Fair Play SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1893. How About that Report?

Fair Play, Volume I, Issue 9, 30 December 1893, Page 13

Fair Play SATURDAY, DECEMBER 30, 1893. How About that Report?

One of the very first subjects which should be taken in hand by the press of the colony during the first mouths of the new year, and discussed with all possible fullness and freedom, is the question of the defences of the colony. With six months’ handling —without gloves —by the press, there will then be some fair reason to hope that the new Parliament will pay special attention to this important matter, and will force the Government, whether it likes the job or not, to put our defences in a proper state of efficiency. The present state of affairs is a disgrace to all .concerned, but the largest share of the responsibility undoubtedly lies with the Government. The Premior humbugged the House last session most shamefully over the report sent in by Colonel Fox, a report which was, in its way, one of the most admirably compiled and most valuable state documents ever seen in the colony. But for some reason or other Richard the Fourth does not like Colonel Fox, and what is, more he didn’t like the report. That being the case, careless .-alike, of the efficiency of the" volunteer - service and of the colonial defences, regardless of all claims of the duty he owed both to the officer in question ancT to the House, he mercilessly burked all proper discussion of the report, snubbed the officer, and held over the question of the defences altogether. Perhaps he may have taken this course with the mistaken idea that thereby he would gain the goodwill of the volunteers and their officers, but we fancy it was more to soften the feelings and pander to the personal prejudices of certain members whose finer feelings the outspoken Colonel, scorning all political humbug, and above any base toadying to the powers that be, had rudely offended by telling them some wholesome, if unpleasant, truths. Others have it that the Premier shelved the report because he knew that its adoption would involve the expenditure of a good round sum of money. Now the value of public

money expended, is, in tho Seddonian mind, in exact proportion to the number of votos to be got, and Richard the Fourth preferred to keep a fow thousand “ co-op.” men omploycd in usoless and very costly public works in constituencies where tho Government candidate was weak, to spending it in putting the dofence of tho colony in better order. Whatever may have been the cause, tho result is the same. The voluntoor servico is at prosentin a woefully disorganised and disheartened condition, and tho colonial defences aro in a state which can only truthfully bo described as chaotic. And this is what wo aro confronted with at a time when tho European air is so full of rumours of *var, when the British Government have promised to materially increase the strength of the navy, at a time when the Victorian Commandant, Major-General Tullooh. alloges that the colonial commerce is at the mercy of a foroign foo—at a time when more than over previously, it is nocessary that we should bo fully proparod for tho most serious contingencies. Wo like Mr. Seddon for many things, and wo give him and liis Ministry a gonoral support, but wo cannot blind ourselves to tho fact that the apathy and negligence of the Premier over this quostion of onr defences is well-nigh criminal. Mr. Sr-ddon, like many iJi-oducutod and self-made men, is very narrow at times, full of petty prejudice and of disliko of advice. He lias, moreovor, of late shown signs of becoming intolerably autocratic, and of aiming at playing tho part of Dictator or Chief Boss of tho colony. We can tell him plainly that tho colonists will not stand this foolish assumption of an infallibility which so ill befits him, and that he may go too far in his bumptious indifference to the opinions of the press and tho public. Most certainly his policy of deliberate disregard of defence matters, of snubbing a British officer of high experience, and of shelving a valuable and costly state report, will not receive the commendation of the colonists. We hope, however, to see the matter taken up in real earnest by the daily press of tho colony, and to notice the creation and solid growth of a sound public opinion on the subject of our defences, an opinion which Mr. Seddon, who is quite cunning enough to back down when he ever sees which way the wind blows, will not bo able—will not dare to disregard. Wo shall return to the subject of Onr Defences *in another issue.