WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 13 February 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

(Oar Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Feb 9 THE WEAKENED MINISTRY. It seems co w to ba taken for grant' ed, though no defioita announcement on fha aubj;ct bat bleu made, that Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward will not be back in Wellington before the end of May or the b ginning of Jane, and naturally some curiosity is being felt h-.re as to how the Ministry will get along in the meantime. Dr McNab’s death will throw a good deal of additional work apon Ministers whose hands already are more than full and the demands upon them are not likely to grow less daring the next throe or foar months. If twelve Ministers were necessary to cope with the business of the country eighteen mouths ago, twenty would not be too many to-day, and yet the number has been redaced to nine, and two of those are honorary members of the Cabinet who ought not to be expected to give up the whole of their time to the public service. That Sir Francis Bell and Mr Hanan are doing excellent work in spite of their anomalous positions everyone knows, but it is about time the public began to realiee that the oiroumstances being what they are Ministers cannot be at the beck and call of every individual who has a request to prefer or a grievance to air. THE LIBERAL LEADERSHIP A more delicate, but less serious question is the Liberal leadership daring Sir Joseph Ward’s absence. Precedence, or seniority or whatever else distinguidbes one junior Minister from another is not of much moment when the leader of the party is present, but w'uen he is away it is quite another matter. Dr McNab made an ideal locum tenons for his chief, in that he was scrupulously loyal to the spirit of the i party truce aud possessed the entire confidence of the leaders on the other side. There is much speculation as to his successor. If seniority is to deoide the matter, as presumably it did in the ease of Dr McNab himself, the choice will fa’l upO'.'i M< G. W R iHteil ; but it , is an open secret that either Mr MacDonald or Mr Myera would be ■ more acceptable to a majority of the , Cabinet, and of coarse, at the moment , the Acting Minister of Finance is , bolding Sir Joseph Ward’s most im- j portant portfolio. ] People-who see significance in the | fact that Mr Russell rode with Mr , Allen and Mr Harries ahead of his Liberal colleagues at the ceremony in connection with Dr MoNab’s funeral .... i ] are straining after Bigns and portends. The appointment will have to be made from London. PARLIAMENTARY REPRESENTATION. Mr Rnßßeil’a statement that no Commission will be Bet up to define the new electoral boundaries till after the next session of Parliament has re* vived the hopes of the proportional repreaentationists that the Government is seriously considering the adoption of tbeir cure fox the political ills of the country.

TLe Minister’s own explanation of the delay—that it is undesirable the new boundaries should be made known while there are two sessions of the present Parliament ahead—will carry conviction to no 009. In war time it is necessary to withhold from the public information that would be of value to the eDemy, but the readjustment of the people’s representation can hardly be included in this category. Nor would Mr Russell or anyone else think of suggesting that a mem. bar’s zeal on behalf of hi« constituents would be lessened by the knowledge that be might not require the assistance of fome of them at the next general election. TheD, if the Government really has proportional representation in contemplation, it ought to let the electors know as early as possible so that they might have an opportunity to discuss the proposal in all its phases before its submission to Parliament. Surprise legislation on a question of chis sort would be utterly inexcusable.