Ramblings.

Northland Age, Volume VI, Issue 40, 30 May 1910, Page 5

Ramblings.

TO THE EDITOR. With ths Cricket Season over and the Football players taking little interest in the winter game it behoves a poor ink ■linger to find something wherewith to fill his columns and, if possible, to interest his readers. And, unfortunately, there being no election discord for the entertainment of the public or the exciting of candidates to recriminations, 1 have nerforce to fall back upon that playful criticism of public events, things in general, and the particular men in the fublic eye for the time being, for which am famous or infamous, or in which I prove myself agreeable or disagreeable to my readers, as the case may be. Let these last be as they may, however, I do trust subscribers to the “ Age ” will not be as sorry to see the reappearance of this column as 1 am to have to write it.

I have given very little space to news or speculations as to Halley's comet but, then, the “Age” not being a daily paper, there is so much of local interest to put before my readers that I have little ueed to go outside this County and Electorate to fill luy columns, and as to going off this earth to find subject matter for my pen I anticipate that such a proceeding would lead to expostulation from luy Directors, especially if I suggested the purchase of a Bleriot aeroplane and wished to charge sariie to travelling expenses account. Moreover if I didn't instantly find something more marvellous to report than has appeared in the dailies I doubt whether even seventy-five years leave would be obtainable, though I explained that I wanted to chase a oomet.

But as Halley's comet, according to the astronomers and seers, only visits the earth or, rather, comes within view of ita populace onoe in every seventy-five Crs it is no wonder that its appearance caused comment. There are so few of to-day who are likely to see it again. There aren’t many who would, even were it to return within their life-time, care to recognise it as an old friend—it would point to the passage ef the years too brightly. Yet, according to Halley, having come into earthly vision once in seventy-five years for some considerable period of thousands of years I cannot see why the comet should have causod the consternation it has done. Many, and I heard some of the conversations myself, discussed the possibility of this globe coming into contact with the hurtling meteor, or whatever it may be—l don’t pretend to much astronomical knowledge or even very great interest in the subject —and the destruction of the world. And the unavailinguess of such discussion and •peculation seemed to me intolerable.

Supposing for the sake of argument, that the earth had—to put it vulgarlybeen bust into smithereens on the 19th of Hay, or whatever day the comet was nearest to us, of what use would speculation prior to the event have been. Nothing we world people could have done would have prevented the catastrophe and so far as the future is concerned we should have had little to say in regard to th« affair. A fairly hot time and a general bust up—and all we poor mortals would have been whirling into space at the rate of a few hundred thousand miles an hour and in the shape or shapelessness of atoms or gases or what not. There wouldn’t* have been any records left, or any you or I or anyone else, and our history and our people, both big and little, would have been as things unrecorded, unknown, unimagined. We would have all returned to the “as it was in the beginning of all things ” and our end would have been as our beginning. And this would all be so against our religions and scientific knowledge that its possibility could be but unworthy of even momentary contemplation.

Having delivered myself of remarks in connection with Halley’s comet, however remotely connected therewith—and I notice that like so many of my fellow scribblers I have had to use it to fill ■pace —I now feel able to turn to comment on matters somewhat nearer, & tew millions of miles nearer, Mangonui. And it is, after all, not so great an effort of thought to transfer from comets to councillors. Have not councillors a meteoric or even cometic—save the word —career? It is not so long ago that those sitting at the table of the Mangonui County Council did not include one of the present members. Within a few short years the Council has changed completely. I can remember when the six members consisted of Messrs. K. M. Houston, J. Evans, E. W. D. Matthews, John Frear, J. Shannon and H. H. Thompson but that was in the days before the wild and woolly overdraft made County Finance a thing of terror alike to Councillors, the Clerk ana all who have dealings with the County. In those days there was no such thing as having to wait for the Government to pay in Grant monies before contractors’ accounts could be met. And from the way with which “Road Metal” and other of my correspondents worry my waste-paper basket with complaints about the dilatory payment of County accounts now-a-days I gather that the Mangonui County Council are still feeling the pressure of the Bank overdraft which followed the first year of the working of the Kauri Gum Industry Act and the building of the Taipa bridge. But I think I am safe in saying that, even with this debit balance with its bankers, the County to-day does much more work than in the olden time. Kates have increased marvellously and Government Grants aren’t any less than of yore though I cannot say that they are finanoed as well as they used to be in the late B. J. Seddon’s time, than whom, as I have often said, New Zealand will sever see a more capable Premier. Very naturally I sympathise with the road makers who have to wait for money earned and my sympathy, being the outcome of the experience of the ink-slinger who also has to wait for accounts to be paid to him by an unfeeling and thoughtless public, should be of the right and true kind. But I think that I am not far wrong; in saying that the policy of anticipation of revenue and of grants, which has made the County overdraft, has been right. Without such a policy in force nearly all grant monies would have to be expended in winter time when little valuable work could be expected in return for the money and similarly if

