AN ACTIVE MINISTER.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13918, 1 June 1909, Page 2

AN ACTIVE MINISTER.

HON. T. .MACKENZIE

The Hon. T. Mackenzie, Minister of nas been a ou&y man since Ins last visit to Jiniarii, when he inspected tne expennuULS ni turnip growing, tiiat nave been conducted in the x'areora Valley, rle has made a v«.-ry complete tour or the North islana upon matters connected with Ins Uepai iment.

mo .u.uiowi- passed, through Timaru yesterday morning from 'Jhristcliurch by the first express on his way to i-Uuieuin, where he will open the Winter ftuoiv, and was seen l>y a representative of tne " Herald," who accompanied Mr Mackenzie lor a- part of the journey. The Minister was, found hard at work, with a pile ol type-)vntten sheets before him, hut lie intimated that he could s|)are tne pressman a lew moments. Air Mackenzie volunteered the statement that the mass of correspondence and memos lie was engaged upon, referred to the administration of the Stock Department, in which he intended to make sweeping reiorms; at present the .Department was not in as satisfactory a state as he would like to see it, our he hoped by the time he had finished with it, it would he in a high, state of efficiency. He had found that there was a considerable waste of money going on, and he had a' scheme before him that he was convinced would mean a great economy in administrative expenses, but which would not in any way impair the efficiency of their important Department. These reforms would in all probability mean the retirement of certain officials, in cases where it hail been found that their positions were not returning good value to the Dominion, but he was determined to follow out his motto of "economy with efficiency" at all costs. Mention of Mr McNab's receni address in Timaru led the conversation on to the subject of defence matters, and in reply to a question; as to his opinion of the necessity of Sir Joseph Ward's attendance at the Imperial Conference, Mr Mackenzie ' said it would be greatly to the benefit)! of the Dominion if the Premier did attend that Conference, and he thought it would be a good thing for the Leader of the Opposition to attend also. The whole question was rather a delicate one, for though lie could give ample and sufficient reasons for this opinion, he realised that the matter was open for misconception. If members of the Government said they supported the idea of Mr Massey's attendance at th<? Conference, it might be said it was done to get rid ot him, but, of course, such an assertion would be absuid, ami the real reason he favoured it was a quite different, though absolutely goon one. in any case if the Premier wont, he would be in favour of postponing the session, for there, was busuitss to be taken in hand in which the P-e----mier's presence was very desirous. .Matters were not quite on a par now with the time when the late Preuuer was in office. At that time he had a capable understudy, in the person of Sir Joseph Ward, who had had a long experience under the man who was at the helm of the ship of State, but now the Cabinet was, practically speaking, composed of new members, and it was hardly to be expected that they would care to take up the reins, in the absence of Sir Joseph. in any case he did not think any harm would be done by postponing the opening of Parliament.

Mr Mackenzie's attention was drawn to a sub-leader in the ••Press," which ridiculed a statement made by the Honourable D. Buddo at Rangiora on Friday last, to the effect that the great* increase of armaments by Germany was for the purpose of preventing Great Britain from ever instituting a system of preferential duties. Jn spite of the strictures of the newspaper, Mr Mackenzie said he was convinced that his colleague had hit the nail on the head in his statement. He (the speayer) had received information, emanating from a source which he regarded as unimpeachable, which clearly proved to his mind, that the main reason of Germany's warlike activity was precisely the one mentioned bv Mr Buddo.

Referring to his recent visit to tlr; State farm at ltuakura, .Mr -Mackenzie expressed satisfaction at the work being carried on there, and said that the 'officials in control of the place seemed to he working along the right lines, and some valuable experiments were being carried out relative to the culture of native grasses. Another Department that seemed to be doing well was the fruit growing section ami the splendid exhibit that was sent to the Auckland Show was, he thought, a sufricient reply to those who reck-

lessly talked of. cutting up and disposing lot State farms on the grounds .that tley were useless and did not pay. After, all the question whether a Stare farm skould pay or be abolished, was open to. argument, foe its function--was io do f->r the agricultural community, what individual agriculturists could not aiiord 1o do for themselves.' With the opeu'ng of the Panama Canal, au era. or-{{renter prosperity .should come to the-'fruit'growers-and other of the; Domihioi. England would then be within 30,000 miles of New Zealand', and wotild bo able to export fruit cheaply, jto reach Europe at it time when a icsfrcity reigned there.