THE PRIME MINISTER.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIII, Issue 7, 6 May 1912, Page 5

THE PRIME MINISTER.

SPEECH AT BALCLUTHA. (Per Press Association.) Dunedin, May 5. The Prime Minister addressed a largo meeting at Balclutha on Saturday night, when he dealt mainly with the recent Opposition criticism of the Government. In regard to statements made in Dunedin that the interests of Otago would be neglected because Otago was not represented in the Cabinet, the Prime Minister said that so long as he sat in the Cabinet neither the interests of Clutha nor Otago would be neglected. (Applause.) There were people who inquired whether his reign would be'long or short. It mattered not to him whether it was long or short. The position was not of his seeking. Ho was selected by a majority of his party as leader, and he would be prepared at any time to withdraw from public life if his party so decided. Whether long or short he ventured to say that it would be a record of honourable, straightforward work. (Aplause.) He did not intend to make a policy speech. Ho had no time to prepare one. If he were to deliver a policy speech at the instigation, be it remembered, of the Conservative Party and Mr Massey’s followers, it would be simply torn and riven to pieces by his critics. The tinpot critics pointed out that in the present Cabinet were leaseholders and freeholders. He, however, was head of the Cabinet, and his views were largely imprinted on it. (Applause.) The speaker quoted figures to show the financial stability of the Dominion. He said that the reason young men were leaving the Dominion for the Argentine, Australia, and Canada was because many of them were sons of settlers who had done exceedingly well in New Zealand, but who wanted larger areas of land than could bo secured here. The Prime Minister said that he was of opinion that two extra paid Ministers should be appointed to the Cabinet if the work of the country was to be carried out effi - ciently, and Ministers were to be thoroughly familiar with their duties. Ho made the important statement that two experimental station are to Established in Canterbury and one in South Otago. Ho also dwelt at length on the need of reforms in the civil service, whereby young bright men might have an opportunity of filing the best positions. The system wanted modernising and its methods simplifyng. He did not believe that the civil service was seething with discontent. The discontent only existed on the part of duffers who wished their wages increased., A hearty vote of thanks to the Prime Minister and also a vote of confidence in the Ministry of which he is head were carried by acclamation. DEPUTATIONS. The Prime Minister left for Balclutha on Saturday morning. At Milton a deputation from the Teclinit., cal Classes Association asked for ancial assistance for the work of the school. In reply Mr Mackenzie said it was impossible to carry on two sets of technical instruction with the money at the Government’s disposal. Instruction work in connection with the Department of Agriculture had been starved in recent years. It was necessary to inquire into the whole system, with a view to co-ordinating its various parts. The Government proposed to make that inquiry. It seemed to him that a curtailment in some directions was inevitable. At Balclutha a deputation urged the acquisition of the Otanomomo estate (5169 acres) and the Clifton estate (15,66 G acres) for closer settlement. The Prime Minister promised to communicate with the owners (Messrs Telford Bros.) immediately. In the afternoon the. Prime Minister opened the Coronation Park and the new post office.