THE PREMIER.

Lyttelton Times, Volume LXXX, Issue 10216, 9 December 1893, Page 5

THE PREMIER.

BANQUET AT MASTERTON. [Pm PMBB Msooiatjuh, MASTBRTON, Deo. 8. ; At the banquet to 'the Premier last night about one hundred guests were present. Mr Hogg was in the chair. A largo number of ladies Wete/present. The Premier, replying to the toast of the Ministry, sard that the highest legal authorities had informed the Government since the close of the session that they could appoint whom they liked when the present. Railway Commissioners’ term expired, He would not say whom the Government would appoint, hut in his opinion one of the members of the Board should occupy a' seat in the House, and the lines should be used in aiding settlement. Ho never abused or found fault with people, but ho wished to ray that tbe Commissioners had mistaken the intention of the public works policy of the Government. Workmen in lower grades had been dominated by the higher officers. The Press had never noticed that since the appointment of the Railway Commissioners three inner circles had grown' up apart from the Government. The first was the separate audit system of the railways apart from the audit system of the Colony } the second, the locomotive branch, and the third, the traffic depart-! meat, another separate arrangement. The elections showed that the country wanted a change, and 'Government would try td' carry out the wishes of tho Colony, He, was not prepared to shy what Government! intended to do with respect to! Legislative, Council appointments, hut ho . did not mind telling them that it was recognised by Government that ,the farming commu-! rity was not sufficiently represented. It was also an anomaly to find men sitting . eide by side, ; some for a period and some for life. The , only fair course was . to say that the life members should be put on the same level as the others who! are there for seven years. Another matter he had forgotten to bring forward was the question of the early completion of the Eketahuna-Woodville Railway. The elec-; tions were no# over, and Government could not be hocused of any effort to bribe*!. Ha coUrd, therefore, safely eay that ho' hoped to see tbe line completed at .as early a date as possible. The Bailauce Ministry and tho Scddon Ministry were a happy family, handed together to do good for the' country, They were not a one man or two; men Ministry, but worked together. The country was hot now governed by under-! secretaries as in the past, hut by Ministers.