The New Ministry.

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 1673, 18 December 1911, Page 2

The New Ministry.

As we havo no doubt about Sir Joseph AVard doing the right thing, and deciding to liana nis resignation to the Governor, it is interesting to consider what the personnel of the now Ministry will be. Of course, it is easy enough to name thoso who have the best right to the portfolios if length of service in Parliament and faithful devotion to the Opposition causo aro to bo tho sole passports to those important positions, but we have sufficient faith in Mr' Massoy's judgment to believe that he will do his best in the interests of all classes .in forming his Cabinet, and will pay more regard to fitness for the various positions than to the question of rewarding faithful adherents. Looking at tne Jisfc of members, the following arc most worthy of consideration: Messrs James Allen. A. L. Herdman, W. Herries, W. Eraser, E. Newman, D. H. Guthrie, A : S. Malcolm, 11. H. Rhodes, and W. C. Buchanan. Wo doubt whether either Messrs Eraser or Buchanan are strong enough to stand tho statin of ministerial life, so ib is probable they will be left out of consideration. It has not been the custom to select the Minister of Labour from the ranks, but it would be a good precedent to mako a start in that direction, and no better, selection could be made than Mr Veitch, the member for Wanganui. A good Ministry u-ould be the following-.— Mr W. F. Massey, Premier and Minister of Lands. Mr W. H. Herries, Minister of Mines and Native Affairs. Mr " Herdman, Attorney - General and Minister of Justice.

Mr E. Newman, Postmaster-Gen-

oral and Minister of Agriculture. Mr James Allen, Minister of Finance. Mr H. Rhodes, Minister of Defence. Mr Veiteh, Minister of Labour. A Minister of Internal Affairs will have to be appointed to take charge of the business in the Upper House, and an appointment will probably bo made to that body of someone capable of taking up the position. Then a' member of the Executive Council to represent tho Nativo Race will be appointed, and Dr. Pomare, if elected for tho Western' Maori District, would bo a capital man for the position, or, if not elected to tho Lower House, he could bo nominated to the Legislative Council for the purpose. Of course, a number of nominations will have to be mado to tho Legislative Council to bring it more in lino with tho change in public opinion, and we believe that men will be selected for their ability to do good work there and not because they aro party hacks.