The Premier at Mastcrton.

Wanganui Chronicle, Volume XXXVII, Issue 11902, 9 December 1893, Page 2

The Premier at Masterton.

* (Psrc Pbess Association.) Mastkrton, December 8. At a banquet to the Premier last night about a hundred quests were present, Mr Hogg in tho chair. A large number of ladies were present. The Premier, in replying to the toast of " The Ministry," said the highest legal authorities had informed the Government since the closo of tho session that they could apppoint whom they liked when the present .Railway Commissioners term expires, He wonld not say who tho Government would appoint, but in his opinion one of the members of tho board should occupy a seat in the House, and the lines'should be used in aiding settlement! He had never abused or found fault with tho people, but wished to save. The Commissioners had mistaken the intention of the Public Works policy of the Government. Workmen in the lower grades had been nominated by the higher officials. The press had never noticed that, since tho appointment of the Railway Commissioners three inner circles had grown apart from the Government. First, a separate audit system of railways apart from the audit systora of the colony ; second, a locomotive branch j third, a traffic department, which wns another separate arrangement. Tho elections showed that tho Government wanted a charge, and the Government would try to carry out the wishes of the colony. Ho was not prepared to say what tho Government intended to do with respect to the Legislative Council appointments, but ho did not mind telling them that it was recognised by the Government that the farming community was not sufficiently represented. It was also an anomaly to find men sitting side by side, some for a period and some for liFe. The only fair course was to say the life members should be put on thn same level as the others who are there for seven years. Another matter he had forgotton to bring forward was the question of the early completion of the Eketahuna- | Woodvillo Railway. Tho elections were now over, and Government could not be accused of any effort to bribe. He could, therefore, safely say that ho hoped to sco tho line completed at aa early a dato as possible. The LJjllanco Ministry and the Seddon Ministry were a happy family, banded togothor to do good to the country. Thoy wero not a one man or a two men Ministry, but all worked together, Tho country was not now governed by Undor Secretaries, as in tho past, but by Ministers.