WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 May 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

CABINET RECONSTItUCTION. APPROACHING COMPLETION. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, May 25. The Prime Minister announced a further step towards the completion of the reconstruction of his Cabinet on Sunday evening and forthwith left for Auckland, where, it is understood, ho proposes to take a few days’ rest in preparation lor the arduous labours of the approaching session. No one will grudge Mr Coates a brief respite from the endless activities which have been j thrust upon him. since the beginning of the year bv a public that has insisted for decades past upon making its Ministers the slaves of political conventionalities. But lie is far too old a campaigner to imagine that in the seclusion of the Queen City he will escape from the iteration of the cribieixm that is being levelled against Luis latest effort towards rehabilitating Mr Massey’s sadly depleted Cabinet. Tho local newspapers, for the most part, accept Mr R. A. Wright’s promotion to Cabinet rank ns an inevitable recognition of unquestioning loyalty to bis party, but none of them alfcct to believe that as Minister of Education he will fill adequately the shoes of his immediate predecessor. The “ Evening Post,” usually the .most courteous of"critios, administers a cruel blow to the Government l.i.v saying that Mr Wright will make a much needed addition to the debating power of the Front benches.

PROLONGED TRAVAIL. The " New Zealand Times,” now tho most consistent of Mr Coates’s jonm

list-ic friends, deals with the incident in one of its bantering veins. ‘‘ After considerable and prolonged travail, it says. “Cabinet has produced a now j Minister for Education, a readjustment of certain portfolios, aml the promise of a Minister of Ptihlic Berks to succeed Mr Coates. R is not ■’ spectacular accouchement. V ellington will have a special interest in the affair because til the lata that Mi B- A. Wright has been called to the Ministry ; he has accepted the portfolio recently relinquished by Sir James lan. We congratulate Mr Wright, as every Parliamentarian so honoured must be congratulated. The member for Suburbs hits been for well over a decade a conscientious and indcta'tigable worket for Reform. He possesses a humility rather rare in your average politician. Far from advertising himself, he has been content to do bis best among the party hewers of wood and drawers of water.” Here is Mr Wright as the Press Gallery knows him well, and it honours him. -not so much tor jhis talents as for his modest estimation of. himself. ' THE BURDFN OF OFFICE.

Rut the “New Zealand Times ” dies not conclude the matter with this appropriate appreciation. “ lf‘ devotion to party and uncommon modesty were the deciding factors.” it goes on to

say. “Mr Wright’s claim to Ministerial preferment would be unchallengeable. Also on his side is a lengthy record of commendable municipal service --which includes experience in the Mayoral

office. But more than these things are necessary to qualify a mem her tor one of the most important portfolios in

Cabinet: at least, that is our opinion. This country is paying well over, three millions for its education system, and is not golfing the results. 'I here have been' too many experimentalists, or faddists, in control, and the product bears a strong resemblance to a patchwork quill. The lack, over years, ol a

clear-headed, continuing policy has proved both costly and unsatisfactory. Mr Wright may he able to right, the

situation; again, he may not. Without disrespect we suggest that n less formidable portfolio might have been

entrusted to him.” One may join with the “ Times,” also respectfully, in suggesting that Mr Wright might. have boon entrusted with a lighter burden than the one that has been imposed upon him by party exigencies. i! HA D.TFKTM ENTS. Mr K. .1. Holies.on’s appointment to the ofliee of A’ttorney-Oeneral. previously held hv Sir Francis Hell, is meeting with general approval, even from the members of '(!>e legal profession. who realise that in this high and responsible ofliee personal qualities count for as much as does technical knowledge. .Mr Holleston has justified his promotion to .Ministerial rank quickly and Mr Downie Stewart being disinclined to Lake up future work ether than the Treasury demanded fro'm. him the additional burden naturally fell to his colleague from Timaru. Mr Xosworthy’s appointment as T’ost-liiaster-deneral and Minister,of External Affairs, alter he had beendeprived of bis previous portfolios, came as a surprise to most folks here, blit, those permitted a .peep behind the scenes predicted Weeks ago that Air Coates's task of reconstruction would not* involve the ejection of one of his oldest colleagues. Again the loeal public is well content with the issue. Sir Heaton I’bodes, presumably, ilias been appointed- leader of tlio Legislative Council only during Sir Francis Hell’s absence from the Dominion, and with that understanding he will not find his task a very arduous one. It has been suggested, however, that while Sir Francis is away an attempt may he made to administer the coup do grace to the Legislative Council Act. providing for the election of the second Chamber- under the proportional representation system, which has been suspended since the beginning of the war. and in that case a much Jess scrupulous leader than Sir Heaton would he required.