WELLINGTON ECHOES.

Colonist, Volume LII, Issue 12756, 31 March 1910, Page 4

WELLINGTON ECHOES.

(L<Youi Our Own Correspondent.) The timetable of the Northern railway system is no longer the "ghost unlaid" of the political world; 1 reter j to the table Known as now. We have < almost forgotten the old tank 1 . Tiie ' only thing that we -remember about it is that it was once the oojtei vi unanimous denunciation by uepuiuiioiiH. 1 j remember too that the Jiwistor or Railways was caught napping, lie j thought that all tins uiiiinniiity <n my and back block, of farmer and squire, mechanic and iarm labourer, all dancing over the graves of their political j opinions, must be a sign of truth. At all events he must hare considered ■that if he gave everyone what he wanted 'everyone would- be .satisfied.' "Tlie 'service might go to the devil." I can hear him ruminating, but anyhow it would be safe to risk it. Well, he "risktd it," and the service did go to the devil, and, what is more, everyone who got what he wanted said it was the Minister's fault. Once more everyone- resolved himself into deputations, all dancing again on the graves of their political opinions, I all eager for the Minister's blood or a new tariff. - Such is government by deputation! Mr Millar probably thinks now as he wanders over the salt sea foam, to Australia bound, that we might -with advantage have less of it. His officers seem to have rescued him rather smartly from his dilenina. They simply went back to the old table, with a few variations, to save their face. Everyone, we are told, is satisfied in Nai>ier, and New Plymouth, Wangamii and Woodville, Masterton and Palmerston, Taihape and Taumarunui — I doubt it ,but it sounds well. Anyhow ono sees, at a. glance that these men ' of these places have got a sure day's communication with Auckland, and -that they have time to answer letters before, the. sun goes down on their wrath or their wants. For the rest they must be the best judges. The moral is that railway tariffs are "kittle cattle to- shoe." ; The announcement from Mastertou that a syndicate under -the Land Finance Act of last year is preparing | toacquire an estate in. the neighbour- i hood under; its provisions reminds us ' that this appears to be only the secorrtl casounder the Act. So farthe public does not seem to have "caught on." . There was a good deal of respect for | the measure last year in the Legisla- j ture. But the hard-headed men (irrespective of party considerations altogether) said freely that the imprac- , ticable conditions would nullify the very good intentions of the- measure. They made several attempts in both Houses to get tho Act made what they considered practically more favourable for men who mean settlement, but . they did not succeed. They will say now that the public seems to be of their ,way of thinking. It is possible then that we may all feel justified in expecting an amending measure for making practicable a well meant attempt to get the settlement of the land hurried on by the right people. Another measure (Hospital and Charitable Aid) of last session is on its trial. The principal objection is that the ratepayers will not try it. They 1 certainly did not take the trouble.to roll up for the ballots. 'Mr Fowlds has, of course, taken an early opportunity of discussing this aspect of affairs. He could not have been expected to faint — for the Act is his . child. What he said is very true.l It was practically that ratepayers are , ratepayers all the world over, never j concerned until they are roused, and j then look out! If the new Boards, | the Minister gave tlie world to under- ; stand; do not get their great- interests \ out of the old'mess the ratepayers are : sure to be down on them like a thous- ; aaid of bricks. Besides, they hav'3 (tlie . few who did vote)' put in very good Boards every where, -and. these may do 'everything' expected of them by the Minister, and oven more. Let us wait with hope! • Mr Massey .was in town during the week, looking the picture of health, considerably more stout than during the session, but more robust or healthy than he was then it would be impossible for anyone to be. He is the same now. His \friends, who are of all shades, for personally there is.no more popular man, when they accost him, see many things in his eye, which, according to its wont, calmly surveys them. One man reads fierce indignation at the diatribes of the Opposition young lions plainly telluig him his party is disorganised, boneless, pulpy, acephalous, policyless. That man thinks Mr Massey is preparing for a diet of young. lions. Another sees m his eye a readiness to spring on tlie Government party, disorganised by varieties' of discordant happenings :— The Kuyvett crusade in the North almost headed by Mr Foole, ready to throw