THE LATE GOVERNMENT'S DEFENCE MUDDLES.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXI, Issue 11759, 13 April 1888, Page 3

THE LATE GOVERNMENT'S DEFENCE MUDDLES.

j'^-ihe Manawatu Standard's Wellington 9 Correspondent writes :— \y <M6re Muddle! The late defence Minister "appet'rs "to have carried things with a •'pretty high and open hand when he was in power. There have'been one or two queer revelationß already about what was done in his time, and the legaoy of waste which he left'behind him is not yet .fully, revealed 2 Perhaps the Mim'ter is less, to blame, than speople think 1 . I have a notion that he ;is > r really 'responsible for. the neoeßßary •eipendit-aw; -m" the Bense of having' pro- ■ moted if-, although he is no doubt blame* worthy for haviog sanctioned all, that was ■ done. There appears to have been a craze in the Defence Department for all. manner (of contrivances that^wculd eoablo. the foroo <to fight a really formidable enemy, and it (looks i 'bb l 'if ■•, the '' Minister /Iwd reaiily sanctioned the purchase < f everything that "the professional : \* amors, ( wanted. The.Siout'Yogel Ministry f a voure^ the ■ fighting crezo, for. reasons best known to themeelveßi' arid the Defence Mioiater was probably oomtrained by the policy of hU party to let the warrior's have their fall swing. The latest revelation regarding their doings, is that they 'proposed to light up tho underground magazinse atf'tbe forts with tho •Uctrio Hgh't, a'picce of extravafiancß which even tho great powers of Eutopc, who hare to mate real pr6patatioris: : for \rar, would not have 'sanctioned.' -2 hat wss bs,d enough, biit the Btupid Vlunderjqg did not end there", for the ~£l§oO, worth o£ electric plant whicL was obtained for. tho purpose, i« found "to be perfectly], ageless. ;. New 'Zoaland^must remain a poor .and. overbuidened'oquntry, if stupidity, or jobbsry, of this 'hind bontinues to prevail in the public departments. Didn't : some of the big men of our War Department, offer .to give their services for nothing, ,when the rat'reriobment policy ;coine into force? . .