The Daily News. SATURDAY, MARCH 23,1912. THE NEW PREMIER.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 227, 23 March 1912, Page 4

The Daily News. SATURDAY, MARCH 23,1912. THE NEW PREMIER.

The selection of the Hon. Thomas Mackenzie, member for Egmont, as Premier, will meet with approval throughout the length and breadth of the Dominion, and in no part more so than in Taranaki, where, though associated with its interests but a comparatively short time, he has won for himself golden opinions, not confined, either, to those in sympathy with the party he represents. The caucus showed wisdom in selecting Mr. Mackenzie. The occasion calls for a man of unusual parts, and, in our opinion, no one else in the Party possesses them in the same degree as the member for Egmont. To have selected Mr. Laurenson would, from the point of view of the interests of the Government, probably have been fatal, and would have played right into the hands of its opponents. The result of the election showed that the Government had lost in a large measure the confidence of the small farmers of the North Island. They had had it drummed into their ears, in season and out of season, that the Goverment was their enemy, eager to take advantage of them at every turn, by increasing their taxes and withholding the freehold, perpetuating Maori landlordism, blocking settlement, misspending the borrowed monies, and all the rest of it. The misrepresentations had the dnsired effect. What helped them was the fact that Sir Joseph Ward was very unfortunate in his choice of colleagues in the Ministry. This is where Sir Joseph failed. Instead of surrounding himself with strong, energetic and able men, he was served, with one or two notable exceptions (Hon. T. Mackenzie being one), by well-meaning but inefficient Ministers, who failed to command the confidence -f the people. We believe it was this iact more than antipathy to Sir Joseph himself that was responsible for the cooling off in the support accorded the Liberal party at the recent election. The new Premier should profit by the lesson that was read to Sir Joseph Ward. In the first place, there is no doubt at all as to where the new leader's sympathies lie; they lie with the man on the land and the man who is striving to get there. The Hon. T. Mackenzie has shown his solicitude for them on every occasion since he took up the important portfolio of agriculture. He has recognised that the welfare of the country is indissolubly associated with the welfare of the producer. and has lost no opportunity of showing the reality of his solicitude for the latter's interests. As a consequence he has earned, and enjoys, the confidence of practically every farmer in the country, quite regardless of the nature of political convictions. As Premier no one on the Government side would be more acceptable to them, whilst by the majority of Liberals the Hon. T. Mackenzie's promotion to the leadership will be received with lively satisfaction. The I

extreme Socialist-Labor-Leasehold wing will not, perhaps, go into ecstacies over his appointment, preferring a man, like Mr. Laurenson, more in sympathy with their aspirations. This- is to be expected. That element, of course, has to be considered, for it occupies a position of extraordinary power in the present House. The task with which the Hon. T. Mackenzie is confronted is not an enviable one.. Leadership of a government is trying and difficult in the most favorable circumstances; leadership at a time like the present, with danger at almost every turn, calls for the exercise of rare talent, resource and strength. The Premier is not deficient ,in these attributes, and we predict that he will prove equal to the occasion and discharge his new and onerous responsibilities in a way redounding to his own credit and the advantage of the country as a whole. The Opposition have for years been saying that it is not so much with the policy of the Government that fault could be found, but with the administration of the Government. They have, however, not found fault with the administration of the Hon. T. Mackenzie's department. And, granted that his Party keeps in power, we venture the opinion that the ■ Oppositionists' ground for complaint in this respect will soon disappear. In conclusion, we.offer our congratulations to the member for Egmont on his elevatioi, . which an honor both to Ms constituents and the province of Taranafci, and have no doubt that he will fully and capably serve the country whose interests he has shown he has bo much,at heart, in greater measure than ever.