THE NEW PREMIER.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 451, 27 March 1912, Page 5

THE NEW PREMIER.

SOME PRESS OPINIONS

New Zeaiand Herald. —We believe the selection made by the caucus will

give general satisfaction. It is a I clear recognition of the decided change in the 1 eel ing of the country, as manifested at the genera! election. Mr Mackenize is a man of moderate, if not Conservative, views. lie has shown himself an energetic and painstaking administrator, and as Minister of Agricutlure has enhanced his reputation as a capable public man; but in his new position he has a difficult row to hoe. His views on the land question differ diametrically from those of many of his paitv. lie cannot be said to be in complete accord with the policy of the Labour party. It will be interesting, however, to see how he shapes his course in the construction of a Ministry that will be able to weather the storms ahead.

Auckland Star.—The Liberal party has solved the problem of the Premiership by the means that the majority of prudent and reasonable people usually fall back upon in a difficult position—a judicious compromise—but this must not be taken as implying that the new Premier is not well equipped for -the heavy responsibility that he has undertaken. For the past twenty-five years he has been actively engaged in public affairs. He has had twenty years uf Parliamentry experience. As to his political record, it is Wdll known that he was for a long time an Independent; in fact, by his detachment from either party, and his singularly frank and free methods of criticism, he proved himself to be one of the few public men in this country who have ever justified their claim to that much-abused title. New Zealand Times. —Tranpsorts of delight at his selection by the caucus would be as out of place among Liberal as are those rambling reflections upon "the state of party" furnished by Mr Massey to a reporter in the north. For our own pa.-t. we shall be quite content to suspend final judgment on Mr Mackenzie until he has chosen his colleagues, declared his policy, and shown his mettle in Parliament. We want, first to "see the goods" he proposes to deliver. Judging from the modestly-worded interview he gave the newspaper representatives on Friday evening the new leader takes a common-sense view of his responsibilities, and is alive to the urgency of at least many import- I ant parts of the Liberal programme. j

A Labour View.—Mr Arthur Rosser, an Auckland Labour leader, when asked bis opinion on the new loader from a Labour standpoint, said that although, of all the members of the Ward Cabinet, the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie was the on 1 v one whom he had not known personally, lie had followed his career ever since he was member for Ciutha. and an independent candid critic of the Liberal Government. "I regard him as a very careful, shrewd administrator," said Mr Rosser, ''and his choice for the position of Prime Minister as the best possible solution of the difficutly which presented itself of finding a leader acceptable to both the Liberal and the Labour parties in the House. He is a man possessed of a large amount of foresight, and no one but Thomas Mackenzie could have foreseen that such a bitter critic of the Liberal Ministry would eventually have been chosen to step into the shoes vacated by Sir Joseph Ward.