CURRENT TOPICS

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXVI, Issue 8180, 23 July 1912, Page 6

CURRENT TOPICS

A MODERN CINCINNATUS. The -Wellington correspondent of ..tho "Otago Daily Times” becomes humorous occasionally. He telegraphs to his paper: "The parallel between William Ferguson Massey, who is now the head of the Government in New Zealand, and Lucius Quintius Cioinnatus, that model of old Roman virtue and simplicity, has already beep, drawn by more than one chronicler of our contemporary political history, Cincinnatus was twice called from tho plough to govern Romo. Mr Massey was in' the field stacking hay when ho was first called to public life, and now, likethe old Roman 'general, he has been called from bis small farm to mould tho political, destinies of this country.” What between Moses and the" Promised Land and Cincinnatus and the Plough, Mr Massey will soon ask to be saved from the adulations of his friends. Anyhow, from what we remember of _ Cincinnatus, bis principal claim to public notice lies in the fact that he was a violent antiquated patrician, who distinguished himself as an opponent of the common people' in their struggles with the upper classes. - AN EMBARRASSING VAGRANT. The week-end was a tronblous time for Ministers in consequence of the sudden demand upon them for production of a policy regarding the whale at Lyall Bay. The stranded leviathan had by Sunday become almost audible at Government Buildings and it is understood that the Minister for Marine spent the day with a towel around his vast and fevered brow thinking out the problem confronting constituted authority. The Grown Law Office was also in hourly communication with the Prime Minister on the subject. A Cabinet meeting called for Sunday evening lapsed in consequence of a rumor that the whale was coming into town, but this fortunately proved to be without foundation. Yesterday morning early the Minister for Marine again tackled the departmental reports and reviewed the type-written opinions of his responsible officers with a view to finally coming to a decision or seeing if the matter could not bo dealt with by a private member’s Bill. An expectant body of Civil Servants stood ready awaiting tho Ministerial fiat when some person interrupted with the announcement that a suburban maker of fertilisers would relieve the tension by turning the whale into a market-

able commodity by which the productivity of our lands could he increased, thus giving greater employment all round. The exhausted Minister weakly, we think, allowed private enterprise to again justify itself and incidentally relieve the Ministry of grave responsibilities. The Government showed a great lack of backbone in this emergency. It should give the community to understand in unmistakable language exactly where it 'is in reference to whales, and not allow the suspicion to exist of political influence being at work. Those are things which can verv properly be kept clear of party. A really strong Government would have announced its policy at once.