MORE PRESS OPINIONS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1390, 25 March 1912, Page 7

MORE PRESS OPINIONS.

•STORMS PREDICTED. Nearly all the leading newspapers in the country referred editorially in their Saturday's'issues to the ohoice of the "Liberal" caucus. What they think of tlie selecting of tho Hon. Thomas. MackMizio a 9 leader, nnd their opinions on the political situation, may be gathered I row Uio following extracts:— The Raggod Party. ' The CluMehurcli "Evening: Nobs" says:—"Mr. 'I'. Mackenzie'has beaten Mr. Millnv for the leadership of the most vnf.»pi?j, ill-asjorted, and discredited party ihnl' hns Miisht to shape the destinies of Xew Zealand. It. can. ecarooly bo said that aay partioular merit or bit own hu raised Wm .to ttds Wi^

omtnimoei Mr. Maofcemle as Prime Mini*, tor Is merely the product of discord, disunion, and ohaos in tho affairs of a political rxirty that consist* of 30 AViu-l-ists, 8 Maoris, two bogus Independent*, two pledgo-broakors, nud tw© bona fo-o Labour representatives. When Sir .Towu,i Ward announced his retirement, we remarked thnt it did not matter very much who was chosen a3 his successor: the !•■> suit would bo the same when Parliament meets again, and this is more than ever evident in tho present circumstances. Mr. Mackenzie has no chance whatever ot forming a Cabinet that will bo nb'.o to live a month in tho House ns it is nt present constituted. Tho only possible leader on that side was Mr. Millar. . . . freeholder mid leaseholder, prohibitionist nnd liquor trader, tanffito and advocate of tree imports, Sooialist nnd individualist will all be found supping together for the short spaco they are to live as an Administration pending the meeting of Parliament. Mt. chief difficulty lies in tho fact that ho has onlv eight or nine portfolios to distribute.'-.

"Long Life to You-Tlll Then!" According to tho "Timnru Herald, ,, the old Conservative party is iiiuVixl nvenged." "During tho election?," continues tho "Herald," "the most dreadful charge which tho Liberals could bring ngainst tho .Reformers was that they were somehow connected—in what way was not explained—with tho much maligned party which hold oflico beforo the Liberal regime began. There are only three members in Hie present House who were members of that party, and one of thorn is tho Hon. T. Mackenzie. And Mr. Mackenzie, who, if ho.had not crossed over a few years ago to tho only sid« that could reward dovotion tangibly, would have been denounced to-day for opposing half the most important' Liberal measures on the Statute, Book, has been chosen, by the irony of circumstances, to conduct thp Liberal party on a wilder career of Radicalism, as'prefigured ill tho Governor's Speech and Inst year s Budget, than it hod ever thought about before. . . . Now that Mr. Mackenzie is about to choose his Ministry of All the Opinions—for that it must inevitably be—others of his colleagues will havo an opportunity' , to practise tho selfabnegation which he has so fervently preached. . . . Mr. Mackenzie's Premiership will bp short, and he will be fortu« unto if he finds it sweet."

"A Most Accommodating Politician,"

"Tho announcement will occasion no great surprise," says the Wanganui "Chronicle." Someone had to bo chosen for the unenviable position, and it might as well bo Mr. Mackenzie as anybody else. What most concerns tho public is not the identity of the new Premier, but the fact that his selection lias been made undcr i circumstances which are in direct violation of all constitutional precedent." After quoting thfr "Press" on the violation of the constitution, the "Chronicle" proceeds: "All this, as wo have said, ij perfectly true, but it dees not by any nirau.i sound the depths of political degradation to which the Ministers and members of tho discredited party were prepared to sink. Having by the dubious expedient of broken pledges eluded defeat on terms which necessitated the. migniition of the Premier, they have uot ■scrupled to proceed 16: tho astounding length of attempting in defiance of the expressed wishes of the people to 'engineer' on-their own account the selection of a new leader and the creation of a new Cabinet. Mr. Mackenzie has accepted'a thankless billet. The new Premier is perhaps the most popular of the Ministers who have been associated with. Sir Joseph Ward, "and Under happier eir- ; cuiristances he might have been expected to fill the office with tolerable success. Hβ has certainly proved himself a most' ao* commoilating politician."

