The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1930. THE NEW LEADER

Southland Times, Issue 21089, 22 May 1930, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. THURSDAY, MAY 22, 1930. THE NEW LEADER

The issue of a piece of important news by the United Party at night is an event sufficiently uncommon to be significant, but the announcement does, little more than confirm expectations. Mr Forbes was regarded almost as a certainty, and as soon as it was known that Sir Joseph Ward was expected to retain his seat and to remain in the Cabinet, popular opinion centred on the member for Hurunui as the logical sue--cessor to the ex-Prime Minister. Evidently the only rival he had was Mr Ransom, but it would appear that before the caucus met it was fairly well-known among the members of the United Party that Mr Forbes would be selected. Mr Forbes succeeded Mr Wilford and took over the Liberal Party after the member of Hutt had given it the name of Nationalist, in a feeble attempt to capture public attention with a new title, but in the subsequent election the Nationalists cut a poor figure and had their numbers further reduced. Then came the organization of the United'Party, and Mr Forbes led his Nationalists into the new organization under his old chief. Sir Joseph must have welcomed the chance to elevate this staunch Liberal to Ministerial rank, because in a long career Mr Forbes never once wavered in his allegiance to the party under whose banner he entered politics. He was not enamoured of the

title Nationalist, and doubtless would not be averse now to a return to the old love. He is taking up a heavy task. In spite of the enthusiastic propagandists, the United Party has fallen a long way short of its election promises, and though this change in leaders may be convenient as a means'of jettisoning some of them, the fact remains that the achievements so far recorded have been more showy than real. Mr Forbes can point to a number of sub-divisions carried out under his administration- of the Department of Lands, but it is too soon to express any opinion on these activities one way or the other, except to say that in the majority of them the number of applications has not given proof of the attractiveness of the Department’s schemes, while very little new land has been brought in under these proposals. This country still waits for a comprehensive scheme from the United Party to enlarge the area of improved land, and to make way for increased production through extensions in the acreage being developed. The sub-division of first-class land usually does not lead to increased production without a marked swelling of capital charges, and so the country looks for schemes which will bring into use land that is practically non-produc-tive at the present time. Land settlement is a blessed phrase. It has a fine sound, but people have become suspicious of phrases and their first wish is to see land settlement that is truly developmental. Many doubt the wisdom of dispossessing experienced and successful farmers for the purposes of adding to the numbers on the land when the newcomers are less experienced and have to carry the burden of increased capitalization due to the cost of sub-division. Mr Forbes has yet to tackle, this side of the problem. The new Ministry will be awaited with .interest. Reconstruction, it is believed, will not include elimination, but the public will await with interest the name of the new Minister of Finance. Of course, Sir Joseph Ward’s presence in the Cabinet will be useful, and presumably his influence will be centred largely on questions of finance, but it will be interesting to see who will take up this portfolio, since on the holder of it will fall much of the criticism during the next session. Possibly Mr Forbes will take it himself, in the re-arrangement of duties, which will be the principal feature of the reconstruction. It looks as if one member of the party will be called in, but though there has been a fair amount of speculation on this point very little is known outside of the ranks of the party. Undoubtedly the claims of the North Lsland will be pressed, but the country will expect Mr Forbes to carry out the construction of his Cabinet without thought of geographical claims, and if the North Island strength in the Ministry is increased there need be no complaint so long as the changes are justified by merit. These recent events should not affect the preparations for the coming session. The United Party really is bound by its programme of the 1928 election. That election was won largely by,Sir Joseph Ward, but the party went in committee to the programme he laid down, and it must stand by the undertakings it then gave. In the coming session the House will be critical and probably there will be an early challenge to see how the members stand, but unless something of an unexpected nature happens between now and then, Mr Forbes will probably survive a no-confidence motion and will be given a chance to show what he and his Ministers are made of.