The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1892.

Timaru Herald, Volume LV, Issue 5548, 26 October 1892, Page 2

The Timaru Herald. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 26, 1892.

True to his announcement m the course of tbe session, Mr Seddon haa commenced what will no doubt prove to be a lengthy series of stump orations during the recess. He appeared at Otaki on Monday night, and blew tbe Government trumpet with surprising vigouk Nor did he neglect auch an excellent opportunity of again slandering tho Railway Oommiesioners, with a view to educating the public mind up to the point of accepting the Government Railways Bill, whioh ia to deprive the Commissioners of all real authority and make tbem merely tbe tools und slaves of the Ministry. There was nothing new m his charges. Every Count m the indictment bud been made the most of on various occasions, and every one of them had beon conclusively proved to be false. A rather more extended report than was supplied to us of what he said on the subject ia as follows : — " Giving control to the Commissioners was a disastrous step, and tbe sooner they were replaced under the control of tbe people the better for all concerned. The Commissioners hud, since taking office, increased the expenditure by £77,000, and benefited the officers only, and not the working people. Gross extravagance prevailed, and he contended tbat if, m 1887, it had been known bow tbe appointments would have been made, Parliament would never have passed tbe Railway Bill of that year. There was no feeling of confidence between tbe Commissioners and the workmen, and tbe reductions being made were unjust to the workers, Let, them reduce the salaries of tbe highly-paid officers and give fair play to the working men. The Opposition m Parliament intended to stand by the Commissioners at all hazards, and their supporters m the Council wonld endeavour to thwart the Government m its honest endeavours to give back the railways to the control of the people," There is hardly a word of truth from one end of the paragraph to the other, and the allusion to tbe honest endeavours of tbe Government "to give back the railways to the control of the people " is transparent humbug. The people, m tbe senße m wbich Mr Seddon used the word, can never have control of the railways, and to the extent to whicb they cun have it, and did have it m the old days — namely, by local pressure, political influence, log rolling, and jobbery — popnlar control is a nuisance and an abomination. Tbe people must delegate their power, and then their agents must be practically independent as long as the delegation lasts. It is absurdly, palpably false to say that the delegation to tbe Commissioners was a disastrous step. Where does the disaster come m ? Nowhere. The Commissioners deserve praise instead of blame; and the more so thnt m place of having received the support of the Government, the latter have done all that lay m tbeir power to render the Commissioners odious m the eyes of the community. We shall not, at all events at this time, deal particularly with Mr Seddon's charges. We merely repeat tbat they bave been proved to be false both by memoranda published by tbe Commissioners and by clear .exposure m the columns of various newspapers, tbe Herald amongst the number. If it be thought that we are unnecessarily persistent m our .allusions to the attitude of tbe Government, and especially the Minister of Public Works, towards tbe Railway Commissioners, our reply is I that tbe matter is of very great importance, and tbat Mr Seddon loses no opportunity of misrepresenting tbe management of the Commissioners. He attacked them on numerous occasions before the session, both m the presence of deputations, and on tbe public platform ; be attacked tbem m tbe newspapers through tbe reports of " interviews"; be attacked tbem m the Public Works Statement, and on various other occasions m the House ; and now we find bim, immediately after tbe rising of Parliament, mounting the platform and attacking them again. Whilst this sort of thing continnes, it oannot be out of plaoe to warn the public that Mr Seddon Ib not stating the truth about tbe Comtoiesioners' management. They have done remarkably well on the whole, and there cannot be a shadow of doubt that their management, including their finance, has been, and still is, much more satisfactory than the management was under Mr Maxwell, who was then simply an officer of the Department, under the orders of the Minister of the day, who, again, was as a matter of course open to all sorts of political influence and pressure. The trne reasons for Mr Seddon's burning deairo to abolish tbe Comtnie. iooeiß as an independent

authority are, partly, tbat be ia of a bumptions, self-willed, masterful disposition, and cannot bear to bo thwarted by tbe Commiasitners when be and tbey disagree npon any point; and, partly, that m his opinion the control of thn railways and railway patronage might be so manipnlated as greatly to strengthen the position of tbe Government. He may or may not be right m Ibe pleasing anticipation, but he cer tainly holds that opinion, and is so wanting m pnblio spirit und political honesty that he places the selfish interests of tho Ministry before those of the community. His attacks on the Commissioners havo been literally shameful, becanse he has shown himself to be totally regardless of truth.