WANGANUI.

New Zealand Times, Volume LVIII, Issue 2846, 15 June 1896, Page 1

WANGANUI.

Special to the New Zealand Times. Wanqavji, June 11. The National Ass. is kicking hard at the disabled lion. It is amusing to watch the leaders of the Conservative Party here buttonholing everyone they meet to pour into their ears a self-righteous diatribe against the, commercial troubles of the Hon ,T. 8. Ward. One of those purists who. had a lot to say about the matter was abruptly shut up by someone asking him how many times he had had a similar misfortune ! It is a strange fact that no one has so much to say about the misfortunes of their neighbours as those who have had a tumble themselves.

The people here are in the majority of instances very sorry for Mr Ward’s commercial troubles, which they think have been to some extent due to his neglect of his own interests whilst devoting his whole time and talents to those of the country at large. Had he never entered public life he would have been a rich man to-day instead of penniless. But this is the fate of great statesmen. Did not the people of England have to subscribe many thousands of pounds to extricate Eiohard Cobdenfrom his commercial troubles, and have not such men as the late Sir Henry Parkes, Sir Graham Berry, Sir G. E. Dibbs, Sir Harry’ Atkinson and other leading Australasian statesmen been ah times unable to meet their private engagements in consequence of their devotion to their public duties ? The continued erosion of the South Spit is causing much anxiety here, as it moans the destruction of the shipping trade of the port for a time at least, if the' river is allowed to make a vagrant channel for itself in the place where the Spit is being eroded so rapidly. The country members of the Harbour Board, however, do not seem to bo at all concerned about the matter, and are inclined to constitute themselves engineers to the Board to save the fees of a professional man! If they let the entrance to the port be seriously interfered with whilst they are tinkering with the danger the ratepayers will come down on them pretty sharply, but that will be too late to stop the heavy loss the whole district will have to face.