The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1886. THE PREMIER.

Temuka Leader, Issue 1557, 16 September 1886, Page 2

The Temuka Leader THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 16, 1886. THE PREMIER.

Gbiatness has its disadvantages. 80 Sir Robert Stoat is beginning to find out. Only a few months ago be was the idol of the masses, now college boys bowl him down, and (be unemployed burn him in effigy. Thus the gilded youth nursed in the lap of luxary, and the indigent poor starring for want of work, ha\ebegUtttosee through him. His upward course was rapid, but, if we are to take heed of the signs of the times, he will fall from his position with greater velocity. He has disappointed all his admirers ; his best friends can no longer hide from themselves the fact that be is a great failure. Sir R, Stout is 'Aellent at making a speech when other people supply the ideas, but there is no more originality in his head than there is in a turnip. He read Henry George's great work, and a few other bonks dealing with the questions of the day, and these enabled him to pnso before deligb'ed audiences as a Heaven born statesman, but when brought face to face with the actual. building up of a policy he has proved himself completely incapable. He has been nearly three years Premier, and what has he done ? Absolutely nothing. Previous to the •taction in 188* he was the terror of all t lie big landowners in the colony. They expecteJ that if he got into power they would have to clear out hag and baggage in 24 hours, the land would have been nationalised, and the people settled on it. Bat, alas! nothing has been done. When Sir George Grey brought forward last session a very sensible and reasonable measure for buying up large estates and cutting them up into small farms he had no more relentless opponent than the Premier. When Mr Macandraw brought forward his motion for settling the unemployed on the land, the. Government took good care that it should net be discussed, and when on the last day of the geasion Mr Macandrew complained ol this, Sir Robert Stout threw told water on the whole affair, and said. that opening up the land would not settle the unemployed question. Coming from consistent upholders of monopoly this would have been bad enough, but that Sir Robert Stout, the great apostle of land law reform, should on all occasions set his face against opening wider the entrance to the settlement of our land is monstrous. The people are beginning to see through him ; bis glaring inconsistencies are every day becoming more *nd ,

1 more apparent. However, let us j hope that it is due to the influence of Sir Julius Vogel, and that Sir Robert will yet come round to poo tliHt lie cannot desert the people's cause and retain their coiifidence. A little more effigy burning wou'd bring him to open his ryes to these facte, aud perhaps make a better man of him.