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Grey River Argus, 26 April 1910, Page 4

With all the pride of democracy, that is felt in the overseas Dominions, there stifl ■ exists dn -.all! pf them a nipre than strong suspicion of that feeling indicated when it is said that "every Englishman Wes a Lord." Thefdembcratic communities ' of the Empire are always better pfeased when they jace* a Governor; of high] \rank— ifche higHer the better-^than if the most gifted person in tho Empire was sent to 'fill the positipn of Governor. Of course there is always a certain section who would deny th© Grown the. ,last link that binds the scattered outposts of Empire to :the : . Mother Land! It must therefore be 1 ra task .pf no little difficulty; for the. British Cabin-' et to select persons td act as Governor so as to give complete 'satisf action". The businebs * element corned very strongly to the front. [The :^^ Colonists always want a rich man first : :of 'all 1 , in. thn hope that he will promote - bW r

nessr They are usually therefore veryaverse to that class of impecunious personages who welcome appointments as Governors in' order to give their estate a : rest so' as to repair their shatiered' fortunes. ~ The newiy^ appointed Governor. Sir John Dicksou Poynder, stands in a'c'ass of his own. He- is < -neither : a millionaire '-high-titled magnate nor a speedy person desirouc of restoring bis fortunes. He is simRlly '"aai lEngniisi. gentleman --of-igbod standing arid 1 repute, who is sometMtt^ of^; a - ! jpdUticiari, though by nb iV meanS such a devoted, par-ty.; man as to prevent his asserting; lu> individual opin- . ions on certain questions^^ in defiance of party claims. Starting out ■in life as a high, ! Tory,: asVGMdsfpne; di^'bfv fore Knf/'Ke' refused' to abandon 'Freo Trade wheii Jpey Qhamberlain's new cloctrine of" ; Tariff , Itfefprm conquered rump of the famous ;: oild party. While Sir^Jdhn*vPoy«der has ; hithWtb;Vbeen pretty^i'genetallyH' unkhoV^n^V- oyerieasjho 'is ndii "•'with'Out-t-' a ; reputa:ti6n\'? : al6: Home of sonie'idegreeaf credi^.Vßte'is a well-educated English country tleman identified vhimsilJ iffya healthy and-;Jbeoon^mgx#ay ;^with the poliibics 'o^'tKSffcoxtntiy, itsj'sports arid soeia^Hnter^stsTift^ 3}ist4 siiclr^ a.; way, as-^e ; of^>his^aES nought to y ,be\-.ex-pected to do. He has been connected with politics for 18 years, and though his name has^;-not^ been- a- household word anywhere;' ■ hkS' - yet played a useful and credita^l'ei'part in the publio affairs of his. native*. laiid. Amongst hW various" kbciat ■ '" : afct|viti6s l ,' he :< ' h^s been a member of the L'btiddiv-Cduii- ■ ty 1 " Coitfibil; ' th& 'mbist'impprt^tit r local body in' the Kingdom, arifl^mibsfr probably" outsSM Sf ; -iti s *Tne? if 'Otagd 'Daily Times' ', reminds us^ that- " ■ h'fe -opposed ■ most ' strdnglj' '?Mr ■ • Lloyi! v Geof ge's; ! prb-^ po'sail; regarding tneia&atibn 6f tthgot^ ten ; hlineyao/-%nd : i;li : atr r^n ! » an aTtiple in ;I^'.'^^efe^b)rCeni^ O6tpber ''• he'--criti6tsid v^he' imfet>hods ; -of land ! -valuatiidn /prop^osed t by "' the « Government, -flit- -hts^ eaflyX political; life , he 'may have ; 'b'een^a !- 'thorough 1 going Tory;^ bu't^iii ; later^yeaii? he' can;; hardly : have- b'eefi" regarded as^ari : 'absoß.ute i ly souiid i>arty>:m6ofi by either sjde.' ; : His pbliticist : views^ wfife'ther > "v£n his Conservatiye or^hisrLib^rai- days, seem to have- been' tirigbd' w-ith' those of his opponents, and probably, there : was little difference between his democratic Conservatism and his Conservative Lib eralism. Had there' been" a - Fourth Party in the House of Commons, such as claimed Lord Randolph Churchill, one imagines "that ' Sir' Johnt 'would have been a membier-vi>f : it./ W© have not befprb: hadr* as-'GbVepnor: : a man who has t>een so recently, and so; actively" ideiktified'' with Imperial 1 : tics. In his position as ; the- King's representative ' inv>NewCZeailand Sir: John" DickSbn Poynder will, of course, keep ' aiokyf/ frdm^buir "politics,- but they will J no d6ub"t -present.' rh'im ; with some, interesting- 'subjects for thought and study/ • " An 'ardent' 'F/ree-trader, vhe . wall- preside OTOr af Dominion that has long ago- adopted; ay policy of? Protection aiid' bf Imperial preference. Interested* in.? "the- taxation of land, he.! will find himself .in a country where the land question bulks most largely l in the political issues- of ; the day, and where taxation of land lias been carried to a point hitherto not dreamed : of at Home. It may be that his experience in New Zealand will-m odify,; some of has views dn those "and o^her (questions. Soci ally ?■ Sir Johai Dickk)'n' •Poynder shouid be no less popular vthan, several' of: -his p ; rcsd<£ce^©rs> He' ;lias travelled 1 agreat^deai; hevshared-iri! -'the honours and no doubt in the harfl ships of the i.way r ' in ;> South . 'Afric'a,- 1 - aiid he 'has all the En I glish^cbui-itry l-'ge'ht!e-nian's fondneSs fdr^'a'nd'proficienfey : sri ! outdoor spVtrts^ 1 ' With'/'alT-lihiS 1 'in 'his f avdurij aWLed td^ charming 1 - manners and, obviously, the ability to win^the ; est'eem':attd affectiori •• '■ of : those 1 ! who khbw':' him, ; dne; is'^'quit p'rißpared^to, Relieve with our- confertbutdr- that - 'the ; D6niihl^n : ; will' have:. : tarise> td: congratu-late'-'itself on -his appointment as Governor.- ; i,.- : ! . : 'v.^ •-«,!-.^iL.^i^.L-.' ' ••' . •-.'>.