WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3444, 25 March 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

SIR JAMES“'z ALLEN ’s RETIRE- ‘ MENT.

EX} ECTED EARLY.

5-‘pe(.‘al correspondent.)

vs ELLINGTON, March 2-1.

The I-'(minion states this mom ng, p‘: -an:-bly on the best authority, tltat the next political event of importance will be the announcement of the retirement from the 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 he has been hearing during the last seven or eight years. But when the final break comes his absence from the Cabinet room will be a very serious loss to Mr Massey and his colleagues, and it is not easy to see how his place will be adequately filled. his ripe experience, wide knowledge, and indefatigable industry have been invaluable to his party, -and his record shows that with all his defects of manner and all his peculiarities of temperament, he has rendered very notable service to the country. HIS ACHIEVEMENT. Though Sir James during his long years in Opposition, was regarded as a high authority on Finance, and when he reached oflice was, as a matter of" course, given charge of the Treasury, it is rather as Minister of Defence than as Minister 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 the 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, he 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, he built up a New Zealand army in an incredible short time. So much his most irreconcilable opponent. must admit. ‘ AT THE TREASURY. While Sir James Allen cannot be acclaimed as a great Minister of Finance, he probably had a more intimate acquaintance with the atfairs of the 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 Minis- T ter, of Finance,‘ who ever he may he, cannot expect much assistance or useful criticism from-the new Parliament. It is understood that. Mr Massey will take the 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 overloaded with administrative work, and unless he can free himself from some of his present burdens he cannot. do justice to this new one. THE BY-ELECTIONS. There are now two "by-elections in sight, and it is expected both of them will take place during next month. The contest between Mr Masters and Mr Hine, at Stratford, is expected to be 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 pro~ portion of the electors in every 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 enjoyed by an old campaigner. and a Minister of the Crown, the Liberal candidate will be able to win the seat for his party.