Page 12 Advertisements Column 4

Otago Witness, Issue 2302, 14 April 1898, Page 12

THE PKESUIiB AND THE AKdILOCOHTINENTAL STKDICATE. AN OPINION INVITED-AND GIVEN. A STRANGE MISCONCEPTION. (FxiOM Uun Own Cokiiespondent. i Auckland, April 6. Iv Lis speech at Huntly the Premier dealt; Ti.'ith the accusations made against him with regard to the position he occupied iv connection with the Anglo-Continental Syndicate. He held that his position on the board in question did not conflict with his position as Premier o? New Zealand. He had as hte colleigue on the board Mr A. G-. Hortou, cr.e o£ •hs proprietors of the New ' Zealand Herald, :ind fae was sure that if his position on the board was not compatible with bis political position Mr Horfcon would be the first to point iv out. He was content to leave it in 51c Horton's hands or in those of the Herald— and that was saying a- good deal, — and if they said that the two positions were incompatible he would not hold his position on the board ; but he knew that they could not cay so. The Herald thus refers to the matter, which seems to show that the Premier roade a most extraordinary mistake : — " In his speech. *b Huntly the Premier-referred to the accusa-tiens made against him in connection wir.h '.he position he holds as a member of the Board c-€ Advice of the Anglo-Continental Syndicate, and so turned his remarks as to invite a direct expression of opinion from this journal regarding the propriety of his holdiog such a position. Our opinion is "that it is an undesirable thing for the Premier of the colony to accept a position on a company whose business is of such a nature that it might at any time ask a concession from, or place itself in direct conflict with, the Government. We are quite sure that tha Anglo-Continental Syndicate has not asked for, or has gained, or is ever likely to gain, any unfair advantage through having the Premier of the colouy as -one of its local directors, bu6 we think that it would inspire greater confidence and leave no grounds for his conduct being misinterpreted if the Premier declined in any way to associate himself with mining companies duriug his term of office. With regard to a personal matter f,ha.fc Mr Seddon introduced. into his speech we have uo desire to deal, further than to gay that the Premier was in error when he referred to PJr A. G. Horton as one of hi« colleagues on the Board of. Advice. Mr Hortcn was only connected with the Anglo-Oontinenlal Company for a short time, and retired from ths board nearly 18 months ago, when he left for Kugtanc!. Mr Seddon has evidently fallen into toms error about the constitution of the Board of Advice of the Anglo- Continental Company. The prosent members are understood to bo Mr H A. Gordon (chairman), the Premier (Mr Seddon), and Mr T. L. Murray (manager of the Bank o£ New Zealand)." Mr J. Hutchesop, M.H.R , says ho catae ou6 of his first session- of Parliament "like *. plucked dock with all the down singed off tfka." - , . ■ Mr Robinson, commercial editor of the Melbourne Age, is now on his annual holiday trip to New Zealand. While h«re he has been inquiring, on behalf of the Victorian Government, into our eystem of grading butter for export. In Victoria the butter is divided into two classes only, and the Government desire ta elaborate the Bysteixj uuon the lines adopted in Ken Zealand, __