MR. A M. MYERS.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1400, 28 March 1912, Page 5

MR. A M. MYERS.

WILL HE BE A MINISTER?

MR. isrrr as dictator. Considering tlmt ho is, politically speaking. a new recruit, the talo of Mr. Isitt's recent ncbievoroonta is n remarkable one. . Not only is lie credited with having been largely instrumental in. eecuring tho rejection of Mr. Millar, who is, by comparison, a battle-scarred veteran," but. it is believed that ho is largely responsible for tho delay in announcing tho new Cabinet, which 1b proving fatally injurious to the already waning prospects of tho "Liberal" party. Report says that Mr. Isitt is standing out strongly against the inclusion' of Mr. Myers in the new Ministry, on tho I ground that tho member for Auckland East ia interested in the browing iiidwtry. It hw not y«t bwn luggestod tha\ I

Mr. Isitt is himeclf Booking a portfolio, but if half tho stories told about him aro tru/i ho ha» alroady assumed tho .position of a kind of party dictator, eiud lias been moekly aocepted in lliat capacity by tho disorganieod remnant of the "Liberal" party, Tho opinion stands, however, that Mr, Myers Is too useful to the party to bo discarded, oven at tho bidding of Mr, Isitt. It ifl reported that Mr. G. W. Russell 19 also opposed to tho inclusion of Mr. Myers in tho Cabinet, and there is a theory that Mr. Russell himself aspires to the position of Colonial Treasurer. A CHRISTCHURCH PROTEST. (By Tolosrwh.—Suocial Correspondent.) Christchurch, March 27. In reply to a correspondent, who wroll strongly protesting against tho inclusion of Mr. A. M. Myora in the now Cabinet, tho "Lytlelton Times" eays editorially) "Our correspondent is a little unreasonable when ho urges that Mr. A. M. Myers should he excluded from the new Ministry bacauso ho happens to bo 'a powerful brewer.' Of course, it is a very dreadful thing in tho eyes of our Prohibition friends for a politician to bo a powerful brewer or any other sort of brewer, but brewing is a perfectly legitimate trade, and a man cannot bo denied a place in tho public lifo of tho country simply because he makes beer any mor« tliau he could be if he made boots or sausages. Happily, the decision whether tho brewer shall remain in business ill Now Zealand does not rest with members of Parliament, but with the people themselves, and it must bo said for Mr. Jlyora that he has never shown tho slightest inclination to interfere with the rights at tho peoplo in this rcspcct, Ho is one of i tho most broad-minded members of tho House of Representatives, as well as one of tho most popular, and it is more than unjust to suggest that his business prevents him taking an unbiased view of a great national problem. >Our correspondent implies that tho majority voto in favour of National Prohibition entitles tho No-Liconso party to a monopoly of tho seats in tho Cabinet, but with all our sympathy for the cause of temperance, w# should bo extremely 6orry to see tho Government of tho country entrusted to « Ministry formed on this narrow basis."