The Daily News MONDAY, OCTOBER 4. THE HON. JAS. CARROLL.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LII, Issue 205, 4 October 1909, Page 2

The Daily News MONDAY, OCTOBER 4. THE HON. JAS. CARROLL.

With" the return, to the Dominion o Sir Joseph Ward, the Hon. Jus. Carroll wlio has been Acting-Premier ihirin, lile past live mouths, relinquishes th reins of government to his thief. It J opportune, iherefore, lhut rccogiiilio; should he shown of the sllcvcssfil manner in which the Acting-Premie has controlled the all'nirs of the Govern mem (luring his term of oiliee. Thong Mr. Carroll was fully entitled by senior ily to be appointed Acting-Premier, mos of the erit.es urged that the Hon. J. A Millar should have had preference, ill Millar's opportunity no doubt will ye present itself, but we do not think to he held the reins during the past hall year that he could have given any great or satisfaction than has Mr. Carrol While, therefore, the critics could no truthfully deny that the Acting-Pre miership was by all accepted prcccden the prerogative of Mr. Carroll, the adopted the course of questioning hi ability, magnifying his alleged indolenc: and generally'attempting to discred him and denying his fitness forlTie posi tiou. Although Mr. Carroll lias been . prominent figure in New Zealand pol; ties for nearly a quarter of a century and identified with the House of Keprc sentalivej for thirty years, few wer aware that he possessed the adniinistrn live ability of « aich he has given anipl demonstration during Sir Joseph Ward' absence. Whether it lie warranted, o whether It be the price one must pa as responsible head of the most eomple Deuariincnc of State—that of Matiy AlTan>- ilr. Carroll and "taihoa" hav com. lo he accepted a B synonomous a[ peilanoiH. Accepting this literalh most ui the critics accordingly eoi. deumed Mr. Carroll as Premier williou trial. That he has utterly falsifte. evyy prognostication of his detractorsand,' it must he admitted at the sain time, surprised not a few of his friend —has in no small decree enhanced Mi Carroll's reputation throughout the IK million. Parliament certainly was no sitting, but the veriest tyro at politic is aware that the direction of the shi of State even during recess entails onei ous work requiring on the part of th 'Premier diligent applicatiqn.. That Mi Carroll has applied himself quietly an 1 unostentatiously, hut none the less tnoi oughly, to the people's service is stiff eientlv proved bv the smoothness wit', which' the affairs of the State have ru during the past few months. There ha been none of that delay, none of tha ', inattention to public business, that wu so freely promised by his critics. As matter of fact, it is undeniable tha within the past few months greats vigor has been infused into the worl of preparing land for settlement tha has been known for years, and in othe ways—notably Mr. Carroll's statemen last week that he has almost complete the preparation of a comprehensive Bi! unravelling, consolidating and shnplif;. ing the most hopeless tangle unde which native hind ami all'airs relatni; to the natives stagnate—it is apparon that Mr. Carroll cunrNoand has risen ti the responsibiliti s of his high office Mr. Carroll's grasp of all'airs, nnd hi: full knowledge of mailers of detail have on very many occasions of laic come somewhat as a surprise to inlluentin! deputations that.have interviews! him on various matters of public moment, and it is safe to say that tne courteous, hut firm and business-like way in which he invariably disposed fit .'he deputations' requirements, whether acceded to or not. on no occasion bore out the critics' preconceived notions of bis unfitness. ilr. Carroll Sias !had plenty of opportunities, had he been an individual of questionable ability and application, to demonstrate his uufitirss —to make a fool of himself, and to develop swelled head. That on the contrary he carried his honors easily and unostentatiously, "as to the manner born," and proved himself a sound administrator is no doubt disconcerting to those who would rather have had their prophesies of failure borne out, but it is a source of no little satisfaction to the great majority of the people who believe in according a man an honest trial before condemning him. Most reprehensible and contemptible, however, was the attempt made by some narrowminded color bigots to cast reflections on Mr. Carroll because of his Maori descent. Nothing, we are convinced, did more to win him the good-will of the great bulk of the people than these cowurdly and un-British attempts to injure him personally and politically through his color. Xow Zealanders as a peonle, we are happy to say, know no color [iuc so far as the Maori is concerned, ind would a thousand times prefer to icclaim the success of a native citizen rather than encourage the prejudiced ippeals to the baser instincts of some )f the individuals that have been recenty before the public. Mr. Carroll's die;lificd demeanor and faithful discharge )f duty, however, have completely shattered their hopes and refuted tlfir ;ibes, and in congratulating him on his apable direction of the Government, and appreciation of his public lerviccs, we are sure we are but echo ng the kindly feeling of the vast maority of the electors.