The Press. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1899.

Press, Volume XLVI, Issue 7442, 16 October 1889, Page 4

The Press. WEDNESDAY, OCTOBER 16, 1899.

The reconstruction of the Cabinet has now been completed, and the arrangement will be gazetted as soon as the formal appointments are received from the Governor at Nelson. The ohanges which have been effected, should, we think, meet with general approval. . Two of the members of the Executive retain their old positions. Sir Frederick Whitakeb continues as Attorney-General and the Hon. E. C. J. Stbvens is a member, of the Executive without portfolio. In other, respects there has been a general re-arrangement. Sir Harry Atjowson is Premier, Colonial Treasurer, Commissioner of Trade and Customs and! Stamps, and Minister of Marine. But he has handed over the department of Postmaster-General and Commissioner of Telegraphs to Mr. Mitohklson. This will relieve him of certain routine work, and it is certainly most des'rable that the head of the Government should be freed from the daily; drudgery of purely official business. His time can be muoh better employed. As Colonial Treasurer it is: of the utmost importance that he should be in a position to watch care-: fully the income and expenditure, for upon the state of next year's Budget will very largely depend the fate of the Ministry at the general eleotion. Representing; as "they do, not only in the colony, but in the eyes of the English public, the prudent party in the House, it would be a serious misfortune were their opponents allowed to grasp the reins of power. We do not say that a change of Government would necessarily mean a reversal of the polioy of the country, but judging from the utterances of the leader of the Opposition last session* it is probable that an attempt would be made in that direction. In these.. circumstances it is* to be hoped that no effort will be spared to keep the expenditure well within the revenue, and if the Treasurer gives his energies almost exclusively to that task no one will grudge him the slight relief which the rearrangement of portfolios will secure. The other ohaioiges are, we think, wise and judicious. Captain Russell will make an excellent Colonial Secretary. * The Colonial Secretaryship is a department the head of which is brought into constant communication with the general public in a* great variety of .ways, and the more the people get to know of Captain Russell the more popular will the Government of whioh he is a member become.. .As Minister of Justice he is also in the right place, while as head of the Defence department he will have some reforms to effect, but. will have the assistance, of. Major-General Edwards' advice as to what those reforms should be. Mr. FfiHGUS, very appropriately, has been placed at the head of the departments of Public Works and Mines. His experience specially qualifies him /for the former office, and although the business in that department |c now, fortunately, being largely burtailed, the winding up work of itself will involve much - careful thought and attention. Mr. Mitohblsok retains his old position as Native Minister, for which he has shown some aptitude, and in addition becomes Post-maater-General and Commissioner of Telegraphs. We are glad to notice that a new * Department has been created* that of Minister of Agriculture. It is appropriately placed under the. control of the Minister of Lands, Mr. RicHABDSoir. Notwithstanding the attacks whioh have been made on this gentleman's management, it cannot be denied that hie administration of the Lands Department has been eminently successful. Far some time to come his whole attention will be required to satisfy the "growing demand for land all ovor the colony, and it was therefore important that he should be relieved of Mines and allowed to devote, his time exclusively to the Department* of Lauds and Agriculture. The two things which the colony needs now above all things are prudence in finance and the vigorous promotion of land settlement, and the changes which have been effected we calculated to produce those results. Mr. HiaLOP retains the position of Miniator ol Eduoatioa, which. h*h*d

before he resigned Mβ I on the questioa keeping with those of tfc * I majority of the peorie ,NJ colony. He will alaJ have t? W portfolio of Charitable Aid p *»* keeping the educational iJSwI going, there ie not very . accompliahed in the .' partment. But he has a £*&' before him m connection w^hiaffable aid. The existing mittedly most unsatisfactory v he can succeed, not only ia' e ff .*! administrative reforms, but fe a measure calculated to B growing evils of our systenTof ? B or to enable us to take aa JS X fresh departure, he will aocowS I great task.; fUs «i R For some time past there ha* l l> appearing in our columns aa f< ment that the Midland BaiwjJ I' panv are about to sell by auction** I 15,000 acres of agricultural *Jh I toral land in the Selwyn Grey Survey Distriots. ThTap i observe, is to take place in qS ? church on Monday, November 8 ? I ; next, m the hall of the Caat&rM Chamber of Commerce. Wei. *'<- reoeived copies of the plans «/??'' lands about to be disposed of it lands in the Selwyn Survey !*£*sobserve, are divided intotwectSlots, varying m size from J£> aoree up to 1874 9Bnßi *J with one exception, the ■Z price ranges from 18s to 6<k? aore according to, the quaiiteofrt land. The unset price of £ M the Mount (f ray Jfetriot £$£ 16sto J e2and£2l0s !pa ing at the pkns, it m be eeaaiv the aim of the Company evident!* ! to encourage settlement. The Seot have been divided in eU ch a a^JJ land to the best adTeatage, whiie tin upset price has beea feed low eaoush ! to encourage m hrs. TAe terms, moreover, oa tshicli the land l : is to be sold are ew* as should eWeli every satisfaction, namely, 10 pecwn; f cash, per cent, on'ot belote t&f 2nd of May next, and the balance, U ' desired, on mortgage for fan'jail bearing interest at 5$ per Ever since the contract with thai Midland Cdmpariy was signed j|[ have contended that, apwt $&\ gether from the questipn o'c fe? construction of the railway, we had that Corporation a great colonial interested in utilising lands to the best possible- adveatapjN and the busmess-JLike manner they have set about disposing of tki land under notio©- beare out that tki, f Itie obviously in, the interest of,'in Company to make the moat of 4' | land granted to them from a aattlomog , point of view. The more populate ' they can succeed in placing ca tb r lands the better it will be, not themselves, but for the colony. '"la \\ due course other land sales will foHo? | : "■ the one we are noticing, wbea, «|-: doubt, we shall have the pleaaure ci I J , noting once more a desire on the $m p> of the Company to foster bj evoyp means, ia their power the eetjtlemeat i |V the country. ; ..-..,, \ • \}