MINISTER RESIGNS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 211, 5 September 1911, Page 5

MINISTER RESIGNS.

HON. G. FOWLDS RETIRES. SENSATIONAL AND WHOLLY UNEXPECTED. NO PERSONA!, DISAGREEMENT. HIGH IDEALS AIMED AT. THE RISING TIDE OF DEMOCRACY. (By Telegraph.—Parliamentary Reporter.) WELLINGTON", this day. The following sensational and wholly unexpected statement was made by the I Hon. Geo. Fowlds in the Rouse this af- ' ternoon: "The statement I wish to moke is that i I have handed to the Prime Minister my resignation of the various portfolios K have held in the Government, and alsQ my office as Minister for Education. j "I desire to state that I have not taken | this step on account of any personal dif- j ferencos between the Prime Minister and j myself, or between any of my otliT col- i leagues and myself. Mv relations, both j personal and official, have been of the \ most harmonious character with all of ! them. Our political ideals have been j widely divergent on many questions, but these differences have never interfered i with our personal relationships, and I | can honestly say that it is with the | deepest regret that I have felt impelled I to take this serious step. J

"I want to emphasise the fact that I leave the Government without personal grievance of any kind, "I think lit is'due to the House that I should give some explanation of my action. Such actions are usually precipitated by some crucial question arising, marking a fundamental divergence o£ opinion between the Minißter and baa colleagues. My reasons are, however, of a more general character. It is quite true that my action has to some extent been precipitated by the division which took place same weeks .ago en the TownPwnnintj Bill. The importance of that vote from a constitutional point of vio<v I have already dealt with in the public Press. Its political significance is no less momentous. That a substantial number of members of th e Government party should by their votes say that, while we are not prepared to trust the Government as a whole with the Gov-ernor-in-Council to do certain important administrative acts, we are prepared to entrust these acts to a board of government officials, with perhaps one Minister sitting as a member or chairman, was, to mv mind, symptomatic of a very serious condition of affairs.

"The action and attitude of the Opposition was very natural, their business being to oppose the Government and to displace it if they can. To discredit the Government by creating an impression that it is not to be trusted to perform national administrative acts is part of their normal function, but the position is entirely different when Government supporters adopt that attitude. The vote itself was a comparatively trifling affair, and, considering the small ness of the numbers voting, I dare say, it might easily have been adjusted, but the condition of which it was symptomatic is much moredifficult of adjustment. That condition, as it appears to me, is one of dissatisfaction and unrest in the party in its relations with its representatives who compose*the Government. "I have had no indication that such disßattsfaction centres itself on me personally, but I have felt it impossible for me to remain a meipber of a Government which was unable to secure that measure of party loyalty necessary to carry on the Government of the country with some degree of dignity and selfiresj»eet. I have nevpr been greatly enamoured of party government, but. until we have evolved both the machinery and public spirit necessary to make some other form of goveramen.* possible, it is essential that the Government should have such support as would enable •it to carry out its functions in a reasonably dignified manner. When it is unable to do that its usefulness is gone.

"When I entered public life I did so for tEe attainment of ideals, and not with the oßject of attaining and maintaining place and power. My call to the Ministerial rank came entirely unsolicited, either by me or for me, and I accepted it in_a spirit of service, willing and anxious at any time to step aside if I felt that I could do better for my i country out of office than I could in office. That conviction has now come to I me" and has dictated the step I have taken. I " When I joined the Government which Sir Joseph Ward formed in August, 1900, I did so with the full knowledge that j only small progress would be made in the direction of many of the great reforms! had advocated a-s a private member, and in that respect I have not been greatly disappointed. I joined in the belief that I could render the country some useful service in the direction of hon. est and efficient administration, aid that my presence in the Government, if it did not greatly help along refs4Mft> in which I was interested would certainly not seriously hinder them. I think I may claim, in a modest sort of way that tny administration of the departments which have been entrusted to me has not been a failure. I have been privileged, with the loyal and capable help of the officers of rr)7 departments, a-nd with the co-operation of fellow members of Parliament, to put on the >Statute Book important legislation affecting really all the departments I have presided over, which legislation will render those departments more efficient and more helpful in the interests of the people as a whole.

