WELLINGTON ECHOES.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIII, Issue 57, 16 June 1910, Page 7

WELLINGTON ECHOES.

(From our Special Correspondent). Wellington, June 13. A substantial echo from Hokitika presents Mr. Allen in the character of a successful politician. It was at Hokitika where lie had gone in pursuit of Sir Joseph Ward. He ratel over the political dish, and though he failed to pro-, duce that ivory button with the Massey hall mark, and the tripe remained therefore in the usual state of unproof, he succeeded in drawing the Evening Post. He did so :by practically accusing that progressive journal of wobbling with a decided lean towards the Government. Xext day tile Post came out with a snappy little paragraph concentrating venom on tihe Government. The earth hath bubbles as the water hath, and the .policy of the Government now, tit-cording (to Post, is all bubbles, for which anyone can find what backbone it pleases. Sucli is the consequence of advertisement and Mr. Men's asperity.

Meanwhile a plaintive echo came from the big Maori meeting at Waahi, in the round, rich voice of Mr. Kaihau demanding money for the Maori land. Is this all there is at present to show for the new Maori policy so vigorously announced by the Premier, who talked to these King's men with considerable frankness of their position, which is such a» uv longer to admit of delays of settlement on any pretence whatever? Is it evident that the Maori doea not, in tiiai quarter at all event, lay himself out to understand what the Government is offering him? Before I can answer Mr. Carroll contributes an echo totally denying the Kaihau warble, with plausible businesslike explanation. It is probable the wanble was 'badly "done" in translation.

It appears at the same time from the speeches of Dr. Findlay in various parts of the north that there is on the pukeha side considerable lack of appreciation .of the same policy. The doctor avers that he has found large audiences quite eager to hear tho new Native Land Act explained to them. It is not surprising-, because the native land question lias beeti so often settled infallibly that people are somewhat shy of taking anything seriously iij the way of a new policy. But the new Maori party seems determined that no one native or pakeha shall be able to plead ignorance much longer.

The Knyvett echoes are taking a new complexion, if echoes can be said to liave complexions. This time a little sird' carries one to my ear to the effect that the enquiry into the business of Colonel Robin has nothing at all to do with Knyvett, except that the charg#s into which the Colonel wishes for an enquiry were made by that creator of sensations. Whatever happens at the enquiry, there will be no result so far as Knyvett is concerned. His case will remain where it is. That is the "unalterable determination" of the powers that be. Therefore the expectations and the jeers of Knvvett's friends are likely to be equally wasted.

Much talk of absconding husbands leads to 1 the conviction in many quarters that it will be of little use getting validity in the neighboring States for magisterial orders issued here against thait fraternity, for the simple reason fchi)t when an order gets into motion the absconder can go -on absconding, leaving the order to follow his majesty round the earth. Bring him back and make him work; starve him till he tarns to, and then sell the .produce for the benefit of his family. Such is the wisdom of the street.

This will meet the objection that prison labor must, not ibe used to the detriment of the free, with the reply that the iState will not be charged with the keep of those who ought to be kept 'by those naturally responsible. On the other hand, if the men who wont v;otk are to be made to work for the sake of their families, what about the men who want work for the sake of their families ami can't get it? If their claim of t'he right to work (now much favored in the circles of Advancement) is denied, while the absconders are made to work after they are brought back, they will have a chance of declaring that the rigiht of work is only conceded to those who refuse to work. First be a scoundrel and abscond from your responsibilities, and then the State will find you work to. enable you to meet your obligations. 'Xow how about the "right to work"? Plainly we are tottering on the verge ot things dangerous. It is making one careful.

■Last week we were faced with the query of what is an "Independent Liberal." Xow we are faced with the parallel case of an "Unofficial Oppositionist." The answer seems equally difficult. The opinion here is that it is too much brainfag to attempt the solution of both. Wihen the Auckland election is over we shall have only one to attend to. Unless, of course, Mr. Taylor's man runs away with the seat by the help of -the Labor vote. But this is very much like a combination of the unexpected and the improbable. Still, you never know!

Cynical people are of the opinion that! the onlv tiling Powe.l'ka has to regret is that he did not allow all the charges] against him to go oil trial. That t-he j juries of Palmerston would have acquitted him handsomely of all, they have no doubt. To them, of course, it is incomprehensible that one jury did actuallv find him guilty of arson. Their explanation probably is that they were not aware of the nature of the crime, regarding it probably a-' something like picking poekeß or' stealing steels from butchers, something likely to ensure his being sentenced to imprisonment till the rising of the Court, with a testimonial afterwards to the uprightness of his general character, and the worthiness oi his treneral intentions. Unfortunate)v for himself Powel'ka was advised to fall short of this unlimited faith in the Palmerston juryman class. Anyhow, he did not reckon on the Judge.

