THE GOVERNMENT AND THE WEST COAST.

Inangahua Times, Volume II, Issue II, 16 July 1880, Page 2

THE GOVERNMENT AND THE WEST COAST.

♦ The following letter has been addressed to the editor of the West Coast Times :— " Sib, — It is an unfortunate thing to attack a wild beast in his lair, and the result is generally disastrous to the at« tacking party. Without comparing an editor to a wild beast (which would not be courteous), yet to attack an editor in his own paper, is very much like beardins: a lion in his den. The editor generally manages to get the best of the fight, either by a judicious printer's error which makes his antagonist's most telling passage ridiculous, or by omitting such passages altogether, and substituting a sneering summary of his own, or if he should hare the best of the argument, by printing the letter, as you did that of one of our M.H.R.'s in extenso, and smashing it up in a leader or a note. Yet 1 am going to face all these dangers, because in no other way do I see the faintest chance of putting the politic cal situation before your readers. You will not do it ! I don't know that you will allow me to do it, but as I should think that as you have il all your own way here in politics, you must be thirst* ing for a fight, you may perhaps feel inolined to admit even such a feeble combatant as myself to the lists. Briefly fchen what is the political sifuation as it regards the West Coast? We elected six Greyite members all so strongly pledged that only one of them dares to yote with the Government, and we found to our dismay that the Grey Ministry was in a minority, and now we find that the Hall Ministry, whom onr men did all in their power to drive from office, have a majority of fifteen. And this majority includes only one West Coast member, and co Maori members. The Ministry can afford to neglect any representations made by the West Coast members, and apparently are disposed < o do so."They refuse to grant anything for the harbor works, and are now going to move the Public Works Office to Grey, mouth. No doubt there will be a howl of in« dignation and anger from Westland, but have we any right to complain P The West Coast elected its representatives at the last election to support the Grey Ministry, not on any public grounds, not because the electors thought the Grey Ministry would do the best for the colony generally, bufc solely and exclusively because the Grey Ministry promised grrat things to the West Coast. Anything more shameless, and shameful in politics, was never seen in the old days at Home, before the Reform Bill. The West Coast electors sold themselves tc the Grey Ministry for the sake of public works. Well the Grey Ministry has gone, and Sir George Grey has proved himself ims possible as a Premier of- New Zealand. His personal ambition, his utter untrust* worthiness, his haughty disagreeable manners, his quarrelsome disposition, and hi 9 want of statesmanlike qualities, his quarrel* with the Colonial Department, his insulting behaviour to the Governor! under whom he has served, his grossly false statements about immigration, his absurd crotchets about the prerogative of the Crown, his scheme of an elective Governor — Good Heavens ! we might hare Peddon elected ! all prove his utter unfitness for the post. He has gone-f---lat him rest in pepe.. But his opponents are in power. Now under these circumstances what does the West Coast Times do, as the only morn* ing paper published in Westland ? Does it try to smooth matters over with the new Ministry ? Does it, after its side has been well beaten, try to make the best of it for the district ? Does it, knowing that its readers would sell their very souls (if they believed they had any) for an abundant expenditure on public works, does it cease to attack the Ministry, and at leasfc refrain from abu9ing them while it cries out for Westland's share of the spoil ? Ko, it goes oa day after day, publishing leader after leader, attacking the Government with considerable ability, on every poijit,, rediculing their measures, maligning them individually, pitching into them right and left, until it might fairly be said that in the opinion of the West Coast Times " Their faults they are but two— There's nothing right they say, and there s nothing ri^ht tbey -do."

Now, was this kind of conduct likely to conciliate the Ministry ? Ministers are but men after all, they are not archangels or seraphs, and if you want them to do you a favor, you should not call them asses, iliots, and imbeciles. Suppose thai they were all this and much more, is it wise and prudent to tell them so, when you want to get money out of them ? Would any man act thu> in private life P Suppose a man wants a job of work, however independent he may be, he does not go to another man and say to him 1 You're a fool, and an ass, an J I believe more than half a knarj, but I bear you want a workman, and I'll work for you,' Still less would ho address such language to the man from whom he wanted to borrow money. But this is just what the West Coast Times has been doing to the Government, ever since the Hall Ministry came into favor. TSow the opponents of the Grey Ministry had no opportunity of expressing their opinions at the last election. A. 1 the candidates were more or less Grey and the public feeling was so strong in, favour of the Grpy party that there was no opposition. But all did not bow the knee to Baal. There were some who «aw through the shallow sophistries, the VU'gar appeals to the lowest and meanest passions of our nature, which were the only arguments Sir George Grey and his party used, and who abstained from vot» ing. A great many more are now urs deceived as to £ir George Grey, and among th^m. I fancy, Mr Seddon may be numbered. It was pretty evident that be would have voted with the Ministry, if the West Coast Times had not raised the hue and cry against him, and stie* maiised him as abont to 'rat.' And why should it be called « ratting ?' Rats leave a sinking ship, but the ship has sunk, and will never be raised again, and why should even rats remain to be drowned ? The Ministry as at present constituted is evidently in the opinion of the country a fur better Ministry thon any Sir George Grey got together. It is composed of men who have a stake in the country, and who must suffer with New Zealand or prosper with her, not of impecunious political adventures, It is now a strong Government, and I believe an honest one, sincerely desirous of do'ng its best in this most difficult crisis of our affairs. For Heaven's sake let it have a chance, and don't assail it day after day with a wearisome iteration of stale abuse. I am, &c, Beta. Hokitika, July 7.