THE HIGH COMMISSIONERSHIP.

Otago Daily Times, Issue 15184, 1 July 1911, Page 9

THE HIGH COMMISSIONERSHIP.

It was fully anticipated by us, when we referred a day or two ago to the fact that the Government will shortly have to appoint a successor to Sir William Hall-Jones as High Commissioner, that the likelihood of Sir Joseph Waidaccepting t.ho office for the ensuing term would be scouted for tactical reasons by some of the journals that support the Government.. It is 60 obviously in the interests of the Ministerialists on the eve of a general election that the probability of the occurrence of an event which might lead to the complete disruption of the party should be discounted that we should havo been greatly surprised if no attempt were made to discredit the idea that the Prime Minister may in the very near future retiro from Ins participation in Not Zealand politics. We have not been disappointed. The Lyttelton Times asserts that " the whole story so industriously circulated is a rumour of flimsy const ruction." Tins assertion may be taken precisely for what it is wortlh. Whether the rumour is or is not of " flimsy construction " is a matter that will be definitely determined before very long. But it is idle to say, •as our contemporary does, that we have, in giving circulation to the rumour, allowed the wish to be father to the thought. We have had no part in the construction of the rumour and consequently it did not originate with us, though it is our publication of it at the present time that has caused concern to the Lyttelton Times. We made it clear, in point of fact, that our authority for the statement was derived from those who profess to enjoy the Ministerial confidence, and >who, moreover, would not have given publicity to the report if they had not good reason for believing it to be entirely well-founded. If the Lyttelton Times wishes, therefore, to chaJlengo the authenticity of the report it had belter turn its attention to those on its own side in politics who are directly responsible for its circulation. For our own part, we should think it not unlikely that, for the present, a seat on the Imperial Royal Commission which, representative of all parts of the Empire, is to be set up to consider the question of Imperial trade relations would'be more acceptable to Sir Joseph Ward than the High Commissionership would be. But, whatever the intentions of the Prime Minister may be, the electors have 'already received the. hint from a section of the Ministerialists of the Dominion that if the Government should be so fortunate as to secure a renewal of the confidence of the people at the general election it may next • Parliament be under a different head from that it now possesses. The electors will havo to consider whether they may reasonably be asked to draw a blank cheque in favour of some undisclosed Prime Minister.