The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JANUARY 12th, 1926. CABINET RECONSTRUCTION.

Hokitika Guardian, 12 January 1926, Page 2

The Guardian And Evening Star, with which is in corporated the West Coast Times. TUESDAY, JANUARY 12th, 1926. CABINET RECONSTRUCTION.

Now that the holidays are over, considers the “Lyttelton Times,” Mr Coates must face the task .of reconstructing his Cabinet. The financial year is drawing to its close, and measure.s lor submission into Parliament will require the attention of the new .Ministry. Throe ol the Ministers who ivt re associated with the late Mr Massey hare either retired or have announced their intention to retire. Sir hraueis Bell, Attorney-General, .Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, Minister of Defence. Commissioner of Slate Forests, and Minister in charge of several minor Departments, and the Hon D. H, Guthrie, member of the Executive Council, are not expected to retain office, and there is a consensus of opinion that Sir James Parr. Minister of Education, Postmaster-General, and Minister ol Justice, will shortly .succeed Sir Janies Allen as High Commissioner, These vacancies should make the task of the Prime Minister more easy by providing for the admission of new blood. It is to he hoped that Mr Coates will seize the opportunity to include in his Cabinet some ol the more progressive members of his party. The marked tendency to do the wrong thing at the wrong time, which has characterised the Reform Ministry for years, should he cheeked by the inclusion of members with some commercial knowledge, providing they arc available. For years the Cabinet, as a whole, has been sadly lacking in knowledge of economies, and the commercial and industrial interests of the country have 'been utterly ignored, i There is need for Ministers with business training and commercial knowledge, if only to free the Cabinet from tlie influence of the associated banks, which has reacted to the detriment of the Dominion. This was conspicuously the case in the matter of exchange rates. Had the Ministry possessed any knowledge of the conditions, it could have secured an adjustment for the benefit of the primary producers. Had the representatives of the primary producers themselves realised to what an extent the country was in the hands of the hanks, how completely the Government had failed to understand the position, and how easily a remedy, though not a complete remedy, of course, could have been applied by a courageous Ministry, there would have been some very outspoken criticism on the part of its supporters. During the year the country may have to face difficult times, and, above everything, it needs a Cabinet with not only a knowledge of the position, hut also a knowledge ol the measures that should be adopted. If tlie reconstructed Cabinet does not possess that knowledge, then \ c lieg that it will have a knowledge is own limitations. We do not ask for imagination in the handling of national affairs—such a request would be futile- but for understanding. Thu at least, would save the Dominion from a repetition of the worst blonde, of the past eight or ten years.