County revenue were not anticipated there must now bo a few hundreds of yards less of metal on our roads. Also being one of the class who are deeply interested in the dividends paid by the Banks—a small overpaid and underworked multimillionaire in fact—l appreciate the sound investment which the Banks make when lending to County Councils and other Local Bodies. The death of F. E. Baume has left the Auckland City East seat vacant and remembering that Auckland is seething with discontent with the Government I am somewhat surprised that the Opposition can find no candidate anxious to seek Parliamentary honors in the electorate. Fortunately Mr. A. M. Myers is standing as an Independent Liberal but just as unfortunately he is much more bound to the Ward Party than to that of Massey and in his personality he would be sure of return under any circumstances, whether under the flag of Liberalism or of the Opposition. It would be impossible to find anyone, of whatever political faith, to make a fair fight with Mr. Myers and perhaps for that reason the Opposition are not doing battle for the seat.

Taking the Auckland East seat as an example and glancing lightly over the electorates of the Domiuion thero is disheartenment, if not disgust, to be found in the entire lack of suitable Opposition politicians for the purpose of contesting both the next general election and any by-election which may come before the dissolution of this Parliament. It. is not so much that the peopla of New Zealand favor the Ward Ministry as that the stronger men who are willing to take part in politics are all pledged to that party. There seem to be so few of the leaders of the Opposition who are active leaders. There are so many who condemn the Government and yet do not care to start in the fore-front of the fight against it. The right stamp of men on the Opposition side are men content to look after their own business and to leave to others the government of the country. Peradventure many of those same men would be glad enough to give their time and their money for their country were it not that they held in detestation the vulgar criticism and obnoxious personal attacks with which all politicians must be beset, and this hs much at the hands and pens of their friends as at those of their enemies or opponents.

On the other hand there are many reasons why the Liberal politician is not averse to coming before the public. A few days back Mr. Gallichen, the Liberal Organiser, kindly sect me an almanac whereon are depicted the portraits of the Members of Parliament who are of the Government party. To say that the heads on the calender are pictures of dis-tinguished-looking men would be grossly flattering. The great majority appear to sorely need the distinction of M.P. after their names in order to place them in the slightest above the very ordinary of the earth. Thero are certainly some of passable appearance, among whom is the Member for the Bay af Islands, but, as Mr. Reed has been described as the Adonis of the House, it would be idle to expect the rank and file of the Liberals in Parliament to approach him either in good looks or, remembering that he is our member, in intellect and ability. And looking over these portraits the only conclusion I can come to is that the larger number of the Liberal M.P.s of the Dominion may have been eleoted but are not of the elect of the earth ; and that taken all round they are not such representatives of the people as the people of New Zealand should be able to select as their rulers. That which struck me most when I first looked over the portrait gallery sent me by Mr. Gallichen was the “ get there ” expression on most of the faces. I felt that grace, refinement, gentlemanly bearing and, possibly, honesty and justice, were present in spots, in some cases and in some of the portraits in very small spots to one who knows ought of physiognomy, but that self interest and greed of power were obtrusively prevalent. Wherefore I conclude that the Liberal leaders, being of the order who believe in the “ get there ” policy for theim o lves carry wifli it the “ keep there” policy for their party and in this way I may have solved the riddle which is puzzling the Opposition Party; as to the reason why the Liberals cannot be ousted from power iii Wellington and in the Dominion.