The Auckland Star: WITH WHICH ARE INCORPORATED The Evening News, Morning News and The Echo. WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1911. THE RESIGNATION OF MR. FOWLDS.

Auckland Star, Volume XLII, Issue 212, 6 September 1911, Page 4

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

WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 6, 1911. THE RESIGNATION OF MR. FOWLDS.

for the cause that lacks assistance, for the wrong that needs resistance* War the future in the distance. And the good that toe can do.

The resignation by the Hon. George Fowlds of his seat in the Ministry wiP be regarded in various ways by supporters of the Government and by the Opposition, but it will hardly come as a very great surprise to those who know Mr Fowlds well. The statement which the lion, member made in the House yesterday in explanation of his retirement will seem, upon casual perusal, to be inadequate to justify a step of such supreme importance to Mr Fowlds in relation to the leaders of the political party which he has hitherto supported, and, indeed, to the party itself; but a more careful perusal shews that it really discloses the influences that have been at work upon the late 'Minister's mind for some time past, and which finally made it impossible for him to retain a position in which his freedom of action was hampered by loyalty to colleagues upon important points of their policy from which he dissents. Mr Fowlds is known to be a man of strong convictions upon certain questions of economics, and some of those who hold kindred views wero doubtful as to the outcome of his acceptance of office in the Ward Cabinet. These doubts were evidently shared to some extent by Mr Fowlds himself, for he stated yesterday that he joined the Government with a full knowledge that only small progress would be made in the direction of many of the reforms which he advocated as a private member, but he did so in the belief that the measures he was interested in would not be seriously injured whole he could render the country some useful service in the direction of honest and efficient administration. We think it will be generally conceded that his anticipations in these directions have been more than realised. His services to the cause of education, his administra tion of the system of hospitals and charitable aid, and bis influence generally in the Cabinet, are universally recognised as stamping him as a man who has donr good and enduring work for New Zealand, and whose services the country can ill afford to lose. Moreover, the measures which the Government have adopted in the direction of land national isation, by creating great reserves, and also their proposals for breaking up big estates by the imposition of a graduated tax, have gone quite as far as the feeling of the country warranted.

Mr. Fowlds further states: "I am conscious of the great work that Liberalism has done for New Zealand, and when the history of the past twenty years comes to he written impartially and honestly, I believe that the legislation which has been put on the Statute Book by the Government of Sir Joseph Ward will occupy an honoured place." And he admits that while he has never been greatly enamoured «f party government, yet until both the machinery and puhlic spirit necessary to make some other form of government possible have been evolved, personal preferences must he subordinated sufficiently to enable a ministry to carry out its functions in a reasonably dignified manner. Why, then, it may be asked, has he now found it impossible to pursue a course which has not hitherto been incompatible with his principles? The first reason offered', namely, the antagonistic vote of certain Government supporters upon what he considered an essential principle of his Townplanning Bill, seems to us indicative of an excessive sensitiveness. It is quite true that the willingness of a majority of the House to accept a board of officials, while it refused to give the right of control to the Cabinet, might be construed into an expression of want of confidence. . But the Government supporters who voted in this manner would justly protest against such a construction being placed upon their action. They considered the clauses in question merely as administrative provisions, and •ought by the amendment to strengthen

local control. Whether they were justified in this opinion we need not disease here; bat Mr. Fowlds had given the subject a greet deal of thought, and no doubt felt keenly .the rejection of a provision which he regarded as indispensable to the satisfactory working of his measure. Still, hut for the fact that he has himself given some prominence to his failure to carry this bill through, we should not have attached any great importance to it.

The crux of the whole matter will be found in Mr. Fowlds' expression of belief that the ideals which he has always cherished would he hindered if he were to remain in the Ministry any longer. He has reached the conviction that t'here is a demand for a forward movement, and that his freedom of action as an exponent of certain reforms will be injured by continuing in office. He desires "to express his whole soul to the people of New Zealand." When such a conviction is strong-ly borne in upon a man there can he no hesitation about the course he is bound to take. Every honest man must be true to the faith that is in hhn 4 and in thus declaring himself, Mr. Fowlds has only done what everyone who understood him thoroughly knew he would do when the crucial time arrived. We sincerely regret that he could no longer see Ms way to help on the cause of Liberalism by exercising his influence within the Executive, but at the same time there can be no question about hi 3 absolute right and duty in the matter, holding the views he does hold. Moreover, although exception will be taken in some quarters to the time selected for his resignation, it is manifest that he could not consistently have gone to the general election as champion of a cause which he intended to abandon directly after the fight was over. While realising, therefore, that his retirement under the circumstances, was inevitable, we regret it because the Government can ill afford to lose the strong support of such men at the present juncture. Nor do we agree with Mr Fowlds that the cause of Liberalism will be advanced by the withdrawal from the party of help by men who are in general sympathy with its aims, although they cannot agree with all that the Government may have done or have in view. In the absence of any clear declaration on the subject in the statement which he submitted to the House yesterday, it is, perhaps, unfair and premature to forestall tho fuller expression of views which Mr Fowlds will take an early opportunity of giving with regard to the measures he wishes to see adopted, but no desirable reform occurs to us as incapable of being effected by vigorous action upon the part of the supporters of the Liberal policy which h&a accomplished so much for Xew Zealand during the paßt twenty years.