PRIME MINISTER INTERVIEWED.

King Country Chronicle, Volume VI, Issue 452, 30 March 1912, Page 5

PRIME MINISTER INTERVIEWED.

REASONABLE OPPORTUNITY ASKED. TO JUSTIFY EXISTENCE. CLOSER SETTLEMENT PROMISED. Wellington, Friday. Asked by a Post reporter this afternoon whether he had a manifesto to give to the public, the Hon. T. Mackenzie replied : "No; I have been so fully occupied that I have not thought of any political manifesto. However, I can Bay that we will devote ourselves unsparingly to closer settlement of our country, to development of our agricultural and pastoral interest;?, to forwarding our mining, to promoting and fostering our trade manufactures. both hero and abroad, and to improving the conditions of our people. We desire to settle down to solid work", and to deal with questions \vhich really affect the progress of our country, and to give, in short. practical substance and not party shadow, "The country has, for the past six months, been in the throes of political unrest, and we believe that the people, are tired of the party wranglings. which have been going on. overshadowing the proper consideration and promotion ot a great nation s interests, interests which we should all have so closely at heart. "I have confidence (hat the people of this Dominion will appreciate the party that will quietly and resolutely settle down to doing the work which the country requires to be done. My colleagues, although new to Ministerial rank, are well known as zealous and capable public men, who have tilled many important public positions for years past. They are also recognised as enthusiastic men, who will bring their best energies to bear on the departments committed to their care. All I ask at this time is that the people of New Zealand should suspend their judgment until the new Administration has had a reasonable opportunity to justify its existence. If that be done I have little fear of the result."

MR MYERS' APPOINTMENT. A PROHIBITION PROTEST. A prohibitionist wrote to the LyMelton Times on Tuesday, strongly protesting against the proposed appointment of Mr A. M. Myers to the new Ministry. In an editorial article the Times takes np the cudgels on Mr Myers' behalf and says: —"Our correspondent is a little unreasonable when he urges that Mr A. M. Myers should be excluded from the new Ministry because he happens to he 'a powerful brewer.' Of course, it is a very dreadful thing in the eyes of our prohibition friends for a politician io be 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 the public | life of the country simply because lie

if he made boots or sausages. Happily the decision of whether the brewer shall remain in business in New Zealand does not rest with members of Parliament, but with ihe people themselves and it must be said far Mr Myers that be nan never shown the siie;htept inclination to interfere with the riirh!:- of (he. people in this resneei. lie is one of the most broadminded members of the Huuse of Representatives, as well as one of the most, popular, and it is more than unjust to suggest that his business prevents him from taking an unbiased view of a great national problem. Our correspondent implies that the majority vote in favour of national prohibition entitles the No-license party to a monopoly of the seatß in the Cabinet, but with all our sympathy for the cause of temperance we should be extremely sorry to see the Government of the country entrusted to a Ministry formed on this narrow basis."

R. McKENZIE'S RESIGNTION

The Hon. R. McKenzie resigned from the Ward Ministry on Tuesday. Mr McKenzie says that he was somewhat dissatisfied at the manner in which his resignation was published in Wellington. It was well known to those behind the scenes that he did not want to go into the new Ministry, and was always prepared to render the Liberal party any assistance. When invited to join th« new Ministry he made two conditions which, apparently, did not agree with the views of the Cabinetmakers; consequently he took the matter into his own hands, resigning immediately from the Ward Government.