Sir Robert Stout and the Late Commissioners.

Feilding Star, Volume XV, Issue 236, 10 February 1894, Page 2

Sir Robert Stout and the Late Commissioners.

It is an open secret that immediately Sir Robert Stout heard of the action of Cabinet in regard to tbe Railway Commissioners, he telegraphed to Messrs Maxwell and Hannay expressing his deep regret that officers who had served the colony so faithfully and so well should have been so shamefully treated, and driven from the Public Service in such a manner. On broad constitutional grounds Sir Robert disapproves of the railways being placed under the management of Commissioners, holding that they should be administered on Ministerial responsibility under direct Parliamentary control, but he recognises to the fullest extent the ability and good service of the late Commissioners, and dissents altogether from the course of conduct adopted by Ministers towards them in the appointment of the new Board, as being unjust, calculated to shake confidence in the integrity of the Public Service, and embarrassing to tbe new Parliament in its consideration of the whole question of ralway management in the future. The circumstances surrpuuding the choice of the new Commissioners are, in Sir Robert Stout's opinion, anything but creditable to Ministers, and when the House meets it wiil probably be found that this feeling will be very freely and pointedly expressed by many other candid friends of the Gorernment as well as by Sir Robert Stout. —Post.