MR. J. G. WARD AND THE MINISTRY.

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume XXXIII, Issue 275, 6 December 1899, Page 3

MR. J. G. WARD AND THE MINISTRY.

THE '• WIZARD OF FINANCE.' AS A PROBABLE PHEMIEB. THE COLONY AT THE FEET OF THE BANK. Mil SEDDON COEKCED BY MB M'KENZtE. PUOBABLY AUENT-QENEKAL. Commenting on he Premier's nnnonncement that Mr J. G. Ward would j bo again included in the Ministry, the Wellington "l'o>t" siys :— " The announcement will be received with chagiin by many honest followers of Mi- Seddon, who have cherished the hope that if he could command a majority ia the country he woull be enabled to bo leconttruct I is Cabinet as to6eourefir colleagues men of such standing, capacity, and character as would ensure confidence and command support throughout the country. To such of the supporters of Mr Sedtlon, the annonncemeat that Mr Ward s to be again invfsted with Cabinet rank will- come hb a distinct disappo ntment, and will, we believe, in many cases lead to renunciation of support. Vet we believe that the leader of ihe Party had lo iltj - native but one, and tint he dared not folbw. It ia an open sesret that the Minister for Lands wasdetirmiaed.no mil tor what the attitude o his chief, that Mr Ward should again be taken iuto Ibe Ministry. As a consequence, some notable men, whom Mr Seddon wonhl have chosen as colleagues ia a reconstructed Cabinet, would not, we have good reason to belUve, consent to be associated in files with the late Colonial Treasurtr. To do the Premier justice, we think the aa. now. cement be uiade ye tnJsy, was forced from him, md as a consequence he must Ultimately pay the penalty of his weakness. ... On great occasions Mr Seddon is not the strong man that he seems, and we think wo see, if he be returned to power, tho penalty he will pay for this act of weakness. In tho new Cabinet, in the place where lie has hitherto been tho dominant spirit, In; will be in a minority ; a policy of borrow and boom that lie will not endorse will be earned against him, and hia refuge from defeat will ba the Asent-GpaeraUhip. Then a ill oome the opportunity of the IVizarJ of Finauce, ami tbe more than possibility that this country will be at the feet of the sometime macngicg director of the J. Q. Ward Association, the biggest debtor of the Colonial Bank, and the principal politi al author of the two-million guarantee to tbe Bank cf New Zealand, and contingently to the huge guarantees that further followed to both the Bank and the dreadful AbsoU Company. At this stige of affairs we are not dhpojed j;o in any way re pi re the the me -nory of the unfortunn o financial transactions sith which Mr Vy»rJ.'d name was recently so intimately associated, and'wo truat then 1 may not bo occasion to 'do so ; but we cannot view his possible return to office at the present juncture with aught but the gravest apprehension for tiie financial future pf the country, as well as tor other reasons (particularly in relation to tjie national school of tho culony), that we shall probably have occasion' to deal with later. . .' , Whatever our hopes of victory yesterday, they are greater to-day, beeaus.' of the added burden the Premier lias imposed upon himself in his attempt to carry the Hon. J. G. Ward back to place and power."