INTERVIEW WITH THE PREMIER.

Press, Volume LXIII, Issue 12971, 26 November 1907, Page 7

INTERVIEW WITH THE PREMIER.

fSPJECIAIi TO "TH- t»JMB."> WELLINGTON, November 25. There is probably no one in New Zealand who is more pleased that the session is at an end than Sir Joseph Tsard. , Ho timet have felt tlie strain of the last three or four weeks. Nevertheless, both he and Lady "Ward were not too tired to go down to tho Manawatu station on Sunday morning to Bay good-bye to the northern contin-. gent. The Premier considers the session unique in the history of Now Zealand. He considers tho land legislation passed to ho of primary importance, and thinks thai a foat haa been accomplished in this respect, especially in a House that was so divided on, the question of tenure. In regard to tbe tariff he considers that another feat baa been accomplished, end he jn of opinion that the new tariff ia the roost workable we have had. A Government, when it tackled the tariff, touched ono of the moat thorny subjects it was possible for a representative assembly to handle, and for obvious reason-. "It is the one class of legislation that touches directly and indirectly every" portion of the community, and to have got a tariff measure upon the Statute Book in addition te the other important policy Bills is a big feat.'' Then there was tho measure dealing with gambling, a subject around which there was very strong feeling on both ridra t " and to have passed this Bill, which would have tlie immediate effect of concentrating betting on racecourses, added further to the programme he had already described as heavy. In regard to infant life protection—a subject of very great importance to the country—the measure passed should do a great deal of good. Tlie sessional work, continued the Premier, had been extended to a longer period than uaual, but when Tt was remembered that from causes entirely beyond the control of himself or any member of the Hon*e, they had an accumulation of work at the beginning of tlie session that required to bo dealt with, it was complimentary to the members of both, sides of tbe House

that they had «ot through. Considering also the unuettfti hill of fare put through, and that it had been done without any unnecessary friction or unusually long fcittin<p, it Mean in this respect a record session. Speaking for himself, he could not feel other thau pleased at tho outcome of the sessional work, "and I can only hope," ho concluded, "that upon the whole it may prove to bo useful and valuable to the citizens of the Dominion."