GOVERNOR AND PREMIER.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIV, Issue 14243, 10 March 1917, Page 6

GOVERNOR AND PREMIER.

STRAINED RELATIONS

SYDNEY, Ma_ch 1

One of tho {Sunday newspapers has innounced that the Governor of New outh VVales, Sir Gerald "Strickland, has >een re-called. The Premier, Mr Hol•aan, has made- a statement in Monday's japers to tho effect, that the Governor :us not been recalled, but that ha is t bout to depart on extended leave. To .lie initiated, it is a distinction without •» difference Governor ia going to eave Avhathe must haA'e found an intolerable position. He may come back .i New South Wales provides itself .v-ith a new Government, but not other.v:se.

When Mi" Holman and his followers' oroko away from the Caucus Laborites, ' and Avhile they were' still negotiating for ;ui amalgamation with the Liberal party, U:s Excellency caused quito a sensation jy suddenly dismissing Mr. Holman from :he post of Premier on the ground that his Ministry did not possess the confidence of the House. Mr Holman, Mr tVade, and a peremptory cablegram from the Colonial Office together sufficed { to convince Sir Gerald .that he was in arror. Mr Holman remained Premier, but it is mi open secret that if His Excellency's personal Avishes counted for anything, anyone but IL- Holman would uccupy the position. Both the Governor and the Premier hold pronounced, but widely different opinions about the functions of the Uoin the administration of a State. 8:r Gerald Strickland has been Governor of the LeeAvard Islands, of Tasmania, and, of Western Australia. In his advance from the Leeward Islands to Sydney he has progressively lost the opportunities of being a Oovemor in fact, as well as in name. In the Islands ho was practically a king, in New South VVales he is expected to be, like other similar Governors, the King's representative, a mostly nominal figure. Rut His Excellency haa other .Ariews, and as the Premier has firndy opposed Avhat he considered the usurpation of his functions as leader of the Government, there have been sharp clashes between the two. For \veeks Mr Holman remained absent from the Aveekly meetings of the Executive (xmncil, over which the Governor pre- > sides; and no official calls were paid. ) The Ministers were inclined to support' Mr Holman, and they did not respond! cordially to His Excellency's invitations to explain certain of their activities. *u £ n into]erabl e situation is ended by , the Governor's departure, a strong attempt will probably be made to have tho j Chief Justice, Sir William Oullen, act as Lieutenant - Governor for a lencthv period.