CABINET RECONSTRUCTION.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXX, Issue 443, 5 December 1908, Page 2

CABINET RECONSTRUCTION.

Tint press of the Dominion has been speculating as to probable successors in the Cabinet to the Hon. Hall-Jones, Minister of Railways and the Hon. McNab Minister of Lands. The Post says in Mr Jennings, whose claims are being very strongly urged by the freehold party as successor to Mr McNab, they must recognise a freeholder of the most dangerous type. He concurs in the desire of Mr Massey and the Farmers’ Union to let the Crown tenants purchase the freehold of their lands at the original valuation, at any | rate in the “ outlying districts ” a proposal which is utterly opposed to equity, and was decisively rejected by a majority of the late House at the instance of the Ministry. On personal grounds, as well as on the score of his familiarity with the needs of the farmer, Mr Jennings is considered to have a strong claim to a portfolio, but if Ministers are of the same opinion, the portfolio of Agriculture would give scope for his special knowledge without the execution of that righ-about-face which would be involved by putting him in charge of the Lauds Department. For the same reason, and also because after years of doubt he has only just dropped from the rail on to the Liberal side of the fence, Mr T. Mackenzie cannot be regarded as seriously in the running. Of the candidates who could be relied upon to stand by the present law and to champion State rights against private monopoly at every turn, Messrs Hogg and Laurenson are the most prominent. Mr Hogg has tor years done good service for the leasehold cause, but neither on the platform not on the floor of the House has he anything like the same force as the member tor Lyttelton. Apart from the laud question, on which he has done excellent work, Mr Laurenson is one of the ablest and best-informed men in the House, and his inclusion in the Ministry would add so greatly to its debating power, that the Premier will be making a great mistake if he consented to his being passed by. If room could be found for both Mr Laurenson and Mr Jennings, each party to the land controversy would have a solid guarantee (or the maintenance of the status quo. The point next in impoi lance is the selection of a successor to Mr Hall-Jones as Minister of Railways. Mr J. A, Millar is clearly the best man available, but he is just as clearly the right man for Minister ot Labour, and there seems no reason why he should not hold both portfolios if the less important portfolio of Customs were passed on to somebody else.