An Occasion for Sympathy. The Palmorstoii North "Standard" says! —"When the circumstances of the elevation nro. considered it is really doubtful whether there is any ground for congratulation I From fiomo standpoints Mr. M'nckenzio must feel that he needs sympathy before anything else. The deliberations of.tho raucus were- not made public, but t!io manner in which the result was arrived at was sufficiently indicated by the fact that the iiiiin who really deserved the leadership of hi.? parly was not considered at all in the final selection. '. ; . It must be remembered that Mr. Mackenzie is not one of. the newer brand of 'Liberals.' He is fl freeholder, or, as ho prefers to express if, he favours the optional tenureHo -has'no sympathy whatever, with (lie latest cry of a re-awakened party for. iiioi'o of that very vague thing it•■ colli 'progress,' which translated into the longmigo of those who cry, means -legislation and still'' more legislation. Now tho 'Progressives' havo advanced their strange cause another sta'jjc- by electing the 'most cautious member of their late Cabinet to carry out Uie heedJons policy. , Poor Mr. Mackenzie! Ho will not lead his pnrty. His pnrty will-shove from behind, nnd with unwilling gait he will ho propelled along <i pathway from which he would fain tiirn aside. The suit of tho selection oan hardly be palatable to the Labour section of the community which has of late bulked so largely in the attentions of the Government following." Two Views. Keferrinj* to the speech in which tha Prime Minister informed the deputation last Thursday that he intended to resign, the "Ljilolton Times" has this very surprising comment: "The innnuer of retirement was m admirable as the spirit that inspired it. He uttered do reproaches and displayed no bitteriii's;." Tho "Dunedin Star," a staunch "Liberal"'journal, takes a ver.r different view. It blame* tlir- Prime Minister for' receiving tho deputation at all, and proceeds! "As it is tho retiring leader (our loyalty to whom will hardly be In dispute) has laid himself open, not. merely to tho sort of invective in which his acrid opponents are ready to indulge, but even to criticism and remonstrance, which perhaps are the niOTO worthy of attention on necount of their friendly origin. It is but too evident that Sir Joseph waa not in tho best of tempcrs-or say, rather, that the acute tejision of nerves frequently observable both before and after (he General Election was once more noticeable in a somewhat painful degree. Hie enemies will not hr-sitato to assort that he was only too glad to' seize another opportunity of using strongly denunciatory language about his assailants, and it is a pity that colour should be lent to such a charge."

A Taranakl Voice. "The selection of the Hon. Thomn* I Mackenzie, member for Egmont, aa Pre- | liiicr, will (tho Tarannki "News" states) meet with approval throughout the length I and breadth of the Dominion, and in no part moro so than in Tarauaki, where, though associated with its interests but a comparatively short time, ho ha? won for himself colden opinions, not confined, cither, to those in sympathy with tho party ho represents. The caucus showed wisdom in selecting Mr. Mackenzie. The occasion calls for a man of unusual parts, and, in our opinion, no one else. 111 the party possesses them in tlio same degrco as tho member for Egmont, To liav<s selected Mr. Laurcnson would, from the point of view of tho interests of tho Government, probably have been, fatal, and would have ployed right in'o the hands of its opponents. The result of (lie election showed that the Government had lost in a large measure the confidence of the small farmers of the North Tslnnd. . . . Sir Joseph Ward was very unfortunate in his choice of colleagues in, tho Ministry. This is where Sir .Tosenh Ward failed. Instead of surrounding himself with strong, oneri;etic and ahlo men. he was served, with one or two notable exceptions (Hon. T, Mnckenwo being one), by well-moaning bu' inefieiont Ministers, who failed to command tho confidence of the people."