WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(Our Special Correspondent). RECONSTRUCTING THE CABINET. THE RECENT APPOINTMENTS. WELLINGTON, March 5. The familiar phrase “so far so good” closely enough summarises the popular, view Of the recent appointments to the Cabinet. Mr Lee and Mr Parr are not brilliant politicians, but they 'are eminently “safe.” They both fire lawyers, meinbefs of the profession generally supposed to be endowed avith the gift of speech, but by those who know them best they are expected to add rather to the aclifiinistrative strength of the Ministry than to its debating ability. Mr Lee came into the House at the election of 1911 and has proved himself an exceptionally industrious and pledging member and ofight to make an admirable Minister of Justice. Mr Pair “arrived” fit the election of 1914 with a good record in local politics and is held by his friends to be particularly avell qualified for the office of Minister Of Education. RETIRING MINISTERS.

The retirement of Sir William Fraser and Sir William Hetries has been taken for granted for some time past, both these gentlemen having expressed a desire to be relieved froin the worries and responsibilities of office; hut the retirement of Sir Francis Bell has come as a surprise to the public. Sir Francis has been such a tower of strength to the Reform Government all through its career, both in the Cabinet room and in the Legislative Council, that it was expected he would he induced to “carry on” for some years longer. However, he lias now fixed the end of next session as the limit of the sacrifices he can make in the public service and his place in the Ministry will be extremely hard to fill. Mr Massey foreshadows 'two other changes, possibly three,” his intention apparently being to bring the numerical strength of the Cabinet up to nine, exclusive of the representative of the Native Race. “THE BEST BRAINS.”

The dream of a Cabinet constituted of the “best brains” in the Hou l -‘.* irrespective of party, which never was taken very seriously by those acquainted with the difficulties that stood in the way of its realisation, is now well high forgotten. But the “Evening Post” by way of saving its face, it may be, makes a passing allusion to the political arcadia. “The Prime Minister,” it says, “owes it to the country to put Kis working team in harness as soon as possible and this duty is still only partly performed. If he does not fall into the error ot overloading himself, he should be able to draw round him a ministerial gdoup worthy of the country and of the unexampled opportunity now presented. And we still hope that his vision will not necessarily he limited by the narrow line of an unreal partyism.”.This is the last we are likely to hear of the “Best Brains” dream. LOOKING ON.

To-day, while his political opponents are exercising themselves with all these perplexing problems, Sir Joseph Ward is leaving for a six or seven weeks’ trip to Australia, where business has been calling him for three or four years past'. On his return he will prepare for a similar mission to the Old Country and probably will be away from the Dominion till tlie end of the year. Questioned on the subject this morning, lie laughed at the suggestion that he might remain in London in some representative capacity. “Such an idea has never entered my head,” he said, “nor, I think I can safely say, the head of Mr Massey. New Zealand is my home and it is always good enough for me.” He was just as concise in his answer to a question concerning his political future. That was all in the air and depended upon the people, not upon himself. He was not thinking politics, in the personal sense, just now.