ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. MONDAY, MARCH 25, 1912. THE NEW LIBERAL LEADER.

Marlborough Express, Volume XLVI, Issue 75, 25 March 1912, Page 4

ESTABLISHED 1866. The Marlborough Express PUBLISHED EVERY EVENING. MONDAY, MARCH 25, 1912. THE NEW LIBERAL LEADER.

Under nil the circumstances tlie Liberal Members may fairly De , credited, we think, with having exhibited good judgment in their aelec- , tion of a new leader in suocessaon to Sir Joseph Ward. That .Mi' Millar possessed very strong claims to ti:« leadership' has been - made clear in those columns; bnt unioi-fcunately -iortain members of the party have been, for so mo time past, out of sympathy, ;jS it were, with the Minister for Railways, and the fact that he withdraw his nomination and! thereby declin-jd to put his candidature to the test nf ■ a ballot, shows that he clearly understood that he could not command a majority. Whether Mr Millar ha 3 boon treated :"r*irly or unfairly by the party of which he has so long been a member is, l'owevor,/ a matter hi which the country is not particularly, interested. With purely party cpersonal interests, prejudices, and "wire-pulling'"' the great mass of tho people axe not in the least conoerried'. What is of importance- to the country is that the new Prime Minister shot:-kt bo a man of exceptional" intelligence '. and legislative and admiriistrati v-o capacity, and that he should be ab'-j to surround himself with colleagues m whom the country will see men of • honest intention, sincere endeavor, and industrious' application to the duties appertaining to the high offices to which they will be appointed. With regard to the new Pnmo Minister,' putting purely party .considerations, likings, and! prejudices jwjide, it is impossible to deny to Mr Mackenzie the possession of many excellent qualifications for the 'supreme political position .to , which, m a tow d>,yfl, should lie be ««Jbl© to form a Ministry, ho will be appointed by his Excellency the Governor. Mr Mackenzie is not actually a New Zoalander by birth; but he came topbiso to a child, and was educated in the public and secondary scJiools of Otago With his political career most ot our re&ders will be well acquainted. It 's to liia credit that although alterations in the electoral boundaries nave necessitated his standing for electorates in some parts of which he wv= a comparative Granger, he has never yob suffered rejection at the hands ct a constituency whose support he nas solicited. In his earlier career in Parliament he won the reputation r.T being a'singularly oufanokn Member, one who never talked for the mere sUceof falfcmg, but a Member who. wW h«.did spenk, was always heard with interest and attention by the House. Brarly in his Parliament irv onreer he beoame a most able »r.a capable champion of the country , settlers and' their just requirement"*. Proceeding.to London cs representative of a farmers' co-operative association, he dfcptayed in that position in industry, ability, -and tact which wore of the highest to the primary producers, not only of the association he-pewonally represented, hut of the whole - colony. We doubt if there be a-single man in ISew Zealand who has mode a, more intimate stiKUor has a wider and deeper knowledge of tho conditions under whioh Mew Zealand's prinwry products are soH in the Old .Country th-m has Mr Mackenzie ; if-n'4 practically the strong.-st argument against his becoming Prime Minister is, -in our opinion, the fac-i that it is a yeiy open question whetnor He might not be serving tho Doiminion's interests even hotter as High Commissioner than fa Leader of # t -i« Hou.«w» Whim Mr Mackenzie ioinea the Ward .Administration as Mi i>s-j ter for Agriculture the opinion wis expressed by I his iowrnnl that hew.-is essentially .th© right man in the rigat place. Tri that position he hns. so even the keenest and most prejudiced of , Oppositionists must admit, -lo'io most substantial and evcellent work for the country settlers. He thoroughly understands the requirements of those who cultivate the land, and he Jims never spared himself in their interest-s-Tn the past a strong individualist, ho hf<s been taunoed by Opposition crit'os with # deserting his old colors in having joined'n. party whose policy 'a3 > ( been, in so Urep * degree, the on trance of tho State into various enterprises, in the old days of Ih© country considered to he the special preserves if we may usr the term, of privy.,3 persons and companies. But Mr Miokenzie is a man who wisely progresses with th<* fimos and ps such Kps riornl'v jiccepted the general principle whtrh underlies the Lands for Settlement [ and Advances to Settlers schemes in* J other beneficial examples of fit-ito | intervention in the public interest. ■To the pernicious doctrines of the <-xtreme Socialists ho is, however, wo feel convinced, just as much oppose] J to-day as he vas ten years ajro. Tt | may be th«t the exigencies of party J compromise mny compel ln'm to in- jj olude in the Cabinet which he will j have the honor to submit for 'the ap- j proval of his Excellency the Governor | the names of one or two gentlemen ; with whose opinions, on the land find '• other questions, he mny not be completely in accord. But unless we are preatly and mo«vfc grievously mistake i, the general policy of tho nepr Primo Minister and of the Administration | of whioh.,.h.o will be the head1 will te ! one of sanity and moderation. Mr Mackenzie, uniess wo sorely misjtnge Ixim, is no,lover of political firework"!, »nd his renutfitionr and experienoo as j a successful business man warrant the j belief that his.administration will be > notable as much for wise economy as | ' for intelligent and 'efficient control' c-f 3 ' the business of the various State De- { partments.; ■Of late years there ha? | ; Been a tendency unduly to increase" J the departmental expenditure; and nl- 1 ; though we are no advocates of any- i ' thing like a "skinflint" policy, ■the'] new Ministry, has,■we think, a good '

opportunity for overhauling the «x----pendituro of tho country ami of ciii'-iy-ing out economies which, whilst nob decreasing the efficiency of the vpivz done for the public, may result in fidrly substantial savings. Mr Mackenzie's own views on the land quos» tion are extremely moderate. , He favors the optional system, and, if we may judge by his past actions a«'*? speeches, would not be '■prepared either to toy or coquette with tlie Single Tax theory, or, on the other hand, to do anything which wouk! play into the hands of the large landowners and! impede the progress "jf closer settlement.

What the session may .have in store for Mr Mackenzie and his Ministov^ and for the Liberal party as a whole no man can tell. But between now and June the country will look to th-.i now Prime Minister and his.colleagues to administer the affairs of thi Dominion witli industry andl ability. We regret, as we feel sure very many of T our readers will do, that Sir Joseph Wuard has felt hini&elf compell«<l to resign a position in which we still contend, in spite of anything,-that can bo i said to tlie contrary, he 'has done such! splendid work for the country. Bat the fact remains that he has so decided, and tha next best tiling for {"hecountry as a whole, is to have as goof1 a Prime Minister as can be found m, the ranks of the Liberal party.* Jn Mr Mackenzie the party will have, w> believe, a zealous and able leader, and the country a prudent, honest, and efficient admiristrator of its affairs. That.he may..be..able to surround *iixtioelf with f strong and able colleiLg'i"S is what, in the interests of the country as a whole, men of all piairties ought to desire.. When Parliament meets .the party fight will, of course, at once recommence. Meanwhile, the new Prime Minister and. the new Ministry will, we feel sure, use their best efforts for the good adrriinis^.i'tion of the country's business. Tnco ,the possibilties of the new '"tenm" being able to retain the confidence «;f the House we need not/enter-to-day.. Much will depend upon the choice Mr Mackenzie will make of his colleagues, and more still upon the manner sn wJiich he and they *will carry on the business of the country until Parlti - i ment reassembles.