The Evening Star FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1906.

Evening Star, Issue 13001, 21 December 1906, Page 4

The Evening Star FRIDAY, DECEMBER 21, 1906.

w>«r tbree days ago w» indulged in some ■friendly critiasia concerning >A nwmil a little dissertation of Mr ttlbvdx. Thomas Mackenzie's at n mrnpirmcnfarr function at L-t fyiiMw On Wednesday night the amber for Waikonaiti was himself the Ltcal figore in another complimtiitarT tiering at Palmerston, and it will be oaallT agreed that his •utterances trpon ft'occasion afforded no ground far critical nnadveiEion. He was- at bis best; and 9 game may be said regarding tho poliians of both parties who totrfc part in ing Jntn honor. Tbo proceedings wcro tgntarry fdiatocs from start to finish; d jet it might have been supposed that g dements of difficnlty w«o not. lacking. 0 fffiiyj*irr of Lands and the Hon. Mr m r "! m , on tho ooe bond, and 3tr James Jen and Mr Donald Reid, on tho other, so ffjnrmrr the speakers—and here would rs been tho makings of a jiretty kettle of b in some circumstances'. Moreover, bso poEtJrmrw. with their divergent ■•pfwjolitigal cxHrventkmarities ; the occaB -ra poEtical in the large sense: yet ace vao neither a hint of friction nor a pddW of ranneaning unreality. It is gfjy too uracil to say that these conditions £}j hare been possible in the case of no ijjjr public Tfr 1 " in New Zealand at tiro Bjjeefe time. Both political parties in jjjalja w2l join next month in doing jgg to Sr Jo«ph Ward before he feares Borne Country, and anli-MJnis-aSst-gpeafecr3;-BTH docbtfey Iraye ngnj;

eulogistic -vnvu-k.l to mike concerning the Premier's abilities and work, and will make them with full sincerity. At the same time there will be a mental reservation, as it were, of a quite reasonable order; for, after all. Sir Joseph iy the leader of a party as well as a representative s-tatraman of whom both parties are proud. In Mr Mackenzie's case, however, no reservations are necessary. He holds a unique position in New Zealand as a successful and generally-admired politician, who is not a partisan—who, in fact, is very little nearer to one party than tiu other- :t position which, perhaps, furnishes a foreshadowing of the better state of matters destined to prevail, normally instead of exceptionally, in years to come. The member for Waikouaiti is a rare in-' stanco <if the independent, semi-attached member of Parliament who is not regarded as a futile freak of politics or ;ts a. nuisance tu be got. rid of as soon as possible. No doubt the Opposition are in the habit of Mm a.' one of themselves—and wo do not blamo thtm. for he would be a creditable posajc&nion to any party; but can it .■=erJou?ly be contended that his views, taken us a whole, are more closely related to tho vi.-ws of Mr Mhaicy than to those 6"f Sir Joseph Ward? We think not; and it is this note of freedom and aloofness (associated, aw is so seldom tho cane, with practical genius) that makes it possible for Liberal and Conservative politicians alike to admire and praise Mr Mackenzie with emphasis and sincerity. We cannot believe that- the elimination of the Waikouaiti electorate will have the effect of excluding him, even temporarily, from the New Zealand Parliament If the worst came to tho worst, he should he called to the Legislative Council (where, by the way, he would wake things up considerably) ; but, after all. that would be of the nature of a tiisaller, ami we confidently cherish the expectation that some constituency—an Otago oue by preference—will honor and benefit itself by • securing the tervices of a man ■chose political integrity and representative usefulnes? axe increased rather than weakened by bis comparative freedom from party tie.--. "Mr Mackenzie owing to his wrong " pirtfonality and hi* great and varied ex"perienoo had been given very responsible fc ptt-irions which were only open generally "to a (ravernment supporter," justly observed Mr .lames Allen on Wednesday night, with reference to the important work of varied kind which the guist of the evening had been called upon to dx> for the Colony frorn time to time, ami which he has performed jo .successfully. Reluctantly recognibiug that Mr Mackenzie's views on the question nf ]>ind Reform are more reactionary than might be wished front tho progressive standpoint, we still feel that his knowledge and experience—cominercial, agricultural, and general—must- always serve to make his presence desirable in Parliament :*> long ;is he is willing to servo the country, and we echo Mr Allen's remarks that

" Waikouaiti might be wiped out, but it " would nor bo easy to wipe out Torn " Mackenzie." Personal verve, bonbonik*. and co-operative icadroes« (distinct from the pliancy of partisanship) havo doubtless served to incieass the respect and liking in which the member for Waikouaiti is held by all who know him; and for our own part w© arc not disp«iw>d to regard geniality and lively amiability as drawbacks to the. serious work of politic?. Orlaaily it is difficult to imagine Mr Mackenzie putting on any "side" or false dignity, whatever august position lie might attain. Towards the doso of Ms speech on Wednesday he- remarked that he had made enemies on account of his fearless outspokenness, but ive venture io surest that this is a faneiful misgiving. On tho other hand, be may possibly be riiicuig tl>e malediction with which the man of whom all speak well is threatened. r-Jven in this respect, bowover. h<- is safe : for were we not accusing him of Ulking something very like non-sc-nse only two or three days ugo't