THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AT TIMARU.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CI, Issue 11887, 10 May 1899, Page 4

THE MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS AT TIMARU.

A laugk part of the address delivered by Sir Hail-jdhes to hit constituents at Tim am last night appc&rs to hive been devoted to-the refutation Of the varjpus charges that have been made against himself and his colleagues lately by the Conservative Press. It is very deplorable that- ’a Minister of the Crown sbould.find it necessary to occupy bis own time and the time' 6f his audiehOa in repelling gross • aspersions upon his personal character, but whilla the members of the Opposition coipioy their present tactics w© cannot blame the Minister for dealing with "their charges from the public platform.’ Mr Hali-Jcmes -seems* oh the whole* to havd met his critics with considerable effect, fie iescjdajmeti tuts connection with th,o “ marine scandal ” in-a way that was so entirelly saifasfawtory to a representative meeting 6f hiS constituents that they riot only’ expressed their full approval of his conduct, but also signified their continued confidence in the Ministry of which he is a member. Compliments of this kind do not always mean a great deal, but Mr Hab-JnneS has been so ptgjficcQy challenged during the’past few! weeks to-submib.MmßeSf to a tribunal of his own constituents that the verdict recorded last might-can hardly fail to afford Mm the utmost satisfaction, if beds to blame at all irt-coimection With the uafortunate-.s&ur, it is for placing too-much reEance-up®>the responsible officers of his Hepartmenfe, That . is an -amiable offeirce vvhich his present critics were ready enough to - condone whEn it was shown- to be .responsible forriho PoUull Guly scandal of a few years ago. The fact is that no Minister can -discharge-all the duties'for‘which hods jmtmnailyuesponsiblc, add that occasionally ha musb-sufiei-for the ■ faults and failures of his subordinates. ' Mr Hall-Jones has- certainly as Captain Russell did in 1891 for leaving rathfer too touch to the perindtient officials There does not seem to Imve been anything particularly startling in the - remainder iff the MimstePs-Mdress. The declaration in favour of a shorterterm of residence and of a slightly higher payment under the Old Age Petitions Act was not Unexpected, and probably represents-the mind of the-Cabinet. There will be little objection, we think, either in Parliament or in the country, to redtfcihg the ttsnn to twenty yea-s-and in-;, creasing the payment to 10s a week. Thti proposal to make the pensions universal ik another matter, and Mr Hall-Jones was wise iti hot venturing to fix any time for the. - attainment of this ideal. We cotdidly approve of the principle of the proposal, but we cafihot ignore the fact that :ts practical

iip-ptioatioli 'would irivolk« something like an feocDiuo resolution, The revolution might ft very good thing for the country; but the country is- cot prepared for :« just yet. ffc will b« better to ■ concentrate attention pjpon tbe jmfidoua amendment and extension of the present measure than to imperil the whcfe reform by attempting to obtain piore than prablic-opinian. is prepared to conjsedftw .