The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1912.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3537, 30 May 1912, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. THURSDAY, MAY 30, 1912.

The High Commissionership.

It will bo seen by a news item this

morning that the Government is at least faced with the necessity, of having to appoint a successor to Sir Win. Hall-Jones in the capacity of High Commissioner at Homo- For a great many months the present occupant has been desirous of vacating the position, on the ground of ill-health, but in deference to the wishes of the late Government he agreed on more than one occasion to allow the term of his appointment to be extended. Xow, however, it appears that Sir William Hall-Joiies has definitely declined a further extension for three months. As a result of this decision tlie position of High Commissioner becomes vacant immediately and Hr Wray Palliser, who is attached to the .Dominion’s staff at Home, is to carry on the duties pending the appointment of a successor to Sir Win. Hall Jones. The questions now arise as to when the new appointment is likely to be made; and as to who is I'kely to receive it. For our own part we shall not be at all surprised if the successor to Sir Wm. HallJones is not appointed immediately. If politics had been in a settled state ' it would, of course, have been a very different matter. The position, it is understood, is that even more jeal- )

ousy exists to-day among supporters of the “Liberal” party over the filling of the office than was ever the case before. Before the change of Government took place the gentlemen who were supposed to have the best chance of selection were Hon. T. Mackenzie and Sir John Findlay. Today the former has a somewhat slender hold on the position of Prime ■Minister and the latter is no longer an active member of the Legislature. We have not the slightest doiiot that Mr Thomas Mackenzie would make a very useful High Commissioner, but it is difficult to sec how, in view of the circumstances in which he is placed, he could at the present time take the position. On the other hand Sir

Jolin Findlay’s chances, it is reported, have greatly diminished- From a good source it is indeed reported that on the last occasion when the matter Was before Cabinet a majority of the members actually preferred Mr Roderick McKenzie to Sir John Findlay for the office. The minority, however, would not, it is reported, hear of Mr McKenzie’s appointment on, any terms. And so the position , stands to-day, excepting that some additional names are now mentioned in the matter, including those of the Hons. J. A. Millar, G. Fowlds, etc. It would, therefore, seem that if the filling of the position is not allowed to stand over until after the next test division in the House it may go to an “outsider” so far as politics are conicerned.