MR MASSEY'S OPINION.

Otago Witness, Issue 2861, 13 January 1909, Page 36

MR MASSEY'S OPINION.

A SURPRISING SELECTION. AUCKLAND, January 6. Interviewed late to-night upon the personnel of .the new Cabinet, Mr W. P. Maasej, Leader of the Opposition, who had not then become aware of the changes, said that the appointments cam>s as a j surprise to him, just a& he supposed they I would have opnie as a eurpi'ise to most people. "I think." said Mr Massey, "the appointments indicate the difficulty the Prime Minister has had in filling up the vacancies in tl;e Qabinet. I am, perhaps, more surprised at Mr M'Gowan's withdrawal and resignation than anything else that has taken place. This seems to me to indicate that he. for is not satisfied with the new order of thing.*, and I

1 really do not wonder that such is. the J case. As for their political principles, I i | cannot understand by what reasoning the J new men have been chosen. Mr Hogg, ' for instance, is almost what Sir Joseph Ward called a Revolutionary Socialist. In noticing Mr Hogg's appointment as Minister for Customs I cannot help recollecting j that in the past Pailiament he was themost strenuous advocate ior taking the I duties off flour, wheat, and other cereals, j Whether the responsibilities of office will ' I modify hi e views on these matters or not ; remains to be seen. I predict, moreover. ; wry lively time-3 for the Labour Department with Mr Hogg at the head ot it. i The two Mackenzie* are individualists, and J [ how they will work on the land question j ■with .-uc'h men as Messits Fowlds and Hoag — one an extreme single taxer, and tho I other an extreme land nationalise!' — 1 cannot possibly imagine. Mr Buddo's politic.-; i are not particularly well defined", and I ■ have no doubt he will find himeelf ready | to go with the majority in whatever direc- ! tion it feels inclined to travel. Mr Ngata ' has always been dead against the settle- ' ment of the Native laacls by European settleis, except as tenants of Native landlords, and I take it his appointment means ! that there will be no satisfactory settle- j ment of the Native lands while he is a I member of the Executive. The taking \ over by Sir Joseph Ward of the Depart- ', menfcs of Land and Agiiculture can only be a temporal y orrangeirent, as that gentle- | man has no knowledge of the details of , either one or the other. As regards Mr | Millar taking over th^ Depaitment of Rail- ' ways. I think that out of the present j Cabinet he is probably the man best fitted . to the position."' "I cannot imagine," • j eaidi the Leader of the Opposition, " how a Cabinet composed of so many conflicting elements will work together, and I think . time will prove that the old saving that a house divided against itself cannot stand will again come true. Whether Parlia- j ment and the country will approve of the new departures I am not able to say. ' Personally, I am very strongly of opinion j that the new Cabinet is no improvement j on the old. I think it will be seen that j the Prime Minister has tried to please too many, and has pleased very few. In coneequence I should not be at all surprised to see an appeal to the country long before the ordinary term of the piesent Parliament has expired.