PUBLIC OPINION.

Star (Christchurch), Issue 5279, 8 June 1895, Page 8

PUBLIC OPINION.

NON- PARTY GOVERNMENT.

At the present rate of Liberal progress ; ond socialistic experiments, a time will oome when the Government will be reduced to simple administration, in which there will he little Bcope for party wrangling. Therefore, when the scope for changes is exhausted, it will be necessary to have a composite Government, so that the zeal of extreme Progressivists may not wreck the Ship of State. The large majority of the Ministry, and the overwhelming preponderance of Liberal thought in the country all suggest an eleotive executive, which will represent in proper proportion the opinions of all claßßeß, and also that some inexpensive application of the plebiscite should be devised to control the main itemß of policy of an Administration. — Nelson Star. THB TARIFF COMMISSION. It is matter of notoriety that the New Zealand Commission has done a great deal of work. They have examined close on 500 witnesses, and they have travelled 3000. miles, and they have sat for a great number of hours. In every way they have covered a great deal of ground. It is not too much, we feel, knowing the characters and capacities of the men, to expect that they have gone over the whole tariff, studied all the anomalies and made a practical recommendation which will place the whole question of tariff reform before Parliament in a form both practical and financially unobjectionable * * # We look forward with eyery confidence to their report as both the complete summary of a difficult question and the practical recommendation well-calculated to bring order out of chaos and to substitute general satisfaction for universal discontent. — New Zealand Times. THE UNEMPLOYED. The chief wonder under the circumstances is not that we have had during the few last winters a limited number of men in most of the chief centres of population out of employment, but that the difficulty hitherto has been kept within such narrow limits. It is only when we look at the experience of other countries that we realise how lightly the scourge has touched U5. In England the misery caused by dearth of employment during the last year has been appalling, while in America a Bimilar cause led to riots and demonstrations, in which a vast amount of property was destroyed. Readers of Australian papers hardly need to be reminded that the workless there have sounded depths of destitution and wretohedness that have never been reached in thia colony. We repeat that when we consider the question it is matter for congratulation that our colony has Buffered so little from the unemployed difficulty. This we attribute largely to the enlightened policy of the present Government in the establishment of the labour bureau and the judicious expenditure of the money at their command on necessary publio works, thuß absorbing a large number of the unemployed without unduly straining the resources of the colony.— Auckland Star. BLBCtIVE GOVERNORS. No doubt the Bystem of popular election of a Governor might seem more consonant with the spirit o. democratic institutions. But it would be the introduction of an element of power and of interference with the freedom of working those institutions that we iyjow not now— a veritable King Stork in the place of King Log*— -New Zealand Herald. THE QOBP..L OB" HALF- A- CEOWN A DAT. We believe every man in the community can sell his labour at some price or other, and that if it remains unsold, it is because he puts too high a price upon it. Last winter we came across a man who had a difficulty in obtaining profitable employ- ( ment. What did he do P Ho took work at half-a-crown a day, lived fairly well on tbe half-crown and was never idle a single day. This winter he is making good wages and has more work than he can do, because a man who instead of standing about waiting for big wages, takes anything he can get, soon eeta on in this colony. ~People always help a man whom they find to be helping himself.— Wairarapa Daily Times. THB TIMABU SOHOOIi ASSAULT CASH. We regret that the woman was fined, and say unhesitatingly that if the facts as related be true the master deserved horsewhipping. The master who boxes children's ears is an ignorant creature, totally unfit to have control over ohildren. The e^r is one of the most delicate organs of the human body, and many a child haa been rendered stone deaf and almosb idiotic through having its ears violently boxed. We have no objection to ohildren being punished at sohool— it iB sometimes necessary— but to box a child's ears is a barbarous act,— Taieri Advocate. MB WARD'S WELCOME. , We need not see eye to eye with Mr Ward in everything. But that should not prevent us from acknowledging Mr Ward's merit aB a New Zealander. Surely a man can do that and at the same time keep bis political opinions intact and his political colour undiminished. He must be a poor creature if he oannot. In Great Britain there are many precedents to guide üb. There no one thinks of looking too olosely into party .questions on certain great occasions. A banquet to Mr Balfour, or Lord Salisbury, or Mr Gladstone, or Lord Eosebery, brings together people from both eides of the political arena. The friends of these men attend to testify their political agreement with them. The others go there to show that, though they differ as politicians, they are as men ready to be complimentary. Why cannot we follow that example here ? — New Zealand Times.

In hid address to the London Chamber of Commerce the Treasurer seems to have spoken firmly and .practically, and his remarks are for the most part fairly reasonable. * * * There will be no disposition to treat the Colonial Treasurer otherwise than generously on his return, and bis political opponents will be ready to make all reasonable admissions regarding hia uaef alness and 'his work. But a number of explanations will be looked for, and the colony will be speoially anxious to be let into the secret of those three millions of " unpledged securities." — Otago Daily Times.