The Hastings Standard Published Daily. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1897. OVERDOING IT.

Hastings Standard, Issue 267, 10 March 1897, Page 2

The Hastings Standard Published Daily. WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1897. OVERDOING IT.

For the cause that lacks assistance, For the wrongs that need resistance, For the future in the distance, And the good that we can do.

The New Zealand Times, of a recent date unfolds the proposed Government scheme with respect to the despatch of a military contingent to England to be present at the Queen's Diamond Jubilee celebrations. The proposals carry with them all the evidence of extravagant tomfoolery. The* New Zealand Times asserts that a contingent of thirty rank and file of the mounted infantry, together with twenty to twenty-four picked artillerymen and twenty Maoris under a chief will be sent. A total of from 70 to To men will be sent, and it is hoped that a small company of picked riflemen will also be sent. On paper this looks very nice indeed, but compared with the efforts of the larger of the Australian colonies we are overdoing it. New South Wales and Victoria are sending contingents, the men to represent the former colony being now on the water, The New South Wales Government voted only JUiiOO towards the expenses, the rest of the money required having being provided by the public. In Victoria the expenses of sending a detachment of about HO men is being borne by private individuals. In each case the officers, we believe are to pay their own expenses. Judged by what these two important colonies are doing in the matter, the New Zealand proposal is remarkable for its ambitious extravagance. There is no necessity for sending so many men to England ; half the proposed number if sent would be sufficient. A detachment of mounted infantry would be enough for the purpose ; there is no need to send the permanent artillery. Had the Maoris formed themselves into volunteer companies, a contingent of .Maoris would be the best class of representatives to send Home : but lb;; Maoris are not so trained and it would take more time than is now available to get them into form. We much regret this, for we should above all things like to have seen a Maori contingent sent from this colony. If the Government seriously intend to carry out their scheme we trust the Opposition will do their utmost to prevent a wa-te of the public funds. The colony cannot afford any lavish expenditure, ami even if it could then* are other and more imjMirUuU matter* within the colony which could very well be attended to. We hold the opinion that the Premier and a small contingent of mty to itO men seleeU-d from the mounted rifle* should go to England, anything beyond that must be resisted as. being uuue€«j*»u*y nod eitntvogaut.

There is another view to be taken of the Government scheme and it is this. The general wish is that Mr Seddon should accept the invitation, but there are some within the party who are against the project, recognising that the absence of Mr Seddon it is said will be detrimental to the colony. Mr Seddon it is said is not anxious to make the trip, and the extravagant proposals about the military contingent mty be designedly put forward, for as their rejection is certain, the Premier can make the rejection a plea for refusing to himself undertake the journey. We must wait until the Premier returns from his Australian tour, the expense of which the colony will have to bear, before we can get at the real desires of the Government. The New Zealand Times' statement though given with some show of authority, is possibly no more than a feeler, to test the public. The Opposition must be reckoned with for the acceptance of all these extravagant proposals.