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Grey River Argus, Volume XV, Issue 1819, 4 June 1874, Page 2

During the discussion on the Executive question, reference was made to the case of Hawke's Bay, as an instance of successful administration without an Executive. It is not a ltttle singular that the question of appointing an Executive is now agitating the public mind of that Province, and we quote an extract from a leading article in the Napier Daily Teh' graph, upon this subject :— " We should not be going too far if we were to say, that no one except the present Superintendent would have stood a chance of securing so much. power, nor would have used it with so much discretion and ability. But it can scarcely be denied that unless the whole community had been extremely indifferent to public matters, or unless political life had almost ceased to exist, no matter how able, discreet, and energetic a Superintendent might have been, the people would have refused to let slip from themselves all voice in the management of governmental affairs. From the time, however, when this Province secured its- independence the public interest in politics gradually ceased ; on occasions it would gleam up for a short space, but only to die again, till at length the suggestion of the Superintendent to abolish the Executive was received with favor. It might have been thought that the Coui»«n oo«ij. v.-,,. w.. uo oaaiiy spared as the Executive, but it did not happen to be within the power of the Superintendent to do away with it But it may well be asked whether the Province would not have been in still better circumstances if the Superintendent had had the advantage of consulting the advice of an Executive, or of having had that advice thrust upon him. We are certain that his Honor needs but a suggestion from his Council to the effect that an Executive would be advantageous for him. to act upon it. We trust some suggestion will be made, if for no other object than to somewhat relieve the Superintendent of a very heavy responsibility. We have to bear in mind that Mr Ormond is not only Superintendent, but General Government Agent, and member of the House of Representatives, the duties of which latter position necessitate his absence from the Province for a fourth part of the year, during which time our pnblic affairs are left — not even in the hands of a deputy, but — in the hands of the Superintendent's clerk. Again would we urge upon the consideration of the members of the Council that these are not time 3in which this Province can afford to drift listlessly along with the stream. There is much to be done, and to keep pace with the rest of the Colony, an amount of energy, and close attention to every particular relating to the administration of public business must be shown, far in excess of that necessary before New Zealand entered upon a policy which, if rightly carried out, must place her in the van of all other British Colonies."