The Obserber AND FREE LANCE.

Observer, Volume 7, Issue 338, 30 May 1885, Page 12

The Obserber AND FREE LANCE.

" Let there be Light."

Satubday, Mat 30, 1885

The question — what will be the attitude of the Opposition when Parliament meets ? is partly answered by Major Atkinson's speech at Hawera. It is true Major Atkinson is not the Opposition, but as things stand he is a very large part of it. Force of circumstances and force of will have combined to give the Major a prominence to which his absolute strength of intellect have by no means entitled him. It is not saying too much for the House, or even for the Opposition, to say that there are a good many men as cleve as Major Atkinson, and a few decidedly cleverer, to be found there. And yet no man in the Opposition can be considered representative except himself. He may not speak the mind of the party when he does speak, without previous consultation, but- when he has spoken he is exceedingly likely to bring round the others to his way of thinking. For this reason his speech at Hawera was important. That it was not the result of consultation, with even the leaders of his party, seems probable ; but in the end the party, as a whole, will most likely be found giving its support to most of the views he expressed. It has been said that the Opposition are not likely to be anxious to turn out the Government this session. Such is not the result of a perusal of Major Atkinson's speech. There is hardly a point of policy on which he does not disagree in toto from his successors in office ; and scarcely a branch of their administration which he does not condemn. On the whole this is satisfactory. It may be a little exagge rated indeed, but without exaggeration it is difficult to create much enthusiasm, and it is the office of the Leader of the Opposition to create enthusiasm in his followers. But if Major Atkinson believes ne| all, but only one half, of what he says, he-has no alternative but to do his best to -unseat the present Government. If it is tele that their finance is delusive, and lialculated to destroy the credit of the he is bound to do his best to save our credit by getting rid of the Treasurer. If the Premier is wholly wrong on the question of federation, which must be a matter of first-class importance in the future, he is certainly not fit to remain in power while the federal question is being decided. If the Minister of Lands is visionary, and his proposals mistaken and mischievous ; if the Native Minister has so mismanaged matters that immense loss will fall on the colony, in the matter of the lands through which the Trunk Railroad runs, the Opposition must do their best to get rid of the holder of these offices. The only other important department left is that of Public Works, and with the administration of this Major Atkinson has as much fault to find as with any of the others. The railroads, according to him, are not better but worse managed than before, and if so, the Minister in charge ought certainly to be got rid of. In a word, Majcff^Atkinson must do his best to get rid of the Ministry. He may assume a virtuous air of impartiality, but he must, after what he j has said, act as the strongest and most hostile partizan. It is very much better he should do this than take any middle course. It is better for the colony, it is even more convenient for the Ministry itself. A good, straightforward indictment, such as Major Atkinson's speech

contains, serves. to place public questions in a forcible light before the people, and also before parties in the Assembly. The indictment may be exaggerated, but that does not, after all, so greatly matter. There will be plenty to be said on the other side of the question, and many will be found ready to say it, perhaps with as much exaggeration of praise as Major Atkinson has given of blame. So far as appears, the Opposition to the Government is intended to rest upon a condemnation of their past policy, in finance and in native affairs chiefly, and of their proposed policy in respect of federation and of local government. It must be admitted that these matters afford ample scope for criticism. Two of the grounds of complaint, indeed, appear to us to be much stronger than the other two — so much so, that if the Opposition should insist upon making good the whole of their indictment, the Government might very probably escape from serious charges under the shelter of these, on which the House and the country would certainly be with them. In finance we conceive that the present Treasurer will prove too strong for his predecessor. He knows more than Major Atkinson of the subject ; he has a far wider experience and a stronger grasp of it than he has ; and he has also this great advantage, that what he said has proved correct. So far as ordinary revenue and expenditure go, he will meet the House with a surplus instead of a large deficiency. This will be an argument worth much eloquence, and we believe it will be more than enough to satisfy the House that, so far as the Treasurer is concerned, they cannot easily improve upon the Ministry. The same will be found true of the question of federation. Major Atkinson is enthusiastically favourable to colonial federation, and it is understood that the Ministry oppose it. In this matter also the Ministry will find themselves in a majority in the House and in the country. On the other hand, when the Native Minister is assailed, many will sympathise with the attack. The feeling is prevalent that he has re-introduced a flour and sugar policy of a specially dangerous kind. fiis career of wholesale concession and indiscriminate promisemaking have roused suspicion and alarm, and as yet his policy has resulted in nothing calculated to allay it. We have already pointed out the weakness of the proposed scheme of Local Government — a long criticism would therefore be both unnecessary and tedious. Major Atkinson's objections, indeed, do not appear to be as strong as might well have been made. His idea that Road Boards will suffice to ensure to the country efficient Local Government is contrary to experience. It may well be that the Government scheme is defective or even bad in 1 principle, but this will hardly strengthen Major Atkinson's hands, unless his criticism discloses some hope of a better being provided. So far as his speech at Hawera goes, he does nothing of this sort. On the contrary, he doubts the need of anything being done to improve existing institutions. On this point, at all events, the Government may meet him fairly. They at least perceive a need, even if, so far, they have not supplied it. Their case, therefore, is more promising , than that of the Leader of Opposition, who, seeing no need, will certainly fail to supply it.