MR. B. S. B. STEVENS

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume 83, Issue 51, 2 March 1939, Page 6

MR. B. S. B. STEVENS

/pHE Premier of New South Wales has attained to the proud position of having helijj the State Premiership for the longest period of any of its occupants, breaking the record held by the late Mr. W. A. Holman. Actually, Mr. Stevens is entitled, by his Statute, to be called a Prime Minister, but that title, has been allowed to lapse in order to differentiate betv 'eii the head of (he Commonwealth Government and the heads of the States Governments. Mr. Stevens was a Treasury official who came into conflict with Mr. Lang when the latter was Prime Minister. Unable to bring himself to accept Mr. Lang’s viewpoint, he expressed his difference of opinion in such a way that Mr. Lang used his overbearing personality to carry his point. This was a fatal mistake for he was biting on cold iron. Threatened by Mr. Lang with dismissal, Mr. Stevens threatened back, went into public life, and made good his threat to Mr. Lang not only of ousting that gentleman from the. office of Premiership but also of keeping him out.

Mr. Stevens has an outstanding personality among th) niftny able men in Australian public life and it has for some time been hope I that he would forsake the State Parliament of New South Wales for the Federal field. If it is true that Mr. Menzies has resigned from the Attorney-Generalship it may afford the opening to Mr. Stevens to enter the wider field. He has a constructive mind, is open to suggestion, friendly on approach, an organiser of his work and a team-worker, quite a good catalogue of personal qualities for a public man, added to which he is fearless.