THE ALLOCATION OF PORTFOLIOS.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 13665, 7 August 1906, Page 4

THE ALLOCATION OF PORTFOLIOS.

It is 11 satisfactory consequence of the inclusion in the now Cabinet of men of the calibre of those by whom Mr Duncan and Mr Mills have been replaced that the .duties of administering the various departments of the State arc to be much more evenly distributed under Sir Joseph Ward's guidance than they were during the later years of Mr Seddon's Premiership. Mr Scddon himself assumed the responsibility of the direct conduct of several important departments, while lie also gave a- more or less constant .supervision to the administration of tlio departments that were nominally controlled by the loss competent of his colleagues. Ky surrounding himself with a set of reasonably capable Ministers Sir Joseph Ward finds it possible to allocate the portfolios in such a way that the work of administration shall not props with undue weight upon any one of the members of the Cabinet. Ho returns himself to the head of the Treasury Department, from winch ho has been absent since June, 1890. This assumption of the dual oflices of Premier and Colonial Treasurer is, it is to be observed, liberally sanctioned by precedent, for his own acceptance of the Colonial Trcasurership under Mr Seddon in 1893 and his retention of the portfolio for three years. constituted the only interruption since 1887 of a practice under which the Premier lias maintained control of the finances of the colony. With the offices of Premier and Colonial Treasurer, Sir, Joseph Ward combines those of Postmastergeneral and 1 Commissioner of Telegraphs and of Minister of Industries and Commerce, while he will also proside over the arrangements in connec- , tion with the International Exhibition, These offices were among those which Sir Joseph held in the past. On the other hand, ho is to be relieved in future of the performance of the onerous duties attaching to the control of the Railways Department and of the less arduous responsibilities that devolve upon the Minister of Public Health and the Colonial Secretary. Sir Joseph Ward is' succeeded as Minister of Railways by Mr Hall-Jones, who will as well remain at the bead of the Public Works Department. The arrangement under which the responsibility for the construction of the railways of the colony and for the management of the railways after they are constructed is placed in a single pair of hands may be said to be recommended by convenience • but we suspect that it was not this consideration so much as the fact that Mr HallJoues is 'undoubtedly entitled to be regarded as the second Minister in the Cabinet which has secured for him the portfolio of Railways—for there is attached to it a salary of £1300, while £1000 is the salary of the other Ministers, save the Premier, who receives £1600. Released as he will be from the duty of administering some of the minor departments with which he has been associated, Mr Hall-Jones may, if he brings to hear upon his new work the industry which caused the public to look very favourably upon liihi in his capacity of Minister of Public Works, prove a thoroughly acceptable Minister of Railways, even though ho cannot be paid to possess the knowledge of business principles which Sir Joseph Ward applied so satisfactorily during his occupancy of that office. Mr Carroll's position in the Cabinet remains what it was, and Mr M'Gowan has had the office of Minister of Immigration— virtually a sinecure—added to those previously filled by him. Mr Pitt, however, has the oflices of Colonial Secretary and Minister of Defence, besides that of Attorney-general, assigned to him. The portfolio of Colonial Secretary is one which may quite suitably, no doubt, bo held by a Minister in the Upper House, but it may be questioned whether in practice it will be found convenient that the Minister of Defence should be absent from the House of Representatives when bis Estimates, are under consideration. Mr Millar, as was to be expected, has the portfolios of Labour and Marine allotted to him, and he also becomes Commissioner of Customs. The duties of the last-named office are not heavy, and in normal periods those of the ■ Minister of Marine are not of a kind that will make a serious demand upon the new Minister's time and attention. But tho appointment of Mr Millar to the head of the Labour Office is certainly interesting. A Labour member lias not hitherto boon entrusted with tho control of the Departmentwhich is charged with tho impartial administration of the factories Act, the Industrial Conciliation and Arbitration Act, and other import-ant- laws affecting the industries of the colony, and there will, we are sure, bo a good deal of curiosity to see how far the new Minister will curb the amiable ambition of the Secretary of Labour to crush one section of the community that- is under his special observation. Fortunately Mr Millar's mind lias broadened appreciably since ho became a member of Parliament, so much so that the commercial element in the colony will not view bis accession to office with any noticeable appreliensivoness, and we do not doubt, now that the responsibilities of offico are imposed upon him, that lie will be careful to avoid any step that might be regarded as rash or unduly partisan. Mr M'Nab, whom we should have regarded as from his training and tastes specially qualified to hold the portfolio of Minister of Education, lias not been appointed to that office, but instead succeeds Mr Duncan as Minister of Lands and Minister of Agriculture —oflices which his experience should render him capable of administering successfully. To Mr Eowlds is allotted the important portfolios of Minister of Education and Minister of Public Health. Mr Fowkls is a man of .progressive ideas, and the control of the departments over which he has been placed should afford him all the opportunity he can desire for a practical application of bis ideas.