RESIGNATION.

Dominion, Volume 4, Issue 1225, 6 September 1911, Page 5

RESIGNATION.

MR. FOWLDS LEAVES THE MINISTRY HIS EXPLANATION. DISSATISFACTION AND UNREST. Tho Hon. G. Fowlds has resigned his place in the Ministry, and becomes again a private member of Parliament. This announcement was inado by the Prime Minister in the House yesterday afternoon, and was- followed by an interesting personal statement by llr. Fowlds. Sir Joseph Ward said: "I wish to inform tho House that the Hon. George. Fowlds has tendered his resignation of all his portfolios, and also his position as a member of the Kxecutivo Council. I waited upon his Excellency tlio Governor this morning, and placed 'tko resignation before him, and it has been accepted. 1 desire to say how much I regret that this severance with my esteemed friend as a member of the Ministry lias taken place. Ho has been associated with tho Ministry for n little more than five years. During that time there has been no cross word between us or between him and any of my colleagues. Our relations havo been most harmonious throughout. I take this opportunity of acknowledging the ability, public spirit, and devotion slnwn by him in the administration .of the important Departments over which he has so ably presided. As friends, wo met, as friends wo part, and friends we shall always be." Mr, Fowlds's Statement. Mr. Fowlds then rose and said: "I should like to say a few words to supplement the statement that has just been made, by the Right Hon. the Prime Minister. The statement I wisli to make is that I have handed to tho Prime Minister my resignation of the various portfolios I have held in the Government, and also of my qffiea as a member of tho Executive Council. I desire to state that I havo not taken this st<?p on account of any personal differences between the Prime Minister and myself, or between any of my other colleagues and myself. My relations, both personal and ofiicial, havo been of the most harmonious character with all of them. Our political ideals havo. been widely divergent on many questions, but these differences havo never interfered with our personal relationship, and 1 can honestly say that it is with deep regret that I have felt impelled to take the serious Blep I now take. I want to emphasise the fact that I leave the Government without a personal grievance of any kind whatsoever. I think it is duo to the House that Ii should givo some explanation of my action. Such actions are usually precipitated by some crucial question arising marking fundamental divergence of opinion between a Minister and his colleagues. My reasons are, however, of a moro general character. The Town-Planning Bill. "It is quite true that my notion has to some extc-nt been precipitated by the division that bok place in Parliament some weeks ago on (he Town-l'l.-nimng Bill. Tho importance of that vote ironl a institutional point of view 1 have Mrendy dealt with in tho public press. Tho political significance of it is no less momentous. Xl.at a substantial num),ei of members of the Government party should, by their votes, say (hat, iviiie tht-y were not prepared to trust the Government n? a whole, sitting with tho Goveinor-in-Council, to do certain important iidmiiiistrativo acts, they were prepaied to entrust these acts to a board of Government officials, wi L h perhaps one Minister sitting as a member or as chairman, was, to my mind, symptomatic of a verj serious condition of affairs. The action and attitude of tho Opposition were perfectly natural, their business being to oppo>a tlij Government, and to displace it if tb=y ea."i. To discredit the Government by creating an impression that it is not to bo trusted to perform naticnal administrative acts is part of their normal function; but. liiq pc-silion is entirely different when Government supporters adopt that attitude. Tho vote itself was a comparatively trifling affair, and, considering the siiHillness tt the numbers voting, I clarc say it might easily have been adjusted, but the condition "of which it was symptomatic is much more dimcult of adjustment. That con liti n, as it appears to me, is- one of dissatisfaction and unrest in the party in its relations with its representative's who compose tho Government. ' "1 have had no indication that such dissatisfaction centres itself on me personally, but I have folt it impossible for mo to ro nain a member of a Government which was nnnblc to secure tint measure, of party, loyalty necestary to carry on tho government of Trie country with some degrco cf dignity ,-nd selfrespect. I have never bren gioatly enamoured of party government, but, until we hnvo evolved both the machii-c-iy and the public spirit ne:es c .iry to make some other form of government possible, it is essential that a Government should have .such support as would enable it to cany out its,functions in a reasonably dignified mannw. When it is unable to do that its usefulness has geno. Joining tho Ministry. "When I. entered public life, I did so fo; the attainment of ideals and not with the object of attaining and maintaining place and power. The call to Ministerial rank came entirely unsolicited either by me or for me, and I accepted it in the spirit of service, willing and anxious at any time to step aside if I folt that I could do better for my country out of office than 1 could in ollice. That conviction has now come to me and has dictated the s-lep 1 have taken. When I joined tho Government which Sir Joseph Ward formed in August, 1006, I did so with a full knowledge that only small progress would bo made in the direction of many groat reforms I had advocated as a private member, and in that respect 1 have not been greatly disappoint* ed. I joined in (he belief that 1 could render the country some useful service in tho direction of houcst and efficient administration, and that my presence in the Government, if it did not greatly help along the reforms in which 1 was interested, would certainly not seriously hinder them. "I think that I may claim in a modest sort of way that my administration of the Departments which have been • entrusted t'o mo has not been a failure. (Hoar, hoar.) J. have been privileged, with tho loyal and capable help of the officers of my Departments, and with the co-operation of my fellow members of, Parliament, to'put ,011 (he Stahito Bookimportant legislation affecting nearly all the Departments I have presided ovor which legislation will render those Departments more efficient and more helpful in tho interests of the people as a whole. Tho relations' 1 have had with the officers of my various Departments havo been of the most cordial character, and , parting with them gives mo a painful wrench, which I believe will also be folt by thorn. "A 'New Evangel." "Regarding Hie future, I repent in substanco what I said at tho beginning of my statement—l go out without a vestige of antagonism or illwill towards iny late colleagues. Their path and mine he in different directions. I don't go out to form any new political cult'. I believe in the principles of Liberalism. 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 be. written impartially, I honesiiv believe tho legislation that has boon put*on (ho '.Statute Hook by the Government of Sir Joseph Ward will occupy an honoured place, .lint the in which we live demand a new Evangel—n gospel which I have felt 1 could not preach as a member ul' tho present Government, and so T havo decided for freedom, in order that I might express my whole soul to the people of iNow Zealand. "Everywhere throughout the civilised world to-day we sec a spirit of unro.-t amongst the mass of thr. proplo—an unrest, lot me syy, which is justified Ijy the social conditions in which the groat mass of Hie people live—(hear, hoar)—an unrest which will not bo <|uietccl until n condition of social justice has been established. If X can succeed to any great extent in moulding (his rising li<k> of a now democracy into what I believe to bo the right cliiinncls, then 1 shall fed nrore than repaid for what appears like present sacrifice. "No Illusions." "I go out under no illusions regarding tho difficulties and dangers that Ho before wa. Mauy people will judso tno

foolish, sonic may even consider mo wicked. In the future, as in the past, I shall endeavour fo sal iffy myself that my course is I lie right one, that i»,v actions are dictated not by hope of privalo advantage or preference, but by motives of public benolit. Some of my friends on tlio Opposition sido will probably say (hat 1 am scuttling out of n sinking ship. The only inducement that would have kept jne on the Government ship would have been (hat of battling with adverse Opposition gales. In my judgment, tho present Opposition do not constitute a factor in the future political life of tins country. As far as that party is concerned, I believe no Government in New Zealand ever went to Iho country with less to fear. In my opinion (ho present Leader of the Liberal -party, ever since (k> last election, has had his eye focused 100 much on the Opposition, and 100 little on the forces that liavn been developing in advance of the Liberal parly. "In conclusion, I think it is only fair to Sir Joseph Ward and my oilier colleagues to stale that tho charges of corruption' and Tammanyism which have been so freely levelled against the Government have been entirely unwarranted. The members of the Government may havo 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 tho members of tho Government party and of the House generally for the kindness and the courtesy they ha,ve shown to me while I have been a Minister of tlio 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 numvious enough to enable it to form a Government and invites mo to join it, my services will be available. Jn the meantime, I believe I can best serve the country as a private member." (Applause.) Views of Members, The resignation of Mr. Fowlds came as 1 a surprise to almost every private member in the House, and from tho manner of some of the Government supporters who were spoken to early in the afternoon, it was evident that tho step taken by the Minister for Kducal'ion was regarded as a staggering blow to the party. They would say nothing for publication under their own names, and it came out later on that, they had received instructions to say nothing at all on the subject. One could see, however, that they were somewhat crestfallen. ,So were tlio Government supporters in the Vppcr Iloure. One prominent Ministerialist, evidently trying to put tlie best, face on it, said: "The count'ry members will all bo very pleased." Another said: "I am a friend of both Sir Joseph Ward and Mr. Fowlds. If I said nnything for publication it might put me in an invidious position." A third paid: "It's a terrible thing for the Governnioni', and I do think he might , have waited until after the elections." "This," s.iid a fourth, "U the biggest blow tho parly has received for many a yeaT." A member of the Opposition said: "Tho general feeling on bot'h sides is that , Mr. Fowlds has not considered tho interests of his parly. Somo of the Government members have spoken to mo and 1 can sco thai the average Government supporter is 'furious over it." CONGRATULATIONS. (By TelcErapli.—Press Association.) Dunedin. September 5. At the meeting of the Dunedin branch of the Labour party to-night, (ho following mofion was carried: —"Tin's branch desires to offer to the Hoiu G. .Fowlds sincere congratulations for tho ]x»itinn ho has taken up in separating himself from the Ministry, mid to record its entire appreciation of tho reason for tlio step taken by the honourable gentleman, and wishes him many yenvs of successful political work in future." Threo cheers were given for Mr. Fowlds.