The Wairarapa Daily TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1891.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume XII, Issue 3895, 25 August 1891, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily TUESDAY, AUGUST 25, 1891.

Yesterpay gave the Colony another Agent-General in the person of Sir George Grey. The tfeiv Zealand Times appears to speak with some authority in naming him, and discusses very properly how far such an appointment would be in the best interests of the Colony. It is no curly-headed boy this time, but the pet aversion of the Ministry who is named. Sir George Grey is clever enough to make any and every Minister uncomfortable, he is no favourite with any political party, and his departure for London would undoubtedly be welcomed by members of the Assembly generally. His fitness for such a position is apotber question, and one which is difficult to answer. His ability, his address, and his almost historic name would seem to indicate him as a model Agent-General, but on the other hand his great age, his incapacity for business, and his unhappy facility for setting people by the ears would suggest that some risk would attend his acceptance of such a position. When he was much younger than he is now, he was a talking rather than a working Premier of New Zealand. He would tramp any distance to make a speech, but he abhorred the very necessary routine of office duty. In 'this reSpect Mr Ballance is immensely his'superior, for although he rather likes the public platform, he is an exceedingly industrious man, and despatches business with commendable promptitude. Sir George, in matters of business, is very dilatory, and unless roused is extremely indolent. Give him, however, a little provocation of the right kind and few men will fight harder, longer or more skilfully. Should fortune take him to London there would soon be some little " flare up" either between him and the Colonial office or between him and the Ministry. In harness he is not, nor , *-•» ever been in the least bit has ut„ , -fatoerat is written on manageable. . . , afle flnd every hne of his expressive .... fine form, and autocrat is superadded. He is wont to wear a radical gaberdine in much the same way as many an illustrious nobleman has been wont to don a shabby coat. He travels as it were third class in this colony because our first class is not good enough for him, and no aristocrat ever yet lowered himself by appearing as a second class passenger. We do not say that he is insincere in the sympathy he is wont to express for humanity under a certain standard, or that when he wails about unborn millions be is a hypocrite. He is a man of an exceedingly poetic and impressionable temperament and no doubt often deceives himself. For five and twenty years we have watched his career in this colony. He was a puzzle to us at first and will be more or less a conundrum to the last, but we never knew him to do any really great or good work for the Colony, and we have long ago wearied of his Bj)lendid spepches and persuasive oratory. If he goes to London he will get a splendid send-off, the Ministry will weep crocodile tears and the tangi will be tremendous, but we would sooner see the curly-headed Perceval going, for we know he does not meac mischief.