"The relations I have had with the officers of my various deparUnnnts have been of a most cordial character, and parting with them gives me a painful wrench, which, I believe, will also be felt by them. "Regarding the future, I repeat in sub- ; stance what I said at the beginning of my statement. I go oat without a ves- | tige of antagonism or ill-wili towards my I late colleagues. Their path and mine may be in different directions. I don't j go out to form any new political cult. I believe in the principles of Libera] isni. I am cwcrouß of the great work that , Lib-r ''=" l has done for Now Zealand, I and when the history of the past twenty | years eomes to be wrl'.trn impartially and honestly, 1 believe that th<> legislation I which has been put on the Statute-book

by the Government of Sir Joseph Ward will occupy an honoured place, but tho times in which we live demand a new 1 evangel, a gospel which I have felt L eould not preach as a member of the present Government, and so I have decided for freedom, in order that I might express my whole soul to the people of New Zealand. Everywhere throughout the civilised world to-day we see a spine of unrest amongst the muss of people, an unrest, let me say, which is justified by social conditions in which the great mass of the people live, an unrest which will not be quieted until a condition of social justice has been established. If I can,succeed to any great extent in moulding thf rising tide' of democracy into what 1 believe to be the right channels, then 1 shall feel more than repaid for what appears for the present a sacrifice. "I am under no illusions regarding the difficulties and dangers which he besore me. Manv people will judge me foolish; some mav 'even consider me wicked In the future, as in the past. 1 shall endeavour to'satisfy myself that mycourse is the right one, that my actions are dicta ted-not by the hope of pm-ate advantage or preference, but by motrres of public benefit. "Some of mv friends on the Opposition *ide will probably say that I am scuttling out of a sinking ship. The only inducement that would have kept me on the Government ship would have been that of battling with adverse Opposition gales. In my judgment the present Opposition do not constitute a factor in the future political life of this country. As far aa that partv is concerned I believe no Government in New Zealand ever went to the country with less to fear. I« my opinion the present Leader of the Liberal party, °ver since last election, hat had his eye focussed too much on the Opposition*, and too little on the force* that have been developing in advance of the Liberal party. "In conclusion, I think it is only fa!? to Sir Joseph Ward and other colleague* to state that the charges of corruption and Tammanyism which have been freely levelled against Government were entirely unwarranted. Members of the Government may have made mistakes, but I know of nothing that has occurred during my connection with them that could be called corrupt. And now I have only to express my thanks to members of the Government party, and of the House generally, for the kindness and courtesy they have shown to me while I have been a Minister of the Crown, and to say that, whenever a truly democratic party arises in this country, a party pledged to definite principles—principles which it believes in and which it is prepared to fight for —it shall have my whole-souled support, and, if it should become numerous enough to enable it to form a government, and invite me to joint it, my services will >e available. In the meantime I believe I can best Berve my country as a private member."

THE RETIRING MLNTSTER.

Mi George Fowlds has for many yearfl been prominently before the public. Born in Aryshire, Scotland, in the year I860; he, at the age of 22, emigrated, to South Africa. In 1885 he arrived in Auckland, and at once set out on a successful business career. He was elected on December 6, 1899 ,as one of Auckland's City's j three representatives in Parliament. Ha polled 5604 votes, and was second on th» poll, being 840 votes ahead of the next successful candidate. When the City j constituency was broken up, Mr Fowlds ( decided to run for Grey Lynn, and his | candidateure proving successful. He has I represented that seat in Parliament ever i since. It is common knowledge that ! Itr Fowlds was offered a portfolio by tha late Hon. R. J. Seddon in 1904, but refused, because the proposed re-arrange-ment of Cabinet was not such as to justify him tin accepting a position in the ministry. On the formation of the Ward administration i n1906, however, Mr Fowlds accepted the portfolio of Education and Public Health. Important legislation dealing with both of these departments, including the Education Act of 1908 and the Hospital A«t of 1909, in addition to minor measures, have found their way on to the Statute Boole • through the instrumentality of Mr Fowlde. W'hile a of the Crown Mr Fowlds also represented the Dominion with distinction at the opening of the Union Parliament in South Africa.