The Hastings Standard. TUESDAY, JAN. 5. 1909 THE LANDS PORTFOLIO.

Hastings Standard, Volume XII, Issue 60166, 5 January 1909, Page 4

The Hastings Standard. TUESDAY, JAN. 5. 1909 THE LANDS PORTFOLIO.

According to promise. Sir Joseph Ward will to-morrow make known the changes to take place in the Cabinet, and also give the names of the new Ministers. The announcement, which tor some valid reason, has been withheld so long, will certainly contain some surprises, although arrangements which at first were least anticipated, are now considered probable. The Premier's long silence regarding the appointments has been adversely criticised in all parts of the Dominion, yet any one who has given the sftbject any consideration at all will have realised that Sir Joseph has had good cause for acting slowly and deliberately. To the allotment of the Lands portfolio may be ascribed the secret of the delay, for Mr R. McNab is the one man the Ward Ministry can least afford tp lose, and as long as there remained a reasonable chance of finding a seat in the House for him, the Premier was justified in allowing the vacancies to remain open. Tomorrow, however, we shall learn the result of the long delay, and know whether any sitting member has been found loyal enough to his party to sacrifice himself for its good. As regards the Hawke's Bay seat it is well known that the question of Mr Dillon retiring in favour of the late Minister for Lands has been fully considered, but what decision has been arrived at has been carefully guarded from the press, and we know nothing further of the matter than that a month or so ago we were privately informed that Mr Dillon's action would be such as would further raise him in the estimation of his supporters. Haying this in view it will not surprise us to hear that one of the present members of the Cabinet will hold the Lands portfolio until such time as Mr McNab re-enters the Parliament of the country.