The Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1894.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVIII, Issue 11918, 18 January 1894, Page 2

The Wanganui Chronicle, AND PATEA-RANGITIKEI ADVERTISER. "NULLA DIES SINE LINEA." THURSDAY, JANUARY 18, 1894.

Mb Kichard Seddon will be entitled to smile all over his face when he meets Parliament in June or July next, and shakes hands with his numerous supporters, between two and three score in number, we hear. If he does not feel fully satisfied with tho support of such a large party, it will be because it is bucb. a large party to satisfy and snpport. " Wo are here to stand by you ; now, what are you going to stand for us ? " will be the double-edged greeting with which tha Hon. Eichard will be met by his troops of friends. With a bread grin, a goodnatured guffaw, and a jocular retort he will put them off for a while— but not for long. Party Government means party rewards as well as party support— and no Premier has ever bmphaeized the fact as Mr Seddon has done. " You support me and I'll support you : you oppose me and I'll oppose you," is written in large characters upon Mr Seddon's public banner, a banner which has been adopted, and the motto upon which has been en dorsed by his colleagues in the Government. Row the principle operates received illustration in a small way at Palmerston North a few days ago. The Borough Council — the representative body of tho tov\n— charged with tho duty and responsibility of watcliing over its interests, represented to the Government tho claims of the borough for a postal pillar box. The request was declined; whereupon Mr Pirani, tho newly-elected Seddonito member of tho House, informed the Postmaster-General that he approved of the erection of the letter box— and forthwith Mr Pirani was promised that he should have what he a?ked for. As a matter of fact the Department did 'not think the pillar box needed, and therefore refused the application of the municipal authorities— bat the moment the Seddonite member applied tho request was granted, in accordance with the Government rule — " Our favours aro for our supporters." Eeferring to tho case under notice, the Evening Post says:— "We hear a good deal just now about corrupt and illegal electoral practices, but surely bribing a constituency by the expenditure of public money, in order to add to tbo popularity of a member is in, is quito as much a currupt practico, although not an illegal one, as for a man to spend his own money iv trying to induce tho oloctorß to put him into Parliament." To this the Napier Teleprnph adds :— " Of course it is, but any kind o f corruption will be practised to further their own interests by our politicians, so long as it is not illegal. The present sot of officeholders have certainly been more shameless than their predecessors in carrying out the spoils to tho victors principle, but both parties have suflicientlydiatinguishod themselves in this line ; and tho only cure for thq evil— a rapidly increasing one— is the abolition of Party Government, Party Government simply means trickery for party ends. Perhaps the audacity of the present Ministry in using the public money to benefice their friends and extend thoir own lease of power will help to ripen public opinion in the direction of a bettor system." Some of our unbelieving roadms will perhaps say that the above is all fudge, olso Mr Willis, the Seddcnito member for this important olectoral ■district, would have been able to get Inspector Thomson shifted to Wanganui without bo much trouble and delayi Such unbeliever forget that the i?eddonito New Plymouthjle, Mr E. M. Smith, is pulling the strings at the other end. If granting Jlr Willis's request only meant giving tho local Borough Council a slap in the face, the Government would feel no difficulty in promptly complying— but to gratify Mr Willis at tho cost of annoyiug Mr Smith is not to be thought of. If the latter cuts up very roughly Inspector Thomson will have to remain whoro ho is, and Mr Willis will have to bo pacifind w'th sweet words and airy protnisos, Jt is possiblo, however, that prospouts sullioientlv alluring may be held out to Mr Smith to induce him to lot tho Inspector go. Vory hkoly Mr Seddon knowa how to manage him. Indeed, ho might almost have him for nothing, if he could only get him properly mounted on his ironsand hobby-horso. However, the Premier knws far bettor how to manage small matters and members than we can tel, him. Indeed, if hfl could not lie would soon be in Queer-street. When Parliament moei3 he will have much biggor claims to settle between rival supporters. He will have to decido who is to havo tbo big prize of the Spoakorship. Mr Steward, the present Speaker, and Sir Maurico O'Eorke, a formor Spsakor, aro both claimants for tho positiou, and both have tho osEontial qualification of boing acknowledged Suddouitoc. Both wjlj 'jiavo

