The Feilding Star. SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 1884. A Scratch Ministry

Feilding Star, Volume VI, Issue 36, 6 September 1884, Page 2

The Feilding Star. SATURDAY SEPTEMBER 6, 1884. A Scratch Ministry

Mb Stout, when he undertook for n second time during the session to form a Ministry, appears to have been guided in making choice of his colleaguesby geographical considerations. He has thus avoided the shoals and quicksands which so rapidly engulphed the Stout- Vogel Ministry. Mr Stout, as Premier, represents Otago ; Mr Ballance, Native Minister, Wellington ; Mr Tole, Minister of Justice, Auckland ; Sir Julius Vogel, Treasurer, Mr Richardson, Minister of Public Works, Canterbury. In the Upper House, Mr Beynolds is for Otago, and Mr P. Buckley for Wellington. Thus both islands are very nearly equal so far as numbers are concerned. On the other hand, it is observable " all the talents " remain with the South Island, and that even if the vacant portfolio was allotted to a Northern man, the weight in the Cabinet of the Southern men would largely predominate and overcome that of the north. Sir Julius Vogel, Mr Stout, Mr Bichabdson, and Mr Beynolds are all men of mark and of tried ability. Mr Ballance is the only one of the three northern men who is not a neophyte in administration. Mr Tole is a "rising young lawyer," as his friends term him, and has been so for the last ten years, and will be so for the ten years to come. Ever since he entered into political life he has been a most loyal follower of Sir George Grey, and so he will remain until the end of the chapter. Mr Tole will be Sir Ggorge Grey's locum tenens on the Treasury Benches. Mr Buckley is, to some extent, an inexperienced politician, who never even " won his spurs " in a contested election for a seat in the General Assembly. What little he knows of politics has been learned while seated in the Upper House, to which branch of the Legislature he was " called " by the Grey Government. It will, therefore, be seen that in the present Ministry the South will have too much influence — in fact, more than in the Stout - Vogel Ministry which was turned out. As the Colony is determined that its business shall be done, we believe that no change will take place during the present session. It is absolutely necessary that the real position of the finances should be shown by Sir Juzjus Vogel, whose comprehensive knowledge in this connection is almost unrivalled. The figures of Major Atkinson have not always been clear to the ordinary mind, while his trick of leaving out particulars, which he considered " not necessary for the public to know," is not calculated to give confidence. Mr Stout has promised that a eelect committee shall be appointed to select the best route lor the North Island Main Trunk Railway; also, that this shall be done at once. That this promise 'will be kept we feel assured, for the member for Manawatu is not the man to forget to remind the Minuter of it. In leaving out Mr Montgomery and Mr Maoandrew, Mr Stout showed perfect good sense. The best thing he can do now is to have these two "venerables" called to the Upper House to fill the vacancies now existing. Their places in the Lower House would probably be filled by younger and more capable men. In conclusion, we hope that Mr Stout will be able to command the ship of State, during his term of office, to his own honor and for the benefit of the country.