THE HON JOHN HALL.

South Canterbury Times, Issue 2617, 10 August 1881, Page 2

THE HON JOHN HALL.

“ Ignotus ” in the “ New Zealand Times ” writes :

John Hall, after passing sixteen summers, became an humble clerk under the British Government. The taste for drawing public money thus early acquired never left him, and for about forty lung years he has nearly always been a paid worker of the State. From the lowest rung of the English Civil Service he has slowly climbed up to the leading positiofl in New Zealand. He was e Canterbury magistrate—a Resident—not one of the Great Unpaid, lie early took an active part in provincial politics, and presently entered the House of Representatives, where his knowledge of official duties procured him a seat in a Ministry ; and though Ministers rose and fell, and many sank never to rise again, Mr Hall was ever buoyant.

His plastic feeble nature allowed him to change his mind so often and so quickly, and he was so shrewd in detecting which way r the wind blew, that he has been a Minister very, very often—so frequently that I devoutly trust no other man in New Zealand history will ever follow his example. Mr Stout in “ Hansard,” compared him to the Vicar of Bray—a closer parallel was never discovered. Lowell cleverly Americanised the Vicar of Bray in a portrait of a man who must closely have resembled our Premier —

“General C is a dreffle smart man ; He’s been on all sides that gives places or pelf ; But consistency still was part of his plan— He’s been true to one party—and that i himself.

At last there came a time when Mr Hall was out of office, so he (very luckily for himself) went home. His frequent changes were forgotten ; he had made few enemies ; so that it was scarcely to be wondered at that when the party lost their leader, Sir W. Fox by his defeat at Wanganui, it chose Mr Hall, in default of a better. It was an unhappy choice. Mr Hall is seen to advantage as Chairman of a County Council, or of an Education Board, or as a member of the Legislative Council. He is very patient in wading through dreary Bills, and revels in petty details. He works unceasingly, and has an inherent,allabsorbing love for trifles; but, unfortunately, his mind is not large enough to take comprehensive views. He lacks valor, and has no firmness of purpose. He (the leader of the House) never leads —it is not his fault, but his misfortune; he cannot. Look at the House under his nominal guidance ; his colleagues do just as they plesae; any member can frighten him into an illness. When he was asked an important question at Leeston, he answered, “ I think so-and-so, but I am not one of a Ministry and must defer to the will, of ray colleagues.” Mr Hall can never feel —at all events he never shows that ho feels —himself Pritue Minister of the colony. Compare him with Stafford and Yogel in their palmy days. When either was in or out of power he led his party. If the Premier does not lead, his party is sure to break up. Unfortunately it would appear as if his mind had early in life got into a groove, and that now it was impossible for him to change. He thinks the petty details of office, the classifying, arranging and labelling of documents to be of far more importance than keeping a party together or carrj-ing out large reforms. Many years ago, in the Provincial Council, Moorbonse apily described Mr Hall’s intellect as that of a man who made a hole in a board with the very smallest gimlet lie could find, looked through it, and thought he saw all the world.