The Evening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 1909.

Evening Star, Issue 13149, 4 January 1909, Page 4

The Evening Star MONDAY, JANUARY 4, 1909.

TiiKJiK more days and aspiring parliamentarians will be out of susTli» Ministry, pense. and the country will know the. lines upon which Sir Joseph Ward proposes to reconstruct his Cabinet. We have not taken part in the rather futile discussions with which quidnuncs in tho Press and elsewhere have amused themselves during ■.he last few weeks; and even now, on the. eve of the announcement, we shall not indulge in any confident predictions. Tlv. Prime Minister ha* kept hi? secret well, and ther • may be some sutp:i?es on Thursday. It is not known certainly whether the number of his njw colleagues will be two or thiee. 'ln addition to successors of Mr Uatl-Jones and Mr MNab, it is just possible that a substitute will be found for one of : lie present team. Though beih of . the retiring members of the Cabinet are Southerners, it is not improbable, that in any circumstances an additional Minister will be given to the North. Mr Hogg seems to be the favorite, and if the promotion of " MasterWMi" should be announced on Thursday we do not think that much hostile criticism need be expected. On the contrary, it may be surmised that widespread satisfaction would be manifested at the selection of a sterling politician who has displayed genuine ability and sound consistency during a fairly long parliamentary career, who is intimately acquainted with the wants of the " cockatoo," and who has been specially active in furthering the Liberal Land Policy associated with the name of Sir John M'Kenzie. Presumably Mr Hall-Jones will be succeeded by a Canterbury man —though we may remark in passing that Sir Joseph Ward will deserve praise, not blame, if l>e ignores mere geographical considerations and takes sole regard of personal and political merit. Mr Laurenson has been freely mentioned as a likely Minister, and there can be no question as to his general capacity. Unfortunately he is rather too much given to faddism and empirical theories; and also his connection (transient as it was) with the "New Liberal" fiasco of 1905 has not been forgotten. Nevertheless there is a strong conviction in some quarters that the member for Lyttelton will be the new Minister of Labor (Mr Millar's transference to the Railways Department being a foregone conclusion). Mr Buddo would make a useful if not a brilliant Minister, and (if a Canterbury member must be chosen) his claims are by no means so negligible as some people suppose them to be. But in view of the accession of strength to the Opposition ranks, it is highly necessary that the new Ministers should be capable debaters; and on this ground (and some others) Sir Joseph Ward may have decided to ask Mr Thomas Mackenzie to join the Cabinet. Should this prove to be the case, there will be a great deal of grumbling on the part of members whose political Liberalism is of older date and more vigorous character than Mr Mackenzie's, though we fully recognise that the appointment would give strength to the Government among the agriculturists. On the other hand, it might eventually lead to the discovery of incompatible elements in the Cabinet. In the event of a transference of the Mines portfolio the claims of Mr Roderick M'Kenzie are favored by some shrewd observers, who think that he would make a more capable administrator' and be more alive to the needs of the miners than (say) the member for Buller or the member for Srey. But the announcements are likely to be made within forty-eight hours, and further comment may be postponed until speculation has given way to knowledge. The selections have been made—of that we may he sure—and it only remains to be patient for a little while longer. Then there will be praise and blame, congratulation and dissatisfaction, jubilation and disappointment.