THE NEW MINISTRY

Taranaki Daily News, Volume XLVII, Issue 8175, 7 August 1906, Page 2

THE NEW MINISTRY

CONSTITUTION O c THE CABINET. The following are the portfolios allotted in Sir Joseph Ward's Ministry. The Ministers were sworn in yesterday afternoon. Sir J. G. WARD (Southland)— l'-ime Minister, Colonial Treasurer, J'oslniaster-Gcneral, Commissioner of Telegraphs, Minister for industries and Commerce, Minister in Charge International Exhibition. Hon. W. HALL-JONES (Canterbury)— Minister for Railways, Minister for Public Works.

Hon. J. CARROLL (Poverty Bay) —Native. Minister, Commissioner of Stamps and Deeds. Hon. J. McGOWAN (Thames) — Minister for justice, Minister for Mines,, Minister for Immigration. Hon. A. PITT (Nelson) —AttorneyGeneral, Colonial Secretary, Minister for Defence. Hon. J. A. MILLAR (Otago)— Commissioner of Customs, Minister for Labour, Minister for Marine. Hon. R. McNAB (Southland) — Minister for Lands, Minister for Agriculture. Hon. G. FOWLDS (Auckland) — Minister for Education, Minister for Public Health. FROM POSTBOY TO PREMIER. SIR JOSEPH WARD'S CAREER. From post boy to Premier is a fairly long stride, but that is the sort of step which Sir Joseph Ward lias taken.

Sir Joseph has lived a fairly long' time, if the term of his years is called "half a century"—he was born in 1856—but it must be remembered that nowadays the Irish habit of regarding a man as a boy till he is forty has come into general vogue, and accordingly the Premier-elect is a stripling. As the world grows older its men grow younger, in a way. At three score and ten, Mr Joseph Chamberlain should be mumbling childish inanities—-frut impartial critics agree that he is as young as ever in his determination to have a pan-Britannic federation which which will have links more solid than the silken loops of sentiment. At fifty, Sir Joseph has his life before him still, though he has left some writings on the walls of the past.

11c has been so long' a New Zealander, that the slight sin of having his birthplace in Victoria may be easily forgiven him. With his parents he eamo to the Awarua district when he was quite a toddler, and not many summers had passed by before he was outstripping his compeers in feats of body and mind. The other day an old resident of Southland made a humiliating confession. He said that the miners among whom the youthful Joseph used to play were quick to notice that he had a gift of oratory, and induced him to give "stump speeches" from a log or any other eminence that happened to be handy. In his early days the lad did not pore long over physics, astronomy, mathematics, and the other abstruse things which expand the foreheads of the present rising generation. After learning the P's and Q's and his three R's in a primary school, he accepted the awesome responsibility of messenger boy, at the age of thirteen, in the Postal Department, but after a brief run there the possibilities of commerce captivated him. He entered a merchant's office, but again he was very soon attacked by the fever of change. In 1576 he tried the Railway Department, but a year of this satisfied him that the prospect of holding a portfolio in that sphere was too 'distant to bo exciting. The grain trade look his fancy, and held it till he flourished into a-large exporter, with agencies in Australia. In the meantime he was "starring" as a local politician. When he was a youth of twenty-one he had all the glory of a borough councillor of Campbelltown, and presently he had the dignity of the Mayoralty upon him. lie was aiso the headpiece of other local bodies down south, and of course Parliamentary honours had to follow. lie crossed the threshold of the House in ISS7, and three years later he was Post-master-General. "Railways" and Colonial Secretary followed in i'By7, and the roll of his portfolios was subsequently swelled with the inclusion of Public Health, Commerce, Tourist and Health Resorts. It is sufficient praise to say that critics who have mercilessly tilted at the Liberal Government in general, have recognised Sir Joseph Ward's busi-ness-like methods. "Penny post," classification of the Post and Telegtaph Departments, railway superannuation, floating the advances to settlers loan at 3 per cent.—these are just a few of his performances to give an idea of his calibre. One re ward came in 1901—knighthood, with the visit of the Duke of York Personally, Sir Joseph Ward is suave, but there is strength in his sweetness. In bodily appearance he looks such a man as Caesar liked to have about him, but he has none of the easy-going attributes usually associated with the absence' of gauntness. His moustaches are turned out to fine ends, and they are the character pointers. A neatlymodelled fortress, not at all horrifying to the eye, may tempt an enemy to hastily take liberties which the shot of a masked battery may cause him to leisurely regret. That is Sii joseph He is pleasant, obliging, will sing a song on a steamer, will be courteous to all ijion as Jong* as the.v treat him fairly, but he can be pungent once his ire is roused by an attack which lie considers unwarranted. He has proved often enough that he could hit, alid hit hard, when gentlemen came to him "looking for trouble."

His tongue, moved bv the machinery of a keen mind, is a strongWeapon. Mis utterance is as clear as the note of a cathedral bell. There ate no ragged edges to his words. 1 ney come fast, but neatlv cut, resonant from the lips. Energy, pvogresSiveness, have been the salient features of his career. "Figures" ho is called bv the man m the street, who deeply respects his mathematical abilities,' but they are only units in a larger sum. In the work of his departments he is wel posted He is an op , imist and, while ho thus wins favour wth some, others view his sanguine, disposition with distrust. Optimism in financial matters makes careful people into doubters, and Sir Joseph "ill have to pursue a verv careful financial policy ere he gains the full confidence of the people of the col ony as a steady-going- financier. 1 he recognition won bv the Ministct _on his recent travels should remind New Zealanders that 1 th.l\ T7" cr «M nHt il nono » tit v f■ i n " !,c Wcnt '» Rome f"' the