Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, APRIL 20th, 1920. THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 April 1920, Page 2

Hokitika Guardian & Evening Star TUESDAY, APRIL 20th, 1920. THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK.

The result of the Bruce election last l week appears to have given the public a quickening interest in the polib tical outlook. Reform is chagrined to some little extent at the loss of a ■ seat held for so many years, hut the Premier is disposed to regard the position philosophically, and with a shrug of his shoulders leave the. matter where 1 it stands. Mr Massey’s majority is reduced from some fourteen to twelve, and with that margin his Ministry is perfectly safe. Shortly the Stratford seat is to be decided, and it looks as if Mr Masters, the unseated Liberal will be •- re-elected. Such being the case it is not unreasonable to expect the Governi ment to complete its Ministry without t delay, and set about a definite administrative policy. In commenting on , this aspect the Leader of the Opposition, Mr MacDonald has pointed out that so far the Prime Minister had * called to his councils only three or four novices in administrative work, - while three or four of his old colleagues remaining in the Cabinet were under- * stood to be on the point of resignation. This, Mr MacDonald contended was not fair to the country, nor indeed to Mr e Massey himself. Surely three months after the general election the people had a right to know to whom they s were to look for the administration of the different departments. The Minister for Public Works was reported to have "slated that he would not attempt to frame a policy till he had had three months to ascertain the needs of the country. This was an admirable example of the extreme caution commonly attributed to his own eoun- . trymen. Mr MacDonald, said, but if the Ministers to bo appointed two or three or six months hence followed the same course, the work of reconstruction and development would be seriously hampered. Mr Massey might think the fewer active Ministers the greater the unanimity in the Cabinet—a statement to this effect had been credited to him —but unanimity gained by lack of representation was not in keeping with the spirit of popular government. It is “up” to the Government therefore to select the remaining members of the Cabinet and set about policy work without delay. The date of the session is approaching and the new Ministers will require some little time to gather up the reins of office. Mr Coates, for example, who lias just taken the portfolio of Public Works, talks of requiring two or three months before he can propound his policy. If other Ministers to be appointed are equally wishful of time, the session will be upon us before the Ministry have a policy ready. Tin’s all tends to emphasise the fact that individually, the Reform party is lacking in men fully qualified for Ministerial rank. There are a good few novices, as Mr MacDonald calls them, and to that extent Mr Massey and his more experienced colleagues will have the heavier burden to hear. ■< While numbers are in his flavor, quality ( is no less inquired to carry on with . comparative comfort and success, and 1 it is, doubtless, the lack of quality ; which causes the delay and procrasti- - nation in constituting the re-formed i Ministry. Till this latter task is done ; the political outlook will remain some- < what obscure, and the country will ] ask in vain for a settled line of policy on the many pressing questions calling for attention.