QUARTET OF SCOTCHMEN.

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

QUARTET OF SCOTCHMEN.

SIR J. G. WARD'S BURDEN. (From Oub Own Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, January 6. In reorganising his Cabinet Sir Joseph Ward seems to have gone on the principle I that in a multitude of counsellors there I is wisdom, for though Mr M'Gowan's ! resignation was expected it was not genej rally anticipated that there would be five I new Ministers. Mr M'Gowan not only abandons his portfolios, but he also has resigned his seat as a member for the House of Representatives. He is getting up in years, and has enough of this world's goods, and it was no secret that he was desirous of getting out of harness. It is a curious thing that no Englishman or Irishman is represented in Sir Joseph Ward's new choice. The two "Macs" and Messrs Hogg and Bnddo form a quartet of Scotchmen. This makes the Cabinet more than ever a Scottish one, i seeing that Messrs Millar, Fowlds, and 1 Findlay have all got Scotch blood in their veins. Sir Joseph Ward and the two Maori members are the exceptions. Even *Mr Carroll is half a Celt, though an Irish one. Through Mr M'Gowan's resignation Auckland loses one Minister and Otago gains another. Thus, while Auckland and Canterbury have only one representative each in the Cabinet, Otago has three. On the witole, however, it must be admitted that Sir Joseph has done the best with the material available. He has himself, however, taken a great load upon his own shoulders ; indeed, apart from Railways, he has to carry all the principal portfolios, and he will have his work cut out to fill the office of Prime Minister and also act as Minister of Finance, Defence, Lands and Agriculture, and Postmaster-general, to say nothing about his having to look after a number of minor departments. So many members of the new Cabinet, however, are unused to office that he has had to shoulder the load. Probably at a later date he may unload Lands on to Mr Thos. Mackenzie and Agriculture on to Mr Buddo. The fact that the Justice Department will be in the hands of a member of the Upper House will be not altogether pleasing to members of the Lower House, as that is a department about which the people's representatives have usually a lot of questions to ask. The department, however, I will be in capable hands. Mr R. M'Kenzie has got the portfolios Works ana Mines, about which he has much special knowledge. He favours the development of the Parapara iron deposits in the Nelson district. He says it would pay the people even if they borrowed half a million of I money to go on with that important undertaking. He favours the State taking the work in hand as a purely State concern. Mr M'Kenzie is a freeholder, and favours the optional tenure. He is in favour of allowing tenants of ordinary Crown lands to acquire the freehold, but not in the case of land for settlements i land. In Labour circles it will come as ! a surprise that Mr Millar should rei linquish the Labour portfolio, while employers will not altogether be pleased at it being handed over to such an advanced State Socialist as Mr Hogg. With regard to the Labour question, Mr Hogg says he has not expressed very decided views, but he has always been in favour of preserving peafe between employer and employed, and having himself undergone a very severe ordeal in the shape of hard work at different times his sympathies have invariably bean with the worker. "I have," he says, "been a strong friend of the co-operative system of work. I have never changed my political coat, but have always endeavoured to stick true and fast to my colours, and have always closely adhered to original principles." Messrs T. Mackenzie and Ngata do not receive full Ministerial pay. They will get an extra £100 a year and £100 house allowance.