to be humoured and pacified, but both cannot got the prize. Mr Steward is said to have set his heart upon a second term, in the hope of being knighted Indeed, he is said to have let Ministers know that ho considers he should havo been recommended for knighthood lone before this. Every previous Speaker his received 11 handle to his nnni9, and ho does not see why he should form the single exception to the rule. We fear he is fated to be disappointed. Ho was nevor equal to tho position of Speaker, and his failures woro made all the more conspicuous by comparison with the firm and successful rule of Sir Maurice O'Eorko during tho greater part of the timo he occupied tho Chair. The Napier Telegraph is very rough on poor Mr Steward. "No greater Mow," says our contemporary," was ever inflicted on the dignity of tho House of Representatives than the appointment of the man who is commonly known as ' Mnior ' Steward. Mr Steward proved as little of a Speaker as he is a warrior. Ho was | simply the deplorable failure most people predicted. He had neither quickness nor firmness enough for tho position, and it is needless to say that bo wag barely tolerated by a House which he novor oven pretended to control. Ho was far and away the worst Speakor in our Parliamentary history, whereas Sir Maurice O'Eorke was oneof the best, if not indeed the very best. There was authotily 111 his voice, and his judgment was rarely at fault. The Government will therefore do the proper thing if they put him in his old place, and allow the ' Major ' to retreat upon his pootry or his debentures." It i 3 perfectly true that there is no comparison in the natural gifts for the position possessed by the two aspirants for the Speakership. But we remember tbat Sir Maurice O'Korko had " gone off " a great deal before the election of Oaehung.i relegated him to private life. Whether ho is his old self again we do not know. But whether or not, we presume that tha exigencies of party will govern the selection, and not the personal merits of the respective candidates. Mr Seddon may have to bitterlyjoffond one or other of them, but ho may consider that hiiv majority is largo enough to enable him to afford it. Sojie people have n terrible struggle for lifo when they are compelled to resort to the moneylondors, Tho following old story told by Miss Kyan, a bankrupt grocer of Parnell, Auckland, to the Oflicial Assigneo, carries its own moral : — " I have been," she said, "in business in Parnell as a grocer for tho last 25 years, having previously had no difficulty with my creditors. Owing to competition and bad debts business has been declining for the last five or six years. Still, I have always paid my way. To do this I have had to make mmy sacrifices, and unfortunately had to resort to a moneylender and thereby became more seriously involved than I anticipated. Id September, 1891, I was pressed by a creditor for ,£2B, and borrowed that amount from Mr L. Mcses, giving him a promissory noto for six months for £40. I undertook to pay ifc off at £1 a week. I made those payments during the six months to the extent of ,£2l leaving a balance of .£l9. I then borrowed .£2O moro from him and gavo a promissory noto for £28 Vis, secured by a bill of sale over my furniture, then valued at ,£75, which I undarstond was to be paid off by weekly instalments of £1 per woek without any reference to re» newal at the end of six months. During these sis months I p;i ! d off .£l7, leaving a balance of ,£sl 12s to December 18th, 1892, Further payments have been made since. later on I will produce tho receipts for all paymonts to show exactly what has beon paid to date. Iv October last Mr Moses renewed the bill of sale which I understood had not been registered. This bill of ta^e represented £35 8s 9d, presumably the balance of the two promissory notes. As a matter of fact I had no knowledge at tho time how this account stood. He refused to give me a statement of his account, and it was not until the 18th of December, 1893, that he furnished a statemeut to my solicitor, which was as follows:— To amount of bill of sale, dated Juno 28tb, 1892, .£BB 12a ; less cash paid on account, £12 11s 6d ; £76 Os 6d. To amount of bill of sale, dated October 12th, 1893,.£3583 fid; .£lll 9s. Bailiff's charges to date, ,£5 (less cash paid, £2) £3 ; £IU, My version of the transaction is as follows .—Borrowed in all .£2B and ,£2O, iJ4B ; repaid at various tinios a3 per receipts, 4J8 c l 8s j amount now olaimod by Moses, Xll4 95."