THE PRIME MINISTERSHIP

Otago Daily Times, Issue 19257, 22 August 1924, Page 8

THE PRIME MINISTERSHIP

TWELVE YEARS IX OFFICE. APPRECIATION IN HOMELAND. LETTER FROM AN M.L.C. (Fbom Oijk Own Coebespondent.) WELLINGTON. August 21. The Hon. Mr Oraigie, M.L.C., writing from London to a .friend in Wellington, states that the news of the Prime Minister having, completed 12 years of his Premiership was the subject of many complimentary remarks in the city. The fact that Mr Massey was still in power and had the confidence and support of the majority of the Now Zealand people was regarded as a proof that the Prime Minister had gone straight and had not put his personal ambition and glorification before the best interests of the country. ‘‘On every hand,” said Mr Craigie, “1 have hoard nothing but the warmest appreciation of the Prime Minister because of his wholehearted endeavours in upholding the unity and prestige of the Empire.” From what he had heard Mr Craigie judged that Mr Massey was one of the best known public men in the Empire. On the day that the news of Mr Massey’s twelfth anniversary was published in London Mr Craigie happened to be speaking to a very highly placed nersonage who, in referring to the press cable message, spoke of the Now Zealand Prime Minister as a man whom he held in high regard. In this Mr Craigie refers also to the necessity of British public men seeing more of the dominions if they are to legislate in the true interests of the Empire. Some of them display an amazing ignorance about the outer Empire, and the Homo Government had recently given the dominions two slaps in the face—the Singapore base and Empire preference. Mr Craigie expressed the opinion that if the Empire is to stand the Homo politicians and statesmen will need to give more consideration to, and put a higher value on, the individual parts of it than they are now doing.