POLITICAL SITUATION.

Evening Star, Issue 12882, 3 August 1906, Page 5

POLITICAL SITUATION.

[From bxm. Special Correspondents.] WELLINGTON'S RECEPTION TO SIR J. G. WARD.

»« $Pa ° Cl ° ck la ? fc ereuin S the Town Hall w carrying its large-audience in brilliant.comfort, It 'was a gathering re^ of ; W ' me--1S Pf «»»«»<** and partisanship -bnfe wWT 7 ' lmc m a<*ame'was BSJ ? * ?*** nusband..-A great roaring of the onran proclaimed that punctuality is a vX iSSL See? l t 1 $ h P laces ' Politenesf of keenness- it has been called. It all events the two kmgs-Hall-Jones and Ward-1 th u taring it at the appointed hour, but not together. Sir Josenb his m wSfd^ Dd M B "* * thc ™ l *%* «Lm dl ??? ed fche organ with a great w^S e,aad £ en were *»» sh Wy Ward came after smiling, with the mayoress, both of whom Mr Mayor bowed to ftSJrSfc *& MayorVesented hS St lit hj a , bl f ü bon( l«et. When the place more, Mr Hall-Jones came n, and a*ain SLn rack i 6 # th , e hand we * fc >rgan, and the shouting let the Premier J . ij e bwed an uncommonly pleased ,rackle of the hands, and looking up we S \fLc\ gCm , a - coun , tena nce of the Native It,OOrf r J? akm %i Pjeasant recognition of the attention paid him. The other MinisS £°* T' t0 ? (the y were *** Present), but before they thought of enjoyment the remorseless punctuality of the proceedings whirled us into the midst of the concert programme, Mr Maughan Barnett letting himself go with a rush into Mendelssohn's Cornelius March.' Politics retired awhile before the Muses. The latter gave a very enjoyable concert, brevity being one of tne many fine characteristics. Mr Mayor took up the parable promptly about half-past eight, welcoming* Sir F jl 3epn with sensible, well-measured words. He spoke for the party of-Sir Joseph, he spoke for the section which thought that .here ought to be modification of the old party programme, he spoke for the section (he did not call it large) which wanted the party improved off the face of the earth. But, speaking for them all, he cordially gave a hearty welcome to Sir Joseph, and said many pleasant things about him. Going into history, he told us how he had l e *?S. a £ ose P hj start "» life that time he left the Postal Service and set up on his own. The mother who believed in her son provided him with the wherewithal to climb, and he (Mr Mayor) was the lawyer who drew up the legal instrument which, in connection with that maternal help brought our friend to fortune. Prom that to the great Conference at Rome was a wide step, and a dramatic one in the mayor's treatment of the subject. Then by a still more rapid change he showed us bur Joseph m the house of mourning, where he and his lady went to express their personal sympathy with his great chiefs widow the moment he got clear of the railway station; and the crowd, the big audience, recognised the touch with a cheer, and then, after a few words, Mr Hislop concluded by asking the audience to welcome Sir Joseph and Lady Ward m the manner usually shown by a British commumtv.

