The Dominion. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1909. THE MINISTRY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 427, 9 February 1909, Page 6

The Dominion. TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 9, 1909. THE MINISTRY.

Since they, were" appointed, the new members of the Ministry have been left almost quite free from criticism, but as the close season for; new Ministers niust end some time' or other it may not be considered too early to make a rough estimate of the usefulness and promise: of the.reconstructed Cabinet. The public must have been struck with the seriousness with, which Messes. Buddo, R. M'Kenzie, T. Mackenzie, Ngata, and Hogo have set about equipping themselves for their new offices. In other countries, no doubt, new Ministers .are expeoted to have a sufficient acquaintance with the broad principles of government and with the particular duties of their offices to enable them to dispense with the : solemn and prayerful travelling about to which our own five:novices, have treated themselves. Nor is it usually considered necessary A that .a new Minister should have to depend upon personal exhibition to make himself.lenown to the public: the aim of the statesman in any, older country is, usually, to make himself known by the efficiency: of his administration. But we long ago changed all that in Kew Zealand; and after all the man who nowadays becomes a Minister in this country can really enlarge his mind by a little wandering. So far all five of the-new men have aimed at confirming the impression that they are at any rate steady and safe. Mr. Hoqq, whose known inclination towards sontimental Radicalism, and whoso appointment to the portfolio of Labour thorefore caused a littlo natural uneasiness, has almost succeeded in persuadinß the public that ho is not the Minister for Labour at all, and this during a time at which labour troubles have been continuous and lively. Ho has not made one single observation, if we are not in error, that would lead anyone to suppose that he has any concern whatever with industrial affairs. But if he has done nothing as Minister for Labour, he has displayed quite a/ remarkable en. thusiasm for roads and bridges. He even hopes that he may succeed in dotting tho country with memorials in tho shape of bridges which will call up affectionate thoughts in the wayfarers of a future generation. It is not the loftiest ambition, but we should bo the last to 'encourago Me. Hogo to aim higher. No doubt wo shall know in time what inspired him to his recent onslaught upon the engineers in his Department. It suffices bore to remind him that thero is such a thing as etiquette for Ministers, and that the public interest is not served when a Minister makes a general publio assault upon his officers.

Mr, Buopo has dono littlo to assist tho public in its difficult task of realising him as Minister for Internal Affairs. He hits said a good deal to various reporters upon tho state of tho crops which have gladdened his eyes; he has said nothing respecting tho publio health. Tho one observation of any importance which we havo seen reported as coming from him waa a bald assurance, at the end of a discourso upon potatoes, that the finanoial position of tho country is sound. But doubtless Mr, Buddo is only foaling his way as yot. He has left hifl appoint-

ment still as a mystery. Mit. Ngata has been practically invisible, but he is undorstoodto be taking a holiday. Mk. R. M'Kenzie has been genuinely transacting business. It happens to have been Me. Hogg's business, and it amounted only to being present when the miners at Huntly socured good terms from the Taupiri Coal Company. ■ The-fifth', of the new Ministers is Mb. , T. Mackenzie. It would seem that travelling is congruous with Me. M'Kenzie's position as Minister in charge of Tourist Resorts, but there is surely something a little diverting in the spectacle .of the Ministor travelling through the scenery in order to equip himself for his work, and of his officials driving wapiti up to him to be inspected. It only required this to reveal the essentially comic opera character of a Tourist Department, with > Minister at its head, in a young country not yet out of the first stage of development. Like Me. Buddo, Me. Mackenzie has evidently felt that it is his duty in. any case to affirm that all is well. Unfortunately, however, ho is a more fluent talker than Me. Btjddo, and as a consequence wo have him saying at a banquet last week some very puzzling and contradictory things. "While they.knew and deplored," he said, "the , causes that had led up to the temporary depression that had been in the air, it was his opinion that these temporary depressions brought about a more healthy state of public opinion than when there -was unbounded prosperity." Hβ immediately added:" "He had every confidence in the country, and 'it was ■wrong.to talk of depression when twenty million pounds' worth of produce , was sent away every year" I ■ It is difficult not to feel that'before, he makes his next reference to the subject, he should once more repair to the hills behind his home, as ho did on a former notable occasion, and come to a definite conclusion one way or the other. But we do look with some confidence to an improvement in the Department of Industries and Commerce under his management. That costly and useless Department must either.be reformed or ended, and Mr, Mackenzie may prove to be an effective'reformer. Of the old Ministers who have now duties, there is not much to say. Mr. Millar has contrived to'cast a chill upon the'hopes.with which the country saw/him take the (-portfolio of Railways, and judgment upon him must therefore be suspended. tDK.FiNiiLAYhas made an energetic beginning as Minister for Justice, and his Department will be watched, with.muoh interest, The' Ministry as a whole has been marking time, and the general impression which it has wade is an impression of dullness. It has certainly not, yet given any reason to believe that it is better than the previous Ministry: it is only fair to add that it has given as little reason to fear that, it is worse. .".■•..■ . ■■'..:■■