■Twenty-one years bv .process of cumulation, and a stunned prisoner! The | situation was emphasised in the Palmerston Court l>v a long-drawn gasp, a? the reports informed us. That gasp has developed into a tremendous shriek, still resoundino- in some parts of the city. Analysing" that shriek we. get some strange things. We find a good young man delicate of health, who ought to have died, but took a few things that didn't belong to him, and naturally resented being sent to .prison on that ac. count, and very justifiably got out. After wetting out lie only committed a fen bur, Maries'; burnt down only one .puouc establishment; and displayed a fondness for carrying firearms, uot for the purpose of shooting anybody —oh, dear, no. he was far too good a young man for that, Tf one of the barrels was found empty wheiV he was captured, what of that! 1 There is no proof that lie ever loaded that chamber; none, for that matter, ' that he loaded any of the chambers. And if—assuming for the sake of argu-

ment only—he did load that particular chamber, what of that ? These weapons are proverbially unreliable; and is a young man of excellent disposition, merely because he has ilieen a trifle unfortunate, to be sent to prison for a cruel term, because an unreliable revolver goes off at half-cock quite against his wMics —nay, to the endangerment of his own valuable life, and the extinction of a really promising career?

You laugh at all this. But it is only the literal presentment of a hundred letters that have appeared in the papers here on the subject of that sentence. Some of us are expecting the inevitable fliat for the purpose of presenting a testimonial to an almost blameless youth. Some go bo far as to think that there will be, in due course, a petition for the canonisation of Powelka. Saint Powelka! Pray for us, that we, too, may burgle and burn and be blameless!

As for the Judge who dared to remember that there are such things as duties and responsibilities, who ventured to disregard sentimentalities, who was bold enough to take a fiun course, who showed respect for facts, and not a little moral courage, nothing is too bad for Mm. He ought to be in the criminal dock'. True, that he has always been (one of the mildest of men on the Bench. This consideration has weight with the men who 'have some respect for personal character, inducing them to believe that if Judge Cooper thought so the thing must be black indeed. But of the other sort which substitutes for everything, and scouts responsibilities as the Devil scouts holy water, who put down everything to "heredities," "environments" and "provocations," why, these are for something very dreadful, and something lingering. Here is a people that went mad with panic when Powelka was at large, and -no w. !he is caught and punished goes crazy with sentimental affection for the wretch. What next?

Tho ]>bor echoes of the week seem to lie still stranger than those of the criminal courts. The general talk in Labor circles—official —is horde of youthful immigrants approaching, darkening the sun by their numbers hovering above, certain to sw j amp the world of this Dominion in the malignant waters of slavery. Everything about the crusade they are getting up is in order; everything, ibut one, is in proportion and pointed straight in the right direction. The exception is the fact on which this fine effort of superstructure rests. Tlie swamping, unscrupulous, frightful horde turns out to be a consignment of fifty children rescued from the tenth of forty millions, to be brought up on farms in comfort, and taught the independent ivork of digging and delving, for want of opportunity for which their fathers have sunk either into a dishonored pauper house or a neglected grave. I for one cry ''Shame!" on the men who protest against this charity in the sacred name of Labor. Moreover, I feel certain that Labor is too manly to follow the political lead laid down for them by such 'tactics. Here an echo -of this Labor complaint comes to me from a certain A. and P. association—good farmers all. I have but one thing to say: "What's a' the steer, cummer?"

There are many w.ays of making public opinion. Here is how they make it in Auckland. Mr. Fowlds complains' that the other day he spoke in Auckland to his constituents for an hour and a-half on all the subjects, of the political day, not forgetting a word or so in proportion about Knyvett; tout the report sent out from Auckland all round the Dominion gave him fifteen lines, of 'which nine were devoted to Knvvett. From which we may see that though Auckland may be 'the' "hub" of the universe it is not the "tail)" of fair dealing in politics at al events. Perhaps this may be the "hub" of the Kaihau warble.

What about the Bank of New Zealand? Only this — (1) That the balancesheet, still' keeping its profit up to six figures, is £50,000 less profitable than last year, and ("2) the Bank can aftord the diminution without turning a hair. There are many other things that strike one, but this is the -salient fact. Lou icing back fourteen years gives a thinking man a smile of genuine pleasure as he reads the reporj; and notes the absence of those awful assets that hung in those days' like the proverbial millstone.

A burglarious e.'lio tells of a worthy citizen in Auckland being robbed of £6OO worth of jewellery by a burglar, ana makes one wonder how it is that no mie seems to set up a safe in his house. The thing is easy, and not expensive. For it is possible" to have a small safe built into your wall for a very few pounds, fire-,proof, burglar proof, and locked bv a combination which the owner can change whenever he likes. Why will men not take advantage of the blessings of civilisation of which they are constantly prattling?

There is much bother about the shearers and their demand for a pound a hundred. Well, what of it? Forty years ago the rate \v,as a ipound a hundred, and wool is more just now than it has been for forty years. One wonders not that the shearers ask their ipound—bus mat there should he any occasion for them to make the want known to anyone. It certainly is not an unreasonable demand, and therefore its making is not a proof that the Arbitratiovi Act is going bung. Yet there are men among us who regard the shearers' demand as having sounded the knell of arbitration. Do tliey want grape shoe? If not,, will they kindly tell us what they do want?