THE PREMIER'S SPEECH.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 7159, 26 January 1885, Page 3

THE PREMIER'S SPEECH.

OPINIONS OF THE PRESS, (Ljttelton Times.)

Anyone behind the scenes in Wellington last August will know how entirely true is Mr Stout's repudiation of; the charges of ambitious self-seeking so repeatedly made against him on thia point. It is not true that the Premiership was the price of Mr Stout's support of Sir juliua Vogel. It ia not true that Mr Stout was even in the least eager for the position. It is true, and ought to be put on record, that others, not he himself, insisted that when the alliance between Sir Julius and tho old Opposition was entered into, the post of Premier should be given to one physically capablo of bearing the strain We have grown so accustomed to a Premier who waa also a Treasurer that we are almost auapriaed at the absence of bristling ranks of figurea from the columns of Mr Stout's speech. On the subject of local government he spoke with perhaps as little reserve aa the date of his speech warranted. Nothing is more satisfactory than to note that the Government fully recognise that their pledges under thia important head are still to be fulfilled. The necessarily slight skotoh of the Government's proposals for the management of local affairs encourages us to think that Mr Stout ia on the right track, We wish him good speed on a road where he will need all his energy and all his tenacity.

(Chriatchurch Press.) Mr Stout's references to the question of local government reform are most vague, and must to many of his supporters be also most unsatißfaotory. Tbe main difficulty connected with thia question of local government is the financial difficulty. The looal governing bodies of the country want more money. Give them an abundant revenue and they will not be very clamoroua for further powers or improved machinery. Yet throughout the Premier's long speech the other night not a single word about local government finance ia to be found c auspeot that it ia hopeless to look to the Premier for suggestions aa to how this revenue ia to be found Thia Premier of ours is no doubt a very clever man, but his cleverness ia not_ of the sort whioh shows itaelf in the oonatruction of financial echemes, or indeed in any form of constructive statesmanship. The hungry local bodies muat, therefore, notdepend onthePremier for substantial aid iv finding them in revenue. The fertile and scheming mind of Sir Juliua Vogel may poaaibly be able to devise some scheme whioh may delude thelocal boqiea, and appease their clamours for a time.

(Now Zealand Times.) Almoßt at the commencement of his Dunedin speech Mr Stout launched'out into oenaure of

tho Press, He referred particularly to the Dunedin Press, but a few of his remarks seemed to be intended to have a more general application. Mr 'Stent forgets the political character, or want of character, of the Government of which he is the nominal bond. It is neither fish, flesh, nor good red herring. It haa a strangely uiixed-upaott of policy, a great part of whioh Mr Stout would havo bitterly opposed if he had not been in Parliament, and would have bitterly opposed if, beiuß iv Parliament, he had not beon a Minister. Ho thoroughly enjoys being the possessor of the title of Premier, though, to enable him to hold it for moro than a day, he was compelled to connect bimselt with a gentleman whoso politics! opinions are for the most part diametrically opposed to his own. Other memberß of the Ministry had to be equally accommodating. The public ia not blind, and tho Preas, whether of Dunedin or elsewhere, can sco as well as the public. Adverso criticism may bo very galling to Mr Stout, but it is part of the price he haa to pay for his greatness,-snch aa it io.