IN THE FRYING PAN.

Auckland Star, Volume L, Issue 201, 25 August 1919, Page 7

IN THE FRYING PAN.

TUSSLE FOR OFFICE. [ WILL BE AT THE POLLS. * ■WHAT SORT OF A CHICKEN WILL BE HATCHED 2 (Special to "Star.'*) Y\ ELLINGTON, this day. ! x'eople are a-King insistently still, why, in allotting the portfolios rendered j • vacant by the resignation of Liberals, I bir James Allen has accepted nothing. | j They ask. with bated breath, what is j. the reason? >ir James cannot now be overloaded with Defence only, seeing lie acted as Prime Minister for two \ ears I of the last three, and hail the whole , military war burden on his shoulders. It is whispered that the trouble is the j , High Comruissionership. which Sir James j Alien demands as the coping-stone of I. liis. political career, whilst Mr. Massey [ ( ias other views, po-siVdy as a haven of , i refuge. Sir F. D. Bell has come to the j rescue by taking Education. Internal j, Affairs, and Justice, but it is doubtful if I . tne Hou-e will submit to the portfolio of Education being held in the Council. I In Mr. Seddon's day. when the Hon. W. I. C. Walker held the portfolio of 1-Hduca- I' cation in the Upper House. Mr. Ell carried a motion on the Estimates demand- | ing that the portfolio of Education be in the Loner House, and it was accepted i It is also remarked that, with the Attor- ' ney-Generalship, law-drafting, and the j leadership of the Council. Sir F 1). Hell j already has his hands full. Possibly Sir James Allen may, under pressure of the caucus, resume Education, which he ■handed to the Hon. -1. A. Hanan when j the National Government was formed, j Caucuses ot both parties will be held j on Wednesday, and the railway "cut "" j lias been eased, at least for the moment. ' to bring the "" faithful"' hither. It would j Ire worth a king's ransom to get a full, true report of the Reform caucus. Mr. "Massey"s immediate responsibility in re- j construction must be a veritable nightmare. Clearly Mr. Herries must be jettisoned. Mr. Massey realises, doubtless, that the railway fiasco spells perdition for him and his party unless he can "bridge the gulf, but how- can be do that If Mr. Herries" beaming smile meets a pack of wolves thirsting for blood? Then comes the p-rol 'em. who is to succeed in the office? Mr. Massey's party is singularly short of men of Ministerial rang. From Auckland the only 'possibles'" are Mr. C. J. Parr and Mr. "Vernon Reed. The'Ncwmans are possible "Ministers, the Rangitikei one for choice as a farmer. That is the vote Mr. Massey viH pin his faith upon. The "little doctor" ba-s long been an aspirant for ofrice. and would tike en Jellicoe"s job a: a moment's notice. Roth Mr. Hine and Mr. Statham must also lie in the running. The names given are possible Ministers, hut are they strong, big men. capable of holding the portfolio ot', Railways, the Mini-tea- of which draws £300 a year more than the Defence and all other portfolios? Neither can Mr. Mas-cy hand railway? to Sir Wm. Fraser or Mr. Guthrie. The only man in sight ■w ho could tackle the job in the present st ue is Sir James Alien. Will he take it? The demand of tiie Reform party i-s reconstruction by dropping Sir James Allen. Mr. Herries. and Sir Wm. Fraser. That was the ultimatum sent to Mr. Alassey by Messrs. Parr. Reed, Lee. the Andersons (Adullamite party), and this leads to the final query, will Mr. Massey re-.-ognise the hopelessness of his position with an emasculated Ministry. -«w That the capable Libera- leader and his able colleagues have left him a . d:s-prunt-led party and a determined opposition in front of him? Seeing all this. ■will he ride for a fall, and thus escape from a position and a responsibility he is utterly incompetent to deal -with? It may be assume:! that Sir Joseph Ward wiil not give him a chance, but keep him in office a spectacle tc gods and men and voters. It may "he remembered that >ir Joseph Ward would require the assistance of Sfessts. Semple and Holland to turn Mr. Massey out. and that would never do. It may. therefore. be certainly anticipated that Mr. Massey will be left in the frying pan. and the tussle for office will be at the polls, and not in the House. Meantime the Speech from the Throne is being incubated, and everyone wonders what kind of chicken will be hatched. Sir Andrew Russell will not stan 1 for the House, and may possibly be invited to accept a -eat in the Legislative Council. If Mr. Fraser i~ dropped from the Cabinet, he will probably retire to the Council, and Mr. Scott will stand for AVakatipu. Otherwise Mr. Scott tackles Mr. Anstey in the contest for Waitaki.