PUBLIC OPINION.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2523, 9 June 1909, Page 6

PUBLIC OPINION.

MISREPORTED ?

A % ' When a politician stumbles over his own tongue and flounders for his ba- ‘ Jance, he has always one aid to save | himself from falling. Ido can clutch ['• at-“Misroported,” ho can pathetically plead “not understood.” If his po'.i1' tical friends tend to give, him the cold shoulder as the result of an alleged 1 indiscretion, he may rest his weary [ head on the proud be=vm of “Misrc- [:• ported,” and from that cosy place may i woo back his friends. Not long ago, I according to a report from the west Coast, the Hon. A. R. Guinness, Speaker of the House of Representatives, assumed tho rolo of “candid friend fo the (government. Not one sentence, f i but several, gave the impression that he thought a little criticism would not j harm the leaders of his .party, and he j contrasted the past with the present, the. Then of Seddon with the Now of Sir Joseph Ward, and ho summed up in favor of Then. Naturally this outspokenness aroused much comment, but Mr Guinness has complained that he was misroported. Possibly the recorder inadvertently failed to do him justice. We have not all the facts before us to enable us to decide whether Mr j Guinness, in this instance, has a just grievance against the chroniclers of his remarks; we merely mention his case as one that fits in with many others m this country and others. Almost as surely as a politician is credited with a statement that proves embarrassing to him subsequently, one may look tor h the cry of “Misroported.” The most useful reporter may make a slip m a sentence, but in the contentions or many politicians, reliable records noo ! only give a wrong twist to -one sentence, but to a whole series—possibly to a whole speech—and the habit is alleged to be chronic. This allegation is manifestly absurd; it is but a weak way of trying to escape respoiw nl’ty for an utterance. “Misreported is about' overdone. It is time -fiat "t'other refuge was sought by those who uro reluctant to stand by their «»c----tual words. —“Evening Post. ’ i j: ■ MR M'NAB’S CRUSADE. ! It is, unfortunately, one of the. weak- • nesses of a volunteer system in a counI try like this that it lends itself very j easily to manipulation for political pur- ! poses, and this is one of the strongest j arguments in favor _of substituting for it a system of national training. Mi ! M‘Nab estimates that his plan of comI -pulsory training for youths under i twenty would not be more expensive than the volunteer system, but would 1 be a vast improvement in the matter i of efficiency. One very important point which will have to be carefully thought j. out is the provision of an adequate supi ply of competent officers. We behove, ! however, that once the principle is i , adopted the details of a good practical f ‘ scheme, cun. be worked out. In tho ! meantime, we wish Mr M'Nab every I success in his patriotic, crusade, io educate public opinion on the subject is an essential preliminary to reform. — | Christchurch “Press.” DUAL OR TREBLE? It lias come to be generally believed that anything of a triangular nature I in Parliamentary government is bad. Those who find nothing favorable to say 1 of party government when only two ; parties are involved, are overwhelmingly condemnatory when it is a question of three parties! This last view is very general. Australian experience lately j has justified that belief, and much of the angry feeling now displayed in the Commonwealth is begotten of an ug:y compromise devised to end a tripartite incentive to legislative chaos. It is therefore not without point to suggest i. that much of what is now urged in connection with Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward is open to the objection l that it tends to promote, or to pro- , voke, tho formation of a third party in New Zealand. Those who favor a ; joint trip to Britain by the Prime Mil nister and tho leader of the Opposition ! take the ground, apparently, that these two gentlemen between them dispose of j the destinies of the country, and that j if they can agree to ljarisj up Parliament for four months Parliament must be hung up accordingly.—“ Daily Te- ; lograph.” DOMESTIC SERVICE. That sapient counsellor of -Labor —Mr A. Rosser, of Auckland—is dreadfully ! upset because it is proposed to bring out some domestic servants to the Do--1 minion from the Old Country. Mr Posser has heard a rumor to the effect that next session an effort is to bo made to induce tlie Government to j bring out this class of labor, and lie lias strongly advised the Auckland Trades and Labor Council to protest. “Let the wealthy classes, if they want •luxuries* pay for them/ 7 he ,says; and this is followed with the, information that “the working man’s wife has to ! do without- servants.” As it was A. • : Rosser who had spoken, the Council i decided to send a letter to the Govern- | uient protesting against tho latter granting any further assistance towards ; bringing out any more, domestic ser- • vants to New Zealand. Inis paper is ! not particularly anxious to see domestic servants brought out from England, [ hut if help cannot lie obtained m the Dominion what are housewives to do? Those who can afford to have help are entitled to it, and if it is politic for the Government to assist' farm laborers to emigrate here, there cannot be any serious objection to their helping .suitable domestic servants to the Dominion. In this country there is a tendency among some young women to regard domestic work as degrading, for-, getful of the fact that it is an occupation that fits them to become capable housewives. Those in whom this feeling exists insist upon having more “genteel” employment, and that accounts for a good deal of the unhappi- ' ness that is noticed in the homes of young married couples.—“ Manawatu Standard.”

. THE SPEAKERSHIP. Mr F. E- Baume’s personal reputation and his parliamentary record .are absolutely irreproachable, and there is no member of'the new House who enjoys to a greater extent the esteem of both political parties. Wc believethat his election to the Chair would be extremely popular. But Mr Guinness has explained that bis speech at i Groymouth was misreported, and that he said nothing to suggest that he was • o-oin" to abandon bis impartial attitude He merely indicated sorno of tho difficulties that were confronting the Government. Perhaps the House may he disposed to accept this explanation, and to return Mr Guinness to his former dignity, but at present there is a stroii" inclination among the members -towards a change, and it is quite pos■sib’o that the business of the. short session next month will include the election of ■ a new Speaker.—“Lyttelton vT-uk'-;-” ■ ' ' ’ Vi ■ x - ■ ’ .-: •d' ' - : : t = -:uh-: