The Dominon FRIDAY, JULY. 30, 1915. THE WORK OP THE CABINET

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2527, 30 July 1915, Page 4

The Dominon FRIDAY, JULY. 30, 1915. THE WORK OP THE CABINET

The British Empire has been at war for nearly a year, and now the end of the struggle seems further, of! than it did nine months ago. At that time many people seemed to think that the conflict would be sharp, short, and decisive, but now the general opinion is that it has resolved itself into a ' great contest of endurance. In *a war of this character organisation becomes a question of supreme importance; It is'tho duty of those in authority in this Dominion, as_ in other parts of the Empire, to give the closest attention to this matter. The Government of New Zealand grapplei in a resolute and successful manner with the many difficulties created by the commencement of hostilities. The sudden emergency was met in a vigorous and capable way, and in addition to the dispatch of troops effective measures were taken to prevent the commercial and industrial machinery of the country from being thrown out of gear. The successful creation and equipment of the Expeditionary _ Force at such short notice was in a large measure due to tho foresight of the Minister of Defence, who, it will'' perhaps be recalled, had been much criticised some months previously for the preparations he had made for just such an emergency as has occurred, Those who were ready to condemn Mr. Allen at that time now realise the wisdom of the scheme which he brought forward, and gave effect to. At the outbreak of hostilities, and since, every effort has been concentrated on meeting the needs of an unexampled situation. During that period we have learned a great deal. The excitement of the first shock of battle has passed away. We have had time to think and to plan, and we have come to realise that the conflict in which the Empire is engaged will probably test our staying power to the uttermost. If we a.re to pass triumphantly through this ordeal of national endurance, care must be taken to ensure that our resources shall 'be put to the best possible use. This means thorough and still more thorough organisation. Methods which are suitable enough for times of peace are inadequate to meet the needs of _ those moro desperate times. Ministerial duties which could be comfortably undertaken when war was afar off have piled up into heavy and harassing burdens as the outcome of obligations the Dominion has incurred in connection with the struggle which is now disturbing the balance of tho world.

The Government is now confronted with a set of problems and duties entirely different from those which woro engaging its attention before'tho war commenced. Almost everything has been changed, and the work and responsibility of certain members of tho Cabinet havo been enormously increased. It is a great mistake for Ministers to try to do too much. That is certainly not the way to promote efficiency. At the present time the duties attached to tho portfolio of Defence are more than one man can perforin in a thorough manner, and they arc likely to grow rather than lessen. The war, for instance, has given rise to a large amount .of entirely new work relating to the care of wounded soldiers and the dependents of those killed on the battlefield. There is a large amount of extra work involved in the supplies of all descriptions, including, equipment. The question of organising the labour of the country must also be faced. There will bo a serious shortage of farm labour, and tho difficulty can only be overcome by organisation. In his presidential address at the Farmers' Union Conference, Sir James Wilson stated that "it is fairly certain that scarcity of hands will either unduly prolong tho harvest or bo the means of considerable loss." Now is the time to go into this matter in a deliberate and systematic manner. Statistical and other information must be obtained as quickly as possible, as to the labour wanted, and the labour available, ' and also as to the best way of placing it where it is wanted. # These arc matters that require immediate attention. But Ministers are already working under heavy pressure', and if these additional tasks are ,to be properly done they must have assistance. The vacancy in tho Cabinet should bo filled, and the Government and Parliament might with advantage go further, and consider the advisableness of appointing Parliamentary under-seoretaries to relieve certain Ministers of a portion of' their detail work. Two or three under-sec-retaries could be very usefully employed at the present moment. One of them might assist, the Minister of Defence by undertaking the supervision of contracts and all other matters relating to supplies for our troops. The care of disabled soldiers and the aid of the families of those who .give their lives % the Empire is a matter of the utmost importance, and .there is work here for another under-secretary, while a third , might relieve the Minister of Labour and 'Agriculture of the chief burden of the task of organising the labour supply. Th 2 appointment of these Parliamentary uucter-secrctaries (they would, of course, be members of Parliament) could if necessary |je made terminable within a given period after tho close of the war. There arc indications that staying power may proye the decisive factor in this war. "Tho contest of endurance," Mil. Asquitii calls it. In order to win this contest we must put our resources to the best uso, The Government aucl people of Nuw Zealand ■jjuud; now. settle down to this

phase of the struggle. It will involve continual thought, constant vigilance, and hard work on' the part of Ministers in order to prevent waste and friction, and to promots efficiency in every Department of the State.