THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1884.

Waikato Times, Volume XXIII, Issue 1883, 31 July 1884, Page 2

THURSDAY, JULY 31, 1884.

Sir J-&LIW Vogel -and his policy | ■will Boon become important factors in the sura of New Zealand politics. Of Sir Julius everybody knows, or professes to know, a great deal ; 'of hiT f j>oliey, despite all sorts of proteitfW^rpebple know 1 very little^ r Jhe prevelenfc notion iii the public J

omnium ia that ifc is a polioy of self-aggrandisement ; a policy which, while it cannot help giving a fillip to our national prosperity for the time being, is framed chiefly with the object of lining the author's pockets. To say that Sir Julius cares nothing for himself, that he is prepared to subordinate every selfish aim of what kind soI'ver, and to devote every energy to thts advancement of the colony may tin wrong. Indeed, we are not altogether certain that the expression of such a sontimetu could I)) construed into a compliment. No man without personal ambi tion of some- sort con be useful either to himself or to his fellows, and had Sir Juluis not possessed something more than a spice of this quality he would very probibly have remained to this day an obscure writer for the public press. However, 'let that pass. The most formidable objection to Sir Julius Vogel is founded not upon any personal, but upon the broader grounds of his traditional policy. We do not admit that this objection is any sounder that the other, but at least it is more reasonable. This traditional policy, we are told, is one of borrowing, borrowing, and nothing else but borrowing ; that its administrator would not value the possession of olh'ce a pin's point unless ho could gratify his spendthrift propensities in the disbursement of millions. Critics, who do not think themselves owl-eyed, warn us that a year's financial dissipation will have to bo paid f-r by half-a-dozen years of political headache, and sickness. We do not question the righteousness of the penalty, and it must be paid if ice incur it. But nobody, so far as we know, has the slightest intention of running the risk, and Sir Julius Vogel least of all. But ev-on wore the allegation of his prospective extravagance susceptible of proof, it would still remain an open question whether it were not better to go in for what is known as " a regular good burst " than to undermine the constitution by absorbing al) sorts of patent nostrums. In the one case recovery -would merely be a matter of time, m tho other it would be at the best problematical. But webeliovo Sir Julius has other and highter aims than the more gratification of a lavish nature. If lie have not we need bo under no apprehension ; no scheme that has not in it tho elements of sound finance will meet with a warm embrace fiom the present rarliainout. But tho new policy carries with it no suspicion of rashness. The platform laid down in tho Ashburton Speech, and since elaborated in letters and addresses is about as plain, and as matter of fact as anything of the kind could well be. Sir Julius Vogel's genius is original, and he naturally holds decided • lews upon almost eveiything- -upon land tenure, upon the incidence of taxation, upon the relations between capital and labour, upon federation, upon free trade and protection, and even upon railway management. But as none of these involve the spending of money, it is to Sir Julius' views upon public works and immigration that one almost naturally turns. Upon these questions his views are given to us in a nutshell, lie aims at the completion of the railway system, and the settlement of the small-farmer class on the land. None daio go further than this, it is true, but all profess their readiness to go as far. In what respect, then, it may be asked, does the new policy diller from the old 1 There is really no difference ; but inasmuch as we have an assurance of the display of greater energy and of a broader grasp of tho situation, there is, it must bo admitted, some disparity botween the two. The colony has never been in greater need of a strong man than she is now, and in tho hour of her necessity the strong man has come.

L'abixlt-making seems to have superseded every other occupation for the nonce. All the active spirits in the country are engaged in the task of building up, on pap r, that greatest of all desiderata just now — a stable Government. Inferring to this subject in Saturday's issue, we remarked that a coalition between two of the three parties into which the House is presumably split up was a certainty, and we \entured to predict that Major Atkinson would be included in such coalition. Evidences are not wanting to prove the correctness of our surmise. The Wellington Post, the recognised organ of Yogelism, in an article on Tuesday evening, frankly advocates the union of the Vogel and Atkinson parties, as being the only solution of the present difficulty. On the other hand, the Otago Daily Times, of the, same day, states that an " intrigue" is on foot to " run" Mr Ormond for the Premiership in opposition to Sir J. Yogel, and that the support of a large number of the Ministerial party has been already obtained. Mr Ormond, we need not remind our l-eaders, belongs to the third party, which has been, for want of a b-tter designation, termed " the Opposition," in contradistinction to the party acknowledging the leadership of Sir Julius Yogel. These occurrences, whatever their ultimate effect maybe, will meantime greatly strengthen the hands of the present Government, which will now, if it has not decided to do, make up its mind to meet the House. If the Ormond " intrigue" be persisted in, Major Atkinson will be master of the situation, and may dictate his own terms.