The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1920. REFORM RESPONSIBILITIES

Dominion, Volume 13, Issue 120, 14 February 1920, Page 6

The Dominion. SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 14, 1920. REFORM RESPONSIBILITIES

Mbmbeks of tho Reform Party _arc 1 to meet to-day for- the first time , since 'the-oleetion, -and witii a'Mrs of the highest importance claiming, their attention.. • The Government, and its supporters have been returned to power with .a. . definite , mandate—a mandate which may be summed up as an instruction to. pursue a bold policy of national enter- ( prise and development, while hold-' ing the scales evenly as between all, sections of the population. The outcome of to-day's meeting, though it may not at once become apparent, ' will show ultimately how far Ministers and members .are alive to the responsibilities.of the trust thus reposed in them. Looking hack to the circumstances of the election campaign, and the views which then found favour. it is possible to hopethat the mi -.-iv-iar to be held to-day may bo marked by a conscious and whole-hearted departure) from much that is deadening in politics. It is plainly demanded of the members and leaders of the Reform -Party that they should resist any tendency to'drop back into the old party groove, and consider the policy and. other questions ■ before them with a single eye to national interests and welfare. An essential feature of the new conditions should he an open readiness on the part of the Piidie Minister and his colleagues to consult the party rank and file" and accept such helpful suggestions as its members, individually or collectively, have to offer. The first big aucstion to be dealt' with is that of Cabinet reconstruction, and it is one in which the Prime Minister is So doubt, willing to take a lead from his supporters. The latter have an obvious right to be heard in the matter, and the responsibility of forming such a Cabinet as the times demand is one Mil Massey would ho wise to share. It goes without saying that the only policy entitled to consideration is that of selecting the best men available for Ministerial rank, with an eye solely to their ability and driving force. Petty considerations of territorial representation or party service ought to he entirely disregarded in making the choice. The problem of selecting' those best fitted for promotion is as urgent as it is important, for the Cabinet as-.it stands is much below strength. Apart from Sip. William Fraser, who is retaining, oftico only until 1 his successor is appointed, it consists of seven Ministers, and "©R. Pojiare, who represents the Native race. There were twelve Ministers in tho National Cabinet. _ At'present the main responsibilities of government and administration are shared between seven, Mn. Massey, Sir Jambs Allen, Sir Francis Bell, Sir William Herries, and Messrs. Guthrie, Coates, and Noswoitray. Major J. B. Hine may ar may not rejoin the Cabinet. The event is contingent upon the fate of'an election petition. Two of the. present Ministers, Messrs. Coates and Nosworthy, were appointed only a few months ago, and are still' new to their | duties. It is manifest that iii its present strength the Cabinet is hopelessly overloaded, and is hardly capable of. dealing effectively with, its routine responsibilities, much less of pressing forward with the comprehensive measures of policy and development that are now called for.

Since the position was defined at the election, members of the Ecform Party have presumably triven earnest thought to the whole question of Cabinet reconstruction, and no doubt they w ( ill be ready as a body to urge prompt action in making such adjustments as.arc necessary. One matter to be determined is the strength of the reconstructed Cabinet, and it is evident that the prewar strength of eight full-rank Ministers must be permanently increased. Before tho war Ministers were overburdened with work, and heavy additions have since been made to their responsibilities. Repatriation stapds but, for instance, as a new item capable in itself of absorbing the main energies of a Minister; and questions' of housing immigration, and cost of living, and various questions .connected with Liibour and industry, have all assumed .vastly-increased 'importance. Account has to be taken further of the need of an enterprising develop mcnt in public works policy, of the new external responsibilities assumed by the Dominion, and of the largely-increased responsibilities east on Ministers by the present .'day aspect of such problems as centre in fina-nce, trade, shipping, and other uationai interests.' . Education and public health must also be included amongst questions which, now. make much larger claims upon Ministerial' attention and energy than in prewar days. No explicit indicationihas been given of the number of new Ministers it is proposed to appoint, but.' at a minimum' ten Ministers,, exclusive of the mernber' of the' Executive representing the Native race, are needed to deal at ail effectively with' such a volume of work as is now to be undertaken. Indeed, with no more than ten Ministers, it will be difficult, to leave the Prime. Minister as little encumbered as he ought, to be with routine affairs, and as free as is desirable to concentrate on special and urgent questi'ons as they arise. Another Minister will certainly have to be appointed when tho Dominion'appoints a Ministerial representative.in London, and it (•eems hardly possible that, this step can- be much longer delayed. The way is presumably clear fo? the formation of a Cabinet of the strength here suggested. Parliament in 1915 sanctioned an increase in the number of Ministers from eight to ten, and in 1017 the number was furthev increased to twelve. Tease this is exclusive of the Ministerial post at present occupied b'. Di;. PoMAPrc. It would be the poor-_ est kind of economy' to undullimit tho strength of Cabinet at tlrtime. It is clearly, indispensable in the interests of nrogrrp'- v.-.-.d r iny

opment to appoint a' bigger team of Ministers than sufficed bcio lt the war.

Faithfully doing their. duty,■ th: Reform moinbers who.are to assembl; to-day will- er.press . clear-cut opinions not only as to the necessity of rainmr the Cabinet to adequate strcneth by appointing the best men available, irrespective of nil secondary considerations, but in r'egan! to several big questions of policv . In some of its acccpted methods, the j Dominion is_ lagging disastrously behind the times. The pieccmeal construction of public wrbs, in particular," is .a Hat negation of sound enterprise. Here, arid in such undertakings as State housing, tlier<is open scope for wide and sweeping

reforms, for cutting put cumbersome and tortuous methods, arid giving free play to expert knowledge and

skill. A good deal was heard during, the election campaign about dealing with national undertakings from a national standpoint. The supporters of the Government will iail in their duty if these vital demands are not clearly emphasised at their meeting to-day. The policy to aim at is one in which the Government and Parliament would be content to _ exercise ■ ultimate control oyer "national undertakings in the way of-development, work, and to apportion- broadly the resources available. . All the detail direction and administration of public works ought tc.bc delegated to npn-poli-tical and expert control. , Much-is to be hoped also from dealing separately, in jt- businesslike, way, with enterprises which are in their nature separate, such as fl'ater-iiower development 4-nd housing. Change on these lines is a. primary and vital condition of sound progress, a!nd the members to 'assemble to-day arc bound to demand it if'they reflect progressive opinion', and. have the interests of the Dominion and its people at heart.