THE PREMIER'S CONFIDENCE

Hawera & Normanby Star, Volume LXXI, Issue LXII, 13 May 1912, Page 5

THE PREMIER'S CONFIDENCE

£Br Telegraph-.—SPECixxL to Star.] WELLINGTON, May 11. At a gathering m Fairlie last night the Premier, in lesponding to the heartily expressed that ne and ins Ministry would have a long reign, commented in frank terms upon tne political situation. He said tnat whatever the House might do, the country was decidedly behind . the Ministry and changes, if they did occur, would only, m his opinion, more firmly establish the Liberal i-arty. It certainly would not place the Conservative Tarty in power. The alternative to the iaoerai Tarty, many tnought, would be a lxabor-Socialistic Party. The country was true at heart, and only desired an opportunity to. suow this.* Unfortunately, in politics just now, a man's work was regarded as good or bad, not on its merits or its demerits, but whether than- good or bad work was done under the Liberal or the Conservative banner. OBSESSED BY PARTY. The country was, in many ways, so obscessed by party that the public weie not allowed to get a glimpse of tne performances. So far had this gone tnat some of his Qtue Premier s; x^,.*ticai opponents had said tnat it was a dark day in i\evv Zealand histoid when Thos. Mackenzie took control ol the reins of Government, and that no j good could be expected from his Uovj ernment. He challenged the record of himself and Ministry against that 01 the critics in the Opposition ranks. .During the past 25 years ne had given the country the very best services tnat were in him. He had fought battles for the settlers and the farmers both in this country and beyond tne seas, and it was for the reasonable, minded people to judge, _ Hob those saturated with little political prejudices, nor papers representing that narrow phase or public thought whose judgment was so warped that they did not want good solid work from the party in power, and did not wish to give them an opportunity to do that solid work.