THE PRIME MINISTER

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXXII, Issue 10628, 6 May 1912, Page 5

THE PRIME MINISTER

SPEECH AT SALCLUTHA.

(By Telegraph—Press Association.)

DUNEDIN, Last Night. The Prime Minister 'addressed a large meeting at Ballchxtha on Saturday tnight, wfhen ihe mainly dealt with recent criticisms lof the Government. In .regard .to .the statement -made in Dtunedin itlhat tt<he interests of O'tago wiou'ld ibe megleated because Otago was not represented in the Cabinet, the Prime Minister said .so ilong a.s he sat in itlie Cabinet neither .the .interests of Cliutiha' nor of Otaigo would be neglected. .(Applause.) There were people who (inquired whether shis reign: would ibe long tor snort. It mastered not to ihim whether long lor short. The position was not of Ihis seeking. He wals selected' (by a majority of" the party as leader, and would be prepared ait any .time to withdraw from, public '.life if this (parity. ISO (fesitred. Whether •long (or isihort;-'he, ventured, to say that it would be a, record of honourable, .straight-forward work. (Applauise.) (He did not intend to .mjuTe a policy ispeech. He had no time to prepare one. If he were to deliver a< policy speech at rtnetigation it would be 'of the Conservative party, and Mr'Maasey's followers. It would be siinjpily torn and riven to pieces by has aiuticsi. The tinpor Cl'itics pointed out that in the present Cabinet itJiere 'were. : i€ a's^holdor& and freeholders. >He, hc/iyeyer, was head of tiho Cabinet, 'and hie views \Vere 'largly imprinted on at. (Applause.) Th'e speaiker quoted figures to show thie ifiaiancdal stability dft'he Dominion. He .said What 'the. reason young men were leaving rtihe Dominion ■for Argentine, A.ustrallia ana Canada; was because many of rUhem were sons- of .settJeirs who h'ad done.exceedingly well dm N3w Zealand, ibuit who wanted 'larger ajreas l c/f land ihan could be .secured here. The Piir.me, IMdn'ieter siaJid ho was oT opinion that a 'live, extra-paid Minister should be appointed to the' Oa"Binet l*f 'iOie work lof the country was to 1 be carried lout effici'enitly, and ilf Ministers 'were to be thoroughly familiar with .their duties. He .ma'de ■Dire limportarJb siiiatemenit dfliat two experimental istationis. are to 'be erected in Canterbury,, and one in iS'au'th Otago. He also dwelt i»t len>tjr?i, on tflie need cf 'reforms itu the Ci.vil Service, 'whereby itne young, brig'ht men might have an iopipcrtunity bf filling the best position's: The system wanted ni'odeTnising, and its imethods iswnpl'ifiedi He did not believe, the Civil Slc-mce ■was > seething witili discontent. The discontent on.iy existed on the part of duffers wlho wished their wages incre'ased. A Ihiearty vote of thanks to ithe Prime Minister, and also a vote of icbnfidence in the Ministry of wilweli he is tlhe head, was carried by acclamation.'