hand grenades in to the Government ranks; the Leasehold Land League of the- South, headed by the Jtton. Mr Paul, who convened a meeting which assembled in soiue- xoice, and retired into some cave ot Aduliani to breathe tire and live on statistics till such -time as the public is rtiidy -to accept them as prophtcs ; the runway malcontents and the Dreaduougut der stroyers. Another sees just nothing, in t'nat calm eye but a suong desire to be let alone. But iie has so iar avoided the interviewer, and in the present state of the political. world t is on the cards that he- is perteccly right. • . . . Are trains, libraries, and electric cars-, luxuries? The Prime Minister seemed to regard them as sucn. At all 'events he said the Lending isoard drew the line at luxuries wiien they distributed £612,001) among one local bodies the other day. No ono or .course cares to go into the. distinction so minutely, tor the simple reason that there is no denying that the roads «nd bridges ought to be first, more especially in the back country. It was a pretty fair demand the local bodies- made, a collective haul of one million and a half. But as they only got £612,000 out, it is evident that the Board had to be very judicious and very prim. The growling of the disappointed, who must go elsewhere for their money aaid pay more than di per cent, for- it, is, it is hardly necessary to say, in proportion. There are, it is well known, archangels among us. Of such is the Harbour Board of Wellington. But what becomes .of an archangel when his wings are burnt off by some sudden blaze "of fire? It is a spectacle which this. .Board is giving us just now. This was once the best of all possible Boards, it' established the most convenienVoLports, its management was the cheapest* the most efficient and ! the most popular, as well as quite un- ! rivalled. Qf "late years it began to launch out, and men said it would be a crime to hold its hands. Was it not preparing 'to cope with the enormous development of trade proceeding by leaps and bounds ? Its public life was lived in a halo, its business was dono under the bushel of the committee sys," tern. But misfortunes arose upon its path of -glqry. One of its wharves fell : into the water, the "cranes of another failed to justify the expenditure lavished upon them, the cement for its dock refused to set. There was tribulation. On the heels of these" annoyances the revenue and the expenditure refused to balance. The archangel emulated the policy of Mr/Micawber, doing nothing in the expectation that something would turn up. Nothing turned up. On the contrary, every- f thing went. down. Last week the climax came.' It took the shape of an j increase of £17,000 in the charges. Then we saw the archangel x going about with" tlie stumps of -his burnt tiff wings encased in the cotton wool of | platitude and plastered with the oil of j Micawberism. Of course the wings will grow again. We all expect that. We also expect a* .'rigid economy and a businesslike pruning of its ambitious/ programme of works. The indications are that we shall not be disappointed. We likewise expect less hiding in committee, and more business details in place of the brilliant generalities of the past. Tho indications afe that ' hera ; again' -there will be no disappointment. Somotoitbe!

Tlie full accounts of the ceremony m St. Paul's have reached here, and they , do not h'nd a dissentient voice. Men j ( of all shades of opinion, so far as I can j ascertain, i'c-J ; ■:••:. -I that the eminent services re. ..; .1 >.• the late Mr Seddoii to the Empire during his Premiership have been recognised by the erection of a memorial to him in tlio historic temple where honour is done to so many of the illustrious dead. The speech of the Duke of Argyll \\;v.i worthy of the occasion, and of the merits of the man with whose services mid character it dealt so sympathetically. Nevertheless most or us arc not inclined to forget that there were in our history great men before Ag.'imeniuon. I These, too, helped to build the Empire, for they brought this Dominion to- the strength so well used by Mr Seddon, and they gave its people the high spirit to which Mr Seddon so successfully appealed. Among the names of these that of Atkinson stands perhaps the highest, for its owner was great in war as well as in peace. Otic of the noblest of the pioneers, lie became one of the greatest of our statesmen, and spent himself grandly, in the service .of his country. Had it been his .good fortune to reach the wider field of Empire, he, too, would have borne himself in a manner that would have increasedour pride in his talents, his virtues, and his higti character. Of him, too, it may bo said that those, who opposed him the most entertain for him the highest respect and the deepest affection.