STRENGTH OF CABINET

Evening Post, Volume CXV, Issue 85, 11 April 1933, Page 8

STRENGTH OF CABINET

In its new appointment to the Cabinet the Government has, rewarded long and. faithful ..service. I Ministerial office, however, is not merely an honour; it is an onerbus responsibility. Selection for Cabinet rank should not be guided by the same considerations which guide the bestowal of honours. In.filling the vacancy caused by the resignation of Mr. Downie Stewart the Government should have taken account of two most urgent needs —representation of urban interests and restoration of public confidence by strengthening the Cabinet particularly on the financial side. Mr. Stewart's resignation deprived the Government of the one man in whom the country possessed confidence as a financial administrator. It also removed from the Cabinet the representation of city interests which is essential, not only in fairness to the commercial community, but to guard against onesided decisions. Confidence in the Government was severely shaken. The farmer domination,, which was evident in its policy, threatened, and still threatens, to produce a crisis, and on the financial side principle was sacrificed to expediency.

.There was a hope that llie Government, having taken time to consider a new Ministerial appointment, would become aware of these facts, and would endeavour to reestablish a measure of confidence. It has n.ot done so. We do not wish to criticise the new Minister before he has had an opportunity of proving his worth, but it would he idle to deny that his appointment increases rural representation and adds nothing to the Cabinet's financial experience. In saying this we are well aware that' we, may be accused of raising the town-versus-country cry; but that cry has already been raised, and it has been raised because the composition of the Cabinet and the policy of the Government have given unmistakable proof of failure to understand the city viewpoint. The trouble, cannot be removed by /denouncing the protest as unpatriotic and by demanding unity. A fair and reasonable basis for unity must be restored.' Criticism of the Government arises because there is not this fair basis and because confidence has been seriously weakened. It is greatly to be regretted that an opportunity of strengthening the Cabinet and talcing a step towards restoration of public confidence has been missed.