THE NATIONAL CABINET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LII, Issue 15997, 16 August 1915, Page 6

THE NATIONAL CABINET.

The contention of the Hon. J. T. Paul, M.L.C., that the new Ministry is not a National Ministry because no Labour member has accepted a portfolio is as absurd as it is ungenerous. The New Zealand Labour representatives had an undoubted right to decide upon their own course of action. Fortunately, their acceptance of a portfolio was not essential to the realisation of a Cabinet commanding the sympathy and the general support of the great mass of the people of New Zealand. This has been achieved without the adherence of Mr. Paul and his friends, who are taking themselves altogether too seriously when they suggest that they and they only stand between the people of New Zealand and the mistakes which they fear the National Cabinet may make. Nobody believes that the new Ministry is likely to prove itself infallible, but it can be said that it gives to the state at a time of crisis the service of the most experienced of our parliamentary representatives. As to mistakes if these can be avoided by criticism Parliament '.was never in a better position to apply the check, for Parliamentary discussion on Ministerial actions is all ,the more effective when it is free .from the suspicion of party bias. The Labour Party will have no monopoly of criticism when the House n'peets, nor is it likely to be able to iqlo any particular service to the staKe at the present juncture by refusing to "bury its principles.'' Had *the two predominant parties taken \,this ground there could have been iTIO National Ministry as there could V have been no * National Ministip in Great Britain had the British J political parties not faced the sacp-ifices which had to be made in ordetfr that the nation might be strengthened for a purpose in which all parties are vitally interested. There have been no greater sacrifice: of principle had a member of the !*Jew Zealand Labour Party accepted £*• portfolio than there was in Mr. Arthur Henderson becoming President V of the Board of Education in the Brlijtish Ministry, and most people wil) '1 agree that of the two Mr. Henderson and his English Labour surJ c >porters took the wiser and the mo^ e admirable course. >. J