OPINIONS OF M.P.S. CHRISTCHURCH, January 6. " Messrs Davey and Witty, M.P.s, wer« seen this afternoon by a Truth reporter in regard to the Cabinet appointments, bat' neither had any comments to offer. Mr T. E. Taylor, the member for Christchinch North, when spoken to on thef matter of the new Cabinet appointments, said that he would preier to say nothing at all until the House met. He could only express surprise that so large a number of appointments had been made. On being interviewed on the new appointments, Mr G. W. Russell, member for Avon, said that the greatest surprise in connection with the appointments were that Sir Joseph Ward had found it necessary to take over the Department of Lands and Agriculture, while still retaining the Treasurership and the Postal and Telegraph Departments, as well as that of Defence. It appeared surprising thatj amongst the large number of his followers, totalling 45, the Prime Minister had bceni unable to select a Minister of Lands andi Agriculture. Of course, during, Mr Sed- ; don's regime he held, after Sir John } M'Kenzie's death, the Land for Settlement Department in his own hands — at anyrate, so tar as Ihe purchases of estates were concerned. " When one looks down the list; of Ministers," continued Mr Russell, " and) sees how s,mall an amount of work is placed upon some of the holders of portfolios, the staggering burden which Sir Joseph Ward has taken upon himself is a complete surprise. Neither do I think it. is possible to add to the burden tha£ he carries as Prime Minister and Postmastergeneral the work which occupied two big, strong men like Mr Seddon and Sir John M'Kenzie. With regard to the. gentlemen who have been called to the Cabinet, there can be no doubt that Mr R. M'Kenzie, who has had previous experience as a contractor, and who has a long parliamentary experience, should make an admirable Minister of Public Works and Mines. I think it is a great pity that Mr Millar, who, as Minister of Labour, has, I believe, commanded the confidence of the entire country, should have been compelled to abandon that position. It is, and must be, a pure experiment to place Mr Hogg ira charge of the important Department of Labour ; and at the present juncture it looks remarkably like swapping horses in the midst of the stream. I am very pleased that the claims of Canterbury to a Minister in the Cabinet in succession to Mr Hall-Jones have been recognised, and ] I think that there will be little objection taken to Mr Buddo as Minister lor the departments that have been placed in his hands, as he is well respected not , only through the province, but also by the members generally of the Liberal party. Public criticism will no donbt concentrate ! itself upon the appointment of two gentle- • men without pay to the Cabinet in Mr | Thomas Mackenzie and Mr NTgata. I presume that on the precedent set in the case of the late Hon. W. C. Walker these t gentlemen, although not receiving pay as t Ministers, will draw the full travelling allowance, which, I think, is 30s per day, for every day they are away from their , homes J and consequently their emoluments for travelling expenses, pint their honorarium, will be at the rate of £847 . 10s per annum. The impoitant point, , however, is that in accepting the positions ! they effect a substantial mortgage upon the next two vacancies that may occur in , the Ministry, or the Government will, in , the alternative possibly bring down legislation to increase the number of the . members of the Ministry. The important question that is to be considered by Parliament will be whether it is necessary that two further Ministers should be appointed, assuming that the Ministry consists of the most able men that can be provided by the party ,in power, and that the offices are fairly distributed over those who are called to* the Cabinet. It ie, I think, open to question whether two further appointments to the Ministry are necessary. A good deal of comment will no doubt be made at the inclusion of Mr Ngata unde^i- the circumstances. He has been in Parliament only three years, is quite a young man, and! represents a Maori constituency. Were the position occupied by the Hon. J". Carroll as Minister of Native ' Affairs vacant no doubt Mr Ngata's elevation to the Ministry for the special benefit of his own race would be very d^esirahle, but it certainly conies as a surprise to findi a young man- with only three years of parliamentary experience being placed in charge of two great financial departments like the Public Trust and Government Insurance, which have enormous sums of money passing through their hands for investment every year, and which require a highly-trained financial intellect for their acurate management. I myself do not think that the appointments which the Pinme Minister has made will create any strong feeling amongst the general body of the Liberal party, neither will they awaken any great enthusiasm. Evidently Sir Joseph Ward feels that th,e chief responsibility of supporting the Ministry is placed upon himself, and he is doing it." MR J. F. ARNOLD. Mr J. F. Arnold, M.P., on inters viewed on the 6th with regard to thef new appointments to the- Ministry, said? that he did not care to say very much* at the present juncture. He had recognised from the first that Sir Joseph Ward! in selecting new coEe agues had to solve] one of the most difficult problems thas a Prime Minister could Very well be faced -with, and it was not to be expected! that he would give complete satisfaction in his final decision. " Comparisons," said? Mr Arnold, " are always odious, and f therefore shall not cay one- wotfd witji! regard to the individual appointees. I may say, however, that, while in the pasf? I nave not been an entnuaiaßtic sup-' porter of an elective Executive, I regret that wliien the House meets it will no£ be possible to deal with the Ministry ex>. cept as a whole. I look forward to ih4 coming session as the most interesting for many years, Th« Government fought

the elections without a policy, and w< now have a reconstructed Ministry, Whether Sir Joseph Ward will announce & poldcy to the country before the Hou« meets or wait and reveal it through the mouth of the Governor remains to be Been. But in any case the fighting powei of the Opposition has been greatly strengthened, and the progressive cornei of the House is not likely to sit still. And while the debating power of the members of the Ministry may be considerable, there will be no difficulty in finding many, holes in the armour of some of ithe new members. Personally I look upon the niaw Ministry as being more of a country Ministry than any that we have had for a long time, and think the towns and cities have a just cause of complaint. One thing is very clear — that the Government is either trying to puni&h the Labour party for its independent action or else it is riding for a fall as faT as that party js concerned. I think disappointment will be felt at the Hon. J. A. Millar not retaining the portfolio of Labour, as it is absolutely necessary, especially at the present juncture, to hare a man' over that department who has the whole labour problem at his fingers' ends by actual experience. In addition to this, lie is the- father of the new system of industrial conciliation as passed last session, which in itself is only an experiment, and I think it would have been better hud he held the reins until that act had had a fair trial. I am pleased, 'however, that he has taken over the Railway Depairt.ment,-*«ud think as far as that is concerned be is the right man in the rtehit place. The same, indeed, may be said with regard to the Hon. Dv Findlay in the Deportment of Justice, and I expect in a very shore time to see considerable reforms made which will be beneficial both to the police and the prison service." On being asked as to whether he did not think the Prime Minister should at once announce his policy, Mr Arnold saw! that in all probabihty the Prime Minister, having ju3fc como through ah election and row having a reconstracted Ministry, would see his way clear to call Parliament together ait an early date so that he might be assured that at least he had the confidence of the majority of the HouFe. With regard to the increase of the number of Ministers, Mr Arnold stated that •he had always been of opinion that tfos present number of Ministers was quite sufficient to overtake the work in a small Dominion such as New Zealand, and, in any case, it was quite large enough in proportion to the number of members of the House. He did not say that he would not support an increased number, but it would have to be shown very clearly that such was necessary before he thought the House would be jusihified in granting the request. Asked as to what he thought would be the chief point in the minds of the electors, Mr Arnold) said that he certainly j thought it would be the future policy with regard to the land question. The legislation placed upon the Statute Book had not been strictly in accordance with the policy as first enunciated by the Ministry, and now we had new members of th«» Cabinet whose views diametrically differed on this question. On being asked as to how he thought the Houee would view the new appointments, Mr Arnold said that it was impossible to say. Several of the new Ministers were very popular amongst member*, and had followed the party faithfully for many years, and by their indxietry had earned their position. There were others. however, of whom this could not be said, in addition to' which the new Ministers were known to hold very divergent views not only upon the land que&tion, but on other very important policy questions. Everything must depend upon the agreement which they themselves had tome to as to what they thought be&t for the Dominion. As far as he himself was concerned, he was not prepared 1o criticise individual men. If they were. pieparol to carry out a progressive policy tliat was likely to tend towards the welfare <f thft whole Dominion, he cared little for the personnel.