Thereupon the big audience clapped their hands and cheered much, and after a pause did both again, much louder and longer, acknowledging the rising of Sir Joseph to reply. K Sir Joseph began with a heart full of recognition of the magnificent tribute paid nun by the citizens of Wellington of all shades of opinion. Ho passed on to thank the mayor for the generous things he had said and for the pithy way in which he bad described the position of the various political sections meeting here to agree on the sole point of doing honor to himself. Having thus fulfilled the duty of thanks he went on to refer to his late chief! dwelling on the melancholy passing awav of that indomitable spirit, be recalled the last time they had stood side by side in that hall He offered his condolences to the gnef-stTicken family whom he had just left in their once happy home. He came naturally to his own position—the difficulty in following so great a man, arduous for the particular work required of bis hands, hard enough to entitle him to ask lor their sympathy and consideration. For his part, he could say that the Government would aim at doing their duty justly and fairly to all classes without special consideration for any. Beyond that he could not go on an occasion which precluded him from making a policy speech. He would speak of his colleague, Mr HallJones. The meeting rose to the reference with cordial demonstration. Sir Joseph eulogised his colleague in many ways for the good work done at such a short notice. He had done his work carefully and well. The big audience cheered. He went en to say how that very afternoon Mr HallJones's resignation had reached the bands of His Excellency the Governor. This was followed by an invitation to himself to wait on His Excellency. He was asked if he would undertake the task of forming a Government, and be had replied that he would. A rumble of applause accompanied this announcement, and broke out into prolonged rounds of applause when it was over. When these died down Sir Joseph went on to say that he would meet his colleagues on the following day, and <alk over with them the question of Idw the best Government might be formed to take up the work of their great chief tsuen away in the height of his career. The task would require some self-abnogiition on his own part as well as the part of others. Then he found himself safe on to the ground of the Postal Conference, and cantering pleasantly through the story of its glories and the good things said there of New Zealand the tension was relieved. He wound up that subject by predicting that "by the next Conference you will be able to send a whole ounce to the Czar of Russia for a humble penny," and by reviewing the reform so progressively carried out in so many countries of the earth. He hoped to live to see New Zealand patting the whole world on the back ior doing the thing we did for ourselves ten years earlier. "" He revelled in the postal question, and he spread his feelings over towards the railway question, and foreshadowed a system of cheap universal railway rates. "When va have done with the postal matters," he concluded, "let us have a go at the railways, and see if we cant get them into good order.'' The football team, "the best advertisement this colony has ever had outside its shores," the popularity of the New Zealanders everywhere, and the story of the Scottish gate and the sell inflicted on the hard-headed Scotties; the 15 per cent, growth of population in the last census period; the boom of our finance; the many signs of our continued prosperity—these subjects lightly touched on brought a happy, chatty speech to a pleasant end. But Sir Joseph did not sit down without thanking the mayor for his courtesy, the Committer for their arrangements, the singersfir their music, and the a-ac'icncc for their presence. " I thank you one and all, and I hope that in the future we *nay have many such pleasant gatherings.'" Cheers, the_ inevitable photographer, and the proceedings endedTHE QUESTION OF KECONSTRUCTTON. AUCKLAND, August 3. ' The ' Herald' to-day says :—" Although nothing definite has as yet transpired regarding the impending Beconstruction of the Ministry, it is believed in well-informed political circles that Messrs Duncan and Mills will not be included in the Ward Administration, and that the new members of the Ministry will be Messrs Fowlds, Millar, and M'Nab. By this arrangement Auckland will gain aaa additional representative in the Government. Mr Fowlds is closely identified with the interests of this part of the colony, and thoroughly acquainted with local requirements. If he is selected, he should be able to beep our wants prominently under' the attention of his colleagues, and greatly assist the North in obtaining recognition of its just demands. It remains to be seen, of course, whether Mr Fowlds and his new colleagues may prove acceptable to Parliament should t&ey meet the House m the possession of,

:j?ortfobos.._ JJut.alibough Omto most n*. ccssanly be much jealousy within th« party ranks—for manv members appear to regard re-election and submissive allegiance as entitling them to some position erf special honor and profit-it is hardly likely that the Party Caucus will refuse to eftdorse the Ministerial decision. From the non-party point of view, there is no apparent reason why the Caucus should be recalcitrant, for the names mentioned are certainly superior to the Ministers to bo retired, than whom it would be extremely difficult to find weaker men, and weak Ministers are always bad for. a country, no matter what party are in power, just as absence of fair representation in the is bad for a province as long as we have the present indefensible \ system of dividing the spoils." Th* <xr Augusts. .. The New Zealand Times' this morning, discussing the political situation, says :--New Zealand is once more without a Ministry. The Hon. W. Hall-Jones lias, taken the earnest opportunity of carry. ing out the " honorable understanding " m terms of which he undertook thedntieß c « Premiership when the sudden death. of Mr Beddon created a vacancy. No other course was, indeed, open to a man of upright character. The temptations of the position were, however, great, and it is understood that Mr Hall-Jones received from various quarters seductive incitements to hold the Premiership. It is to his credit that he resisted all appeals to his ambition, a response to which would have involved a slur upon his honor. He yesterday evening placed his resignation in the hands of the Governor, with a recommendation that Sir Joseph Ward should be sent for. His Erc£tency, acting upon the advice tendered te him, called Sir Joseph Ward, who has undertaken to form a Ministry, and hopes m the course of a few days to be in a position to announce its " personnel." Such is the situation at nresent which has been evolved by a series of steps, each one correct, commendable, and constitutional, and it is a situation which, though admittedly possessing its delicate and difficult features, need give rise to no annrahensioa. The resignation of the Premier, of course, carries with it that of every other member of the Mnriatoy, and Sir Joseph Ward finds himself m possession of "a clean slate," npon which. he may write whatever he chooses. It is the very largeness of this freedom that adds to the responsibility and anxieties of our Premier that is to be. Sir Joseph stated to the large assemblage met last night at the Town Hall to welcome hhn that he would consult with his former colleagues before deciding upon the "personnel "of the new Ministry. While there is no constitutional obligation upon him to do so, his resolve is characteristic of the considerate and tactful man that Sir Joseph is known to be. His remark that the process of Reconstruction might call for the exercise of self-abnegation on the part of some former colleagues, and perhaps also on his own part, is a plain intimation that he may find it necessary, in the interests of the country, to pass over some of his best personal friends. It. cannot be without a pang that he will thus dismiss from his Cabinet a few of those gentlemen with whom he has so long been associated, but with all his " suaviter in modo," the new Premier has, w© believe, sufficient of the " fortiter in re" to enable him to place duty and the welfare of the State before any feeling of personal preference or friendship. The thoroughness with which be carries out the work now before him will bo the test of his fitness for the high position to which he has been called. That he will pot fail in any sense wa confidently anticipate. All is in the meanwhile conjecture as to the number of former Ministers who may be discarded, but their personoHtv to the number of three is by general consent agreed upon. Neither is anything definite known as to who arc the members of the House who will be entrusted with the portfolios in the new Cabinet. The ' Times ' goes on to to say :—Territorial considerations cannot be ignored in view of public opinion, end the names of Mr Millar, as the new member of the Cabinet from the South Island of Messrs Fowlds, Hogg, Baume, Fraser, and Wilford for the North Island, aw most favored. It states that a largn country party among the Liberals will offer strong opposition to Mr Fowlds's inclusion.

CONCERNING THE NEW PREMIER.

WELETNGTON, August 3.

Mr Hall-Jones forwarded his resignation. as the Premier to the Governor yesterday. His Excellency eent for Sir Joseph Ward and asked him if he •would form a Ministry. Sir Joseph replied that he would do so. He expects to announce the personnel of his Ministry in a day or two. Apropos of Sir J. Ward, the 'Kilmarnock Standard,' which made his acquaintance at the time of the Fowlds celebration at Fenwick, has the following in its iaeue of June 16 last:—The lamented death of Mr Seddon. has brought into special prominence Sir Joseph Ward, his chief lieutenant in the administration of the Government of New Zealand, who, it is understood, will be chosen for the Premiership. Sir Joseph was here the other week at the Fowlds centenary functions, and made a strong impresskm on all who saw and heard him. Manifestly a big-brained man, he struck a phrenological observer as having just those high imaginative gifts that are required for a statesman. He was most attentive to Mr Fowlds, and entered into all the arrangements of the day with sympathetic heartiness. I understand that when iho old man was taken to the photographic establishment of Messrs l M*Gregor, Sir Joseph Ward was present, and insisted on lending a hand to carry the hero of the day up the stairs to the studio. Not a man this to shirk his share of life's burdens, but, like all loyal «rals, "free to serve" either in high or in humble places. From New York comes another story of him. In a speech before the Lawyers' Club in New York, Sir Joseph Ward, dealing with Trusts, is reported by the 'New York Herald' to have said : " Public utilities should be owned by all Governments without doubt. This particularly applies to the lighting of municipalities, the telegraph and telephone system, water, and all means of transportat'on. We have been successful ia every venture, and no party could present itself for election in our country except it announced that it stood for the present form of Socialistic government. There is no turning back. Publicity of the widest sort is the eonrtant safeguard. I am confident that if you acquaint the people with existing condition." all of the time, thej will not hesitate to call on their represent* tives wherever assembled to right then? wrongs when necessary. Our system hat worked successfully with our population d les* than a million. Perhaps here in th« United States—this is an impersonal view —more drastic measures would be necessary to stop the abuses that I am told exist, particularly in the management of railroads." In closing his address Sh* Joseph Ward made the plea that prominent men of both the United States and NewZealand should go together and discus* reciprocal trade relations, and were it no* that he was obliged to leave that day ha would have endeavored to open up this discussion.