The Star. TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1894.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 4856, 23 January 1894, Page 2

The Star. TUESDAY, JANUARY 23, 1894.

The Railway Commissioners, Ac was to be expected, tbe action of the Ministry in disturbing the Railway Commissioners has been met with a chorus of dissent from the Opposition journals of the Colony, and the readers of those " strictly impartial" articles will take np the text and enlarge upon it at their leisure. No one who sees the Conservative papera or has listened to Opposition speeches, is sutprised to read that the new appointments are a scandalous political job, and a reward to men of the "right colour" for their loyalty and support against the attacks of political opponents. And, if the Ministerial mind was constituted at all as it Bhould be to suit Conservative views, it ought to shrink under these withering criticisms, and some attempt; would be made, even at this late honr, to retrace the step whioh has been taken. Only one redeeming point remains in the whole business—the retention of the services of Mr M'Kerrow as Chief Commissioner ,* and even this, if we are to accept the statements of the opponents of the Government, io but the outsome of fear en the part of the Premier, and . thrown as a sop to the Cerberus oE public opinion and the House. To those who know the Premier, this last contention will present itself as simply amusing, for if there is a Bentiment to which that gentleman is a stranger, and any influence to which he is insusceptible, it is that of fear* , He ia essentially a man who believes in j grasping a thistle firmly. ' But, while the Opposition dissent from the Government's action in terminating the engagements of the oJd Commis- , sioners and infusing new blood, the coun- j try will endorse the step. The question ! of railway management was to the fore all through the elections ; and, in the country constituencies at least, was one of the , strong planks of Opposition candidates, it . being contended that the farmers were ! . opposed to any alteration. The step taken ' i by the Cabinet iB one whioh should com- '' i mend itself. To re-appoint the old Board , 1 after the emphatic demand for a change, ' ] was out of the question ; and to commit ; \ the country to a lengthened contract with j new men would have been a repetition of , i the unwarrantable action of the Conserva- ' tive party when it appointed Messrs \ M'Kerrow, Maxwell and Hannay. The Government Railways Act waa aeeented to j by members of the House in 1887 with the i

express understanding that the Maxwell J s managenitnt, from which the colony had j i Buffered, waa to cease ; the appointment of Mr Maxwell a3 Commisfcianer, in conjunc- ■ tion with one gentleman who knew nothing ( of the rai ways, and another who belonged j to tho Maxwell regime, virtually perpetuated the sjstem according to Maxwell, and j ' throughout the five years of office of the i Commissioners, that geitleman ha 9 been ' tho actual, while Ur M'Kerrow laa been, the no*uinal, head. . The Hju-:e, upon its ! meeting, can now re-open the *hole quea- ! tion, and some provision may be made for . Ministerial representation oa the Board I in the new Railway Bill. The Government j has done leas than it had power to do; and | \ in robing in such a manner, haa Bhown that I its one deeire is lo afford the new House a '. fair oppoi tunity of settling the question, i