The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1908. THE NEW MINISTRY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXXIX, Issue 90, 14 April 1908, Page 4

The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo.

TUESDAY, APRIL 14, 1908. THE NEW MINISTRY.

•' i i ' ■" " i; for the cause that lacks assistance, For tlie wrong that needs resistance. For the future in ttte distance, And tlie good that we can do. TUESDAY, APBXL 14, 1908.

The reconstructed Liberal Cabinet provides" few' genuine surprises for the expectant public; but the readjustment of the portfolios left a wide margin for conjecture, which has not altogether anticipated the actual course of events. Looking at the new Cabinet from-the point of view of gain and loss, the retirement of Sir Henry Campbel-Bannerman and the removal of Mr. John Morley to the Upper House will make a considerable difference to the fighting strength of the party in the Commons. Mr. Morley's great age rendered his withdrawal to a less strenuous sphere imperative, and Unionists' and liberals alike will bei well pleased to'learn that he will still be able to discharge his onerous duties as Secretary of State for India. Iri this capacity Mr. Morley has surprised both friends and enemies by his bold assertion of Imperial authority, and as the Liberal Ministry is now constituted it would be impossible to leave the destinies of our Indian Empire in Safer hands. The post of Chancellor of the Exchequer vacated by Mr. AsquitE is to oe filled by Mr. Lloyd George; and here again rio political partisanship will prevent his appointment from being received with general satis, faction: The substitution of the Earl of Grewe for Lord Elgin at the Colonial Office is not likely to be resented by the colonies", who" have had no special reason for approving of Lord Elgin's policy or his attitude toward them. As to the late Under Secretary for the Colonies, very few colonials will grudge Mr. Winston Churchill his elevation to the' Board of Trade. But his appointment, with several others Which appear somewhat inexplicable to us, has probably been dictated by consideraitions that bear more directly on British local politics than oh great Imperial questions. From the outside point of view which in criticising a Cabinet we are to adopt, the most remakable appointment is that of Mr. McKenna to the importaiii post of First Lord of the Adrnir,alty. Mr. McKenna- is a staunch Liberal and a capable administrator, as he has shown during, his connection with the Education Department. But so far aa his published utterances have dealt with large public and Imperial topics, fie does not seem to be the type of man whom British. Imperialists would be glad to see controlling Our naval- policy. He has an acute sense of economy and can probably he trusted to 'support the Liberal demand for reduced estimates; while on general Imperial questions he has frequently been accused by the Unionists of taking the "Little England" standpoint. It is, of course, unfair to prejudge a politHaairj 'owe it is" to" be" .feared that Mr. McKenna wili. find some difficulty in securing that amount of (public confidence. jfMeb. the

official: head ofj the;Brj.tislt Navy ought -.tobe -able- to* command. Mr. Rnriciman. will, probably make a.useful'successor to Mr., McKenna at the Office; butas to Mr.,Winston: Chuxcbill, we presume: that he now holds- the distinguished, position of-President of. the- Board of Trade , rather by virtue of his undeniably brilliant abilities than because of: any- special experience in the sphere of commerce or: finance. But. there is no. doubt that,- as the "Times" has already admitted, the; re-arrangement of the portfolios-has resulted in a better adaptation, of means! to ends than before,.and.will.enable the: Liberals, to. get, better results out of the ' large amount of political and administrative capacity at their disposal. If our readers, turn the pages'of British political history for two or three years' back; they will recall, possibly not without a certain amount of derision, the confident Unionist assertion that Mr. 'Balfour; and his colleagues must be kept. in office because no possible Cabinet; could be chosen from, the other side fit' to take their places. It is never sate' to imagine that any individual is iridis.pensable in either a public or a private capacity, and certainly the rcll-call of the new Liberal Ministry affords • ample excuse for the relegation of the last Unionist Ministry to the comparative obscurity they now adorn. For contrasting the two Cabinets man for man, we defy any impartial'observer of political! affairs to show that the Liberal Ministry is not the stronger of. the two in everything most essential to' the successful administration of British affairs at Home and abroad. In Mr. Asquith f and Sir Edward Grey, Mr. Lloyd George, Mr. Morley, and Mr. Gladstone, Mr. Haldarie, Mr. Birrell, Mr. Sydney Buxton, and Mr. John Burns, the Liberals possess representatives, who compare more than favourably with the members of the late Unionist Ministry not only in their natural.ability and,their political experience, but in their conscientious- devotion to their high public duties. But strong as the hew Ministry is, it will undoubtedly need all its resources to stem the reaction against Liberalism that will: assail it on the one hand, and thrrisks.involved in a close alliance' with the Socialist Labourites and the Irish Nationalists' on the other. Impressed as its leaders honestly are -with the necessity for pushing on with social reforms, it will' be difficult for the Asquith Cabinet to command the confidence of Imperialists by maintaining army and: navy at a proper level of' efficiency*,' arid at the same time to satisfy the "Socialist" section of' its" supporters with the old age pensions arid the industrial legislation that they are now eagerly demanding.' - Mr. Asquith himself, may be open to the charge of constitutional. conservatism, but there is no ■ doubt his' conscientious zeal for the public interests-;- and even if he were not convinced of the need for extending the functions of Government on behalf of the destitute and- the workless, as well as the wage earner, we believe that among" his colleagues there is sufficient genuine statesmanship tb' inaugurate a policy of social and industrial reform which will benefit the masses immeasurably, while never conflicting with the wider' Imperial interests, which we' naturally regard as a British statesman's" chief responsibility and care.