The Star. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1887. "THE HAPPY FAMILY."

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume IX, Issue 1700, 12 August 1887, Page 2

The Star. (PUBLISHED DAILY.) FRIDAY, AUGUST 12, 1887. "THE HAPPY FAMILY."

Ministers are being a good deal quizzed over the statement made by Mr. Larnach tbat the Ministers will stand or fall together, because as a nartv they are a " very happy family," and that they had made "up their minds Co combine upon the most important matters and upon the chief principles they were advocating. The Dunedin Evening Star facetiously observes that the public should be grateful to Mr. Larnach for this information, for they would never have discovered it for themselves — noither fiom the action of Ministers in the House, where they fr-quently voted against each other in opposite lobbies, nor horn Miaisted&l speecfc.es. YJuich are sadlj contradictory, nor even from the speech of Mr. Larnach himself. " There may be differences of opinion," says our contemporary, " as to what are ' important matters ' and ' chief principles.' But it may be assumed that the Land question, the Education question, Bible-reading in schools, and tbe reduction of the number of members are fairly entitled to be so considered. Let us see how far Ministers have ' made up their minds to combine' on these. Sir Robert Stout and Mr. Ballance are ardent advocates of the perpetual leasing of Stite )nnds. Sir J. Vogel declared in tbe House that be did not ' indulge in " fads " about land systems,' such as some of his colleagues advocated ; and Mr. Larnach told bis prospective constituents that he did not agree with the ideas of the Minister of Lands with reference to perpetual leasing. ' He was a believer in men being able to get their freeholds.' Meantime Sir liobert Stout threatens to 'retire' if perpetual leasing is not adhered to. This is one phase of the ' happy family ' business. Then Mr. Larnach gave it as his deliberate opinion that 'the country could hardly afford to continue to spend the enormous sum it had up to the present time on education. 1 This also is a question upon which Sir Robert Stout has declared that no retrenchment is possible, and that he will not submit to the reduction of a single item. Mr. Larnaeh he)ieves that the cost of education js too high, and that those who seek to • bolster it up ' are not f rieuds of the present system. Sir H. Stout, again, threatens to retire if any alteration is made. Evidently, therefore, he U not, in Mr. Larnach's opinion, a friend of the present system. This is another illustration of the ' happy family ' business. Mr. Larnaeh believes in Bible-reading in schools, and capitation grants to Konian Cathodes. Sir Eobert Stoat and Mr. Tole are opposed to both. These are further indications of a ' happy family ' on the Ministerial benches."