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Lake Wakatip Mail, Issue 1515, 15 January 1886, Page 2

It is bo far to the credit of the present Ministry that they make no bones about it, but act conspicuously on the principle that "To the victors belong the spoils." Mr Jambb Gbssv has been a member of the

Otago Land Board since the abolition of the Provinces, has a thoroughly practical knowledge of the conntry, and mate red experience in the working of the land laws and the general business of the Board. He is now shunted, to use an opposite expression, in favor of Mr J. C. Brown, whose qualifications are purely political, and consist in a faithful adherence to the party now in power, who, we quite concede, owe him a debt of gratitude, which is barely paid by the " bits and scraps" they now and again throw in his way. The question just now, however, is not whether Mr Brown should be rewarded for services rendered —* hich he might be in many ways not absolutely mischievous to the public—but whether highly responsible positions, involving in the due discharge of the functions thereto appertaining the gravest interests of the colony, should be tossed to hungry supporters ; majorities in the House being thus secured much after the fashion that burglars keep things quiet in the backyard whilst arranging operations, by providing any dogs, who may be alwnit, with bones! The appointment of Mr Brown is, for many obvious reasons, absolutely indefensible. The peculiar accomplishments which have made him so far a success in parliamentary life are just those especially unsuitable to a judicial office, such as that of a Commissioner of Crown Lands, and it is only reasonable to expect, as no doubt Ministers do expect, that he will be their very obedient servant at the Board as in the House, and in concert with Mr J. Macken. is, another chip of the same block, do his level best to shape to Ministerial ends the policy of the Board. No doubt Tuapeka—and especially the cronies and admirers of the honorable gentleman in that electorate—will be delighted it is "all." According to the vulgar saying, this move is " into their hands," and no doubt any little matters of land business they may have will be pleasantly expedited. There is a vast amount of quiet patronage vested in members of the Land Board ; we must regret that it is not in more independent hands. The general impression, we are aware, is that the remuneration of members of Land Boards is simply nominal, sufficient, perhaps, to cover expenses. This is entirely a mistake, the fact being, on the contrary, that the pay and pickings are quite enough to constitute material influence with that class of trading politicians who are the curse of democratic assemblies, and who, unhappily, swarm in the New Zealand Parliament. The Land Act provides that there shall l>e paid to every member of any Land Beard (other than the Chief Commissioner) for his attendance at the meetings of the Board a fee of £1 for every such attendance, and also " a commutation for travelling expenses not exceeding £1 for each day that the Board sits, and for not more than one day each way occupied in going to and returning from the place of sitting of the Board, in addition to money paid for coach, railway, steamship or other passeng-r fare." The same fees and commutation for travelling expenses are to be paid to every member of any Land Board for every day during which he may be " travelling on any special business of the Board and by its direction." Presuming, therefore, the Board to sit only one day in the week [the Otago Board net unfrequcntly sits two or even three days], members resident out of Dunedin receive at least £3, in addition to actual travelling expenses. There are, however, nice little pickings, in the shape of trips into the interior on the pretext of examining country, seeing how the deferredpayment settlers and Crown lessees are getting on, so that, altogether, a comfortable aggregate may be realised—as much, perhaps, as £3-30 a year? The truth is that a great mistake has been made in exempting members of Land Hoards, who receive such payments and travelling expenses, from being disqualified from a seat in the General Assembly. Ministers are thus enabled to hold out attractive baits, which may possibly be swallowed, together with any scruples of those who take them in. Votes are not actually bought and sold in these days of abstract political purity, but there may be '• songs without words" in this matter, and it may suggest itself as worth while to support. Ministers who have got such good things to give away are certain to dispense them among their friends !