika line, stigmatised as worse than useless by the Commissioners, is, however, to be carried to completion; and we may take it for granted that the Commissioners will some day be blamed because the working of this line involves a loss to the revenue. As a matter of course, in the eyes of Ministers, everything is coukur de rose, and the effects of the legislation effected under their auspices supremely beneficent. Mr Seddon consequently indulges in a pean of triumph over the deaign and pteseDt suocess of their policy. It is somewhat diverting to find him taking credit not only for " ennobling labor," but for "keeping people from the towns." Our own impression and the very general one is that one direct intended effect of their measures is to augment the urban proletariat, so as to constitute the centres of population active foci of political agitation, and strongholds of the party that Ministers represent. Except talk—and we have any amount of that—and the shadowy schemes of the Minister of Lands, nothing has been devised or done towards the progress of real settlement Bince Ministers' accession to office. The land policy of their predecessors has borne, and is bearing, good fruit; but for this they can hardly claim credit. We admit the liberal appropriations of last session for roads of various classes, especially for opening up lands before disposal; but we have yet to see how that money will be expeuded.