WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES

(Our Special Correspondent)

SIR JAMES ALLEN’S RETIREMENT.

EXPECTED EARLY. WELLINGTON, March 24

The “Dominion” states this morning, presumably on the best authority, that the next political event of importance will be the announcement of the retirement from tho Ministry of Sir James Allen. Sir James, of course is going Home as High Commissioner and already has unloaded a large part of the administrative burden be lias been bearing during the last seven or eight years. But when the final break comes liis absence from the Cabinet room will tie a very serious loss to Mr Massey and bis colleagues and it is not easy to see bow Lis place will be adequately filled. His ripe experience, wide knowledge and indefatigable industry have been invaluable to bis party and his record shows that with all liis defects of manner and all liis peculiarities of temperament he has rendered very notable services to the country. HIS ACHIEVEMENT.

Though Sir Janies during his long years in Opposition was regarded as a high authority on finance and when he reached office was as a matter of course given charge of the Treasury, it is' rather as Minister of Defence than as Minster of Finance that he made his mark in the House. When the necessity. for additional taxation arose during the first year, of the war he did not meet file situation with the courage his successor subsequently displayed. It was left to the National Government to lay hold of the problem with both hands and to solve it by heroic means. But as Minister of Defence lie displayed both courage and intensity of purpose and in spite of bitter criticism in Parliament and outside, and in spite of inevitable mistakes in the early stages of the enterprise, ho built up a New Zealand Army in an incredible short time. "So much his most irreconcilable opponents must admit. AT THE TREASURY.

While Sir James Allen cannot be acclaimed .as a great Minister of Finance lie probably had a more intimate acquaintance with the affairs of tho Treasury than had any other member of the last Parliament, with the exception of Sir Joseph Ward and the Hon. A. M : . Myers. With Sir James and Sir Joseph out of the House and Mr Myers away on leave, the new. Minister of Finance, whoever he may be, cannot ex peefc much assistance or useful criticism from the new Parliament. It is understood that Mr Massey will take tho portfolio himself, and at the moment there seems.to be no one among those available better qualified to hold it; but the Prime Minister already is heavily over-loaded with administrative work and unless he can free himself of some of his present burdens lie cannot do justice to this new one. THE BY-ELECTIONS. There are now two by-elections in sudit and it is expected both of them will lake place during next month. The contest between Mr Masters and Mr Hine at Stratford in expected to be again a very close one, but Mr Masters having been unseated through no fault of his own, the sporting sympathy with him in his ill-luck should more than outweigh the tendency of a certain proportion of the electors in eveij constituency to vote with the side on top irrespective of all other considerations. In Bruce Sir James Allen had but a small majority, polling only 126 votes more than Mr Edie, and it is thought with a new man coming into the field, without the advantages enjoy ed by an old campaigner and a Minister of the Grown, the Liberal candidate will lie able to will the seat for his party.