INTERVIEW WITH THE HON.

Press, Volume L, Issue 8432, 15 March 1893, Page 5

INTERVIEW WITH THE HON.

W. ROLLESTON.

SThe. Hon. W. Rolleston, the leader of the Opposition, who has recently returned from the North Island, was last night inter* viewed by a representative of this jeuraal, and courteously replied to several questions which were put to him.

The hon. gentleman was first asked, What was the general significance of the public meeting you addressed in the North, Idaad ?

Tike Hod. Mr RaLLEsiox—■The meeting was the largest I ever waa present at in NewZealand, and the most orderly. No public man could have had a more kindly reception, aud though I mast have said 4 good deal that was unpalatable to a large part of tny audience it was received in the best spirit. Tli9 hall—asvery large one—was crowded with all classes of the community to the number of about 1500. The meeting was attentive throughout. At its close a rote of confidence in the Government was pro* po3ed. The meeting seemed thoroughly to appreciate that no such proposal "Was con* sistent with the fact that I had been asked to address it, and that no expression of opinion either adverse or contrary to the GoTernment or to myself was called for. There is no doubt that two-thirds of the meeting saw that it was right simply to record the vote of thanks, and leave any alone. That was the reason of the confusion at the last, and the meeting was determined not to carry the vote of confidence in the Government. The Auckland papers on both sides have fairly represented the general feeling of the pnblic, and I have every reason to be satislied with the result of the meeting. I have no grounds of complaint as to the telegrapuic report, which was necessarily meagre, in respect of a speech which occupied close upon two hoars. The fact that the meeting was attentive and appreciative to the last was quite sufficient for mc.

Do you propose to continue your speeches t It would be impossible in any speech, however long, to explain fully one's views upon all the public subjects which are of iuterest to the colony, and I obviously had in Auckland to devote myself more largely to subjects that interested that portion of the colony, such as Native Lands. But I am quite prepared, wherever the same request is preferred to mc, to address the public upon general matters, devoting special attention to any particular subjects which the particular locality may desire mc to treat o£. At the same time, I may say that I have already within the year devoted some four months of my time to public affairs, and the time that I can devote to public work before the session must be limited by the exigencies of private business.

What is your opinion upon Native lands? That is a wide and long question, but I will give you my opinion generally. There is no more important question as affecting the North Island primarily and the whole colony generally. I stated my opinion several times in the - House last year, when the Government brought down Bills at the end of the aession which nobody understood, which at best could only be of temporary and partial application, and which simply would have complicated the already too involved statutes on the subjectNo one but an expert, and very few of those, who are mostly interested people, can understand the existing law. General principles have been largely lost sight of in legislating from time to time on temporary expedient*, and the con* sequence is that the law as it now stands has neither grasp of the question nor finality in its application. Re-hearings aad disputes as to titles, such as were attempted to be legislated upon by the late Government, encumbered the question at every turn. It seems to mc that the only hope of simple aad effective Native land legislation would be to submit the whole legislation as it now stands to a Commission, in whom the country at large would have confidence,: possessed of sufficient legal ability to appreciate the real difficulties of the question and to suggest a statute which would deal with them. A statute of that kind—if suggested not by interested parties as on a recent occasion—would with a reasonably strong Government command the attention of Parliament, and might, I think, be passed into law. The principal requirements are finality, aad the recoguition of the necessity of the absolute extinction of Native title, baaed not as hitherto upon the requirements of the purchaser, but upon the obvious requirements of the country, that there should be no blocu of land in the country which has not aa owner, but, together with the rights and privileges of ownership, should have toe responsibilities of citizenship. ' It would involve the constitution of a Native Land Court with large powers, and consisting of men of the highest character and efficiency. The course of the present Government has been to knock off Native Land Judges and leave the general question entirely undealt with. ■

Do you believe in the non-political ad' ministration of the railways ?

I believe . in the maintenance of a nonpolitical Board for the. administration of the railwaye. The question involves larger considerations than appear upon the surface, and It appears to mc to be closely connected, with the whole, consideration of the >question of what functions the State can properly undertake, which have hitherto been the subject of private enterprise, and the extent to which it can deal with those subjects. It is quite clear that of late years the general tendency—call it Socialism, or call it whit you will — has been for the State to enter upon new fields of enterprise. The objections that have been raised as to the management by nonpolitical Boards, that they are against the spirit of Democracy, seem to mc to be simple nonsense. The Democracy acts ia different ways, and ' it act'a acoording to the circumstances that come under its cognisance. There are certain departments that are administered and wiu always continue to be administered by direct political heads, but there are new departments," such as the railways, public trust, and insurance, which call for a different form of administration, and cannot be administered directly by political officers. In respsct of these departments tad way in which popular government determines the form of administration is by laying down that form of administration in the statute book, and excluding within certain limits political interference. The administration of the railways by the Commissioners has been pretty olosely defined by the statute—that ft, by the popular will, and If it is not sufficiently expressed that will can be further expressed by statute. At the same time 1 do not understand what Ministers mean by saying they had no responsibility. Ministers are the Standing Committee of Parliament, responsible for the proper execution of the statute, and responsibility primarily comes in with finance. Ministers last year threw down the estimates on the table, and said they knew nothing about them and had so responsibility. The first principle of respon* sible Government is that there is no act of j the Crown, of which sending down! appropriations ia one, for which Ministera are not responsible. They arejbound—and the Atkinson Government acted on this De li e f_they are bound to satisfy themselves as to those estimates, and to be able to give : sufficient explanation with regard to them in the House. I am sot prepared * to aay that I am. satisfied that there are no further Parliamentary checks upon departments of tbia kind. The experience of the Public Truafc Office seenw to mc to indicate th»t we want further and closer control of the administration through the Audit Department, and it may be that a Farliameiatary Committee fairly rapreseatiag both sides of the Boose should Bβ constituted for dealing with b& matters connected with these Departments. What is required is the elimination oJf the personal and political influence of & Minister without lessening the control of Parliament. You will understand mc better if 1 illustrate my meaning by an instance in pomt —the rcduotiea end subsequent raisins of the gtftin rates. Any prfe who has oeen in authors!? , when tae railways were under political control knows the intense pressure that was constantly brought to bear upon Ministera to obtain cdnceasiona, and also in Wfgwfc ot W&

appointment of officers. 1 am perfectly; satisfied that.the operatives tod frorkmfito upon the railways would be the first to suffer horn a remtroduction of direct political control. Well earned promotion in the liepartment would be constantly superseded Of the exercise of political patronage. Do you think the introduction of a Minister into the Railway Board would Dβ a solution of the difficulties * No. Not so far as I have been able to think the matter out. In the case of the I Insurance Department the Minister used the Board as a screen for what wore generally thought to be a series of jobs. Ministerial responsibility is lost under such a system and real parliamentary control defeated. What have you to say about the women's franchise? Personally I have never seec my way to I advocate it, but I think that Ministers are bound to give loyal effect to the decision deliberately arrived at by Parliament-. I feel ashamed of what I can only call the treacherous course adopted by the Government during the last session, and I cannot think that Parliament will be so untrue to itself as to assert that one-half of the adult population is entitled to the vote and then postpone itfor three years, lean only say that if they do that they will bring Parliamentary institutions into considerable contempt. I believe the present Government are playing witi the question, and from what has Mien from-some of their supporters in the North Island recently, they intend to drop it. If so they will ataud self-convicted—they will admit the treachery of their previous action. What do you think about the prospects of the next election? I am well satisfied with the tone of public opinion so far as I have ascertained it. The interview shortly afterwards terminated*