OUR GOVERNOR-GENERAL

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 154, 2 July 1917, Page 4

OUR GOVERNOR-GENERAL

His Excellency Lord Liverpool has been duly sworn m as Governorgeneral of New Zealand. This honor is not ono for tile Governor alone: indeed, we suould be very far from supposing that the Imperial Government had decided upon the change m the official designation of Lord Liverpool on Recount of any specially able or meritorious service of that gentleman The change is due, no doubt, to the recognition by the Home Government of the splendid services rendered to the Empire by the people of the Dominion, who, in so ,-heertu ly accepting the principle of national compulsory service, have set an example to every part of the Empire, including the Old Country itself Ihe gallant exploits of the .INew Zcalandfcrs on the blood-stained slopes of tne Gallipoli Peninsula, exploits which have been fully equalled, if not surpassed, by the hertfc oravery exhibited by our soldiers on the Western front, have specially endeared our men to the Lntish miHie. It has therefore been Bio Imperial authorities that s was opportune for the the Dominion to the same the Commonwealth of Ause Dominion of Canada, and iof South Africa. Hence otion of Lord Liverpool to rank of Governor-General. '

We hope, however, that his Excel- ] lency will not consider it his duty to interfere more actively and personally with the administration of the government of this Country than lie has done in the past. There are those, indeed, who are of opinion that his Excellency has already exhibited a too strongly pronounced tendency_to go beyond liis legitimate constitutional functions and usurp the powers which should properly be confined to the Ministerial representatives of the people. Especially, so it is said, lias this disposition been displayed, in connection with the affairs of the Defence Department. We shall always consider it to have been v grave mistake on the part of the Government that his Excellency was permitted to give his name to a special force- of soldiers under the title of tl_4 ;New Zealand Rifle Brigade, I'liord; Liverpool's Own." This, we are of opinion, was a display of personal vanity which the country might very well have been spared, and which the Government should never hare allowed. Again, there is the question of the hospital ships, the fitting out and officering of which should havebfeen left Jn the hands of the Defence Instead of this the Governor has been allowed to take upon himself duties and responsibilities in connection with these vessels"' for which neither his training nor his personal abilities fit him. The result has been, we fear, fjjbat a vast amount of extravagance and bungling has gone on in connection with the hospital ships. Owing to the fact that the ships have been under the contiol of the Governor it has been, hitherto, virtually impossible for Members of Parliament to criticise the,arrang-hieiits m connect/ion with, the equipment, the : officering, and the movements of these ships. Such at least was the' case last _ession. Tins, so it seems to us, is a most unfortunate and improper position, a position which should bo ended as soon as possible by the Government putting its foot down and no longer agreeing to any infringementVupon its powers by the Governor. His Excellency is no doubt a wellmeaning- man, and -one who, if lie -onfines himself to the exercise of those functions which come properly under his constitutional powers, can do good work forthe country. But he should not be allowed or encouraged to go beyond those powers. ■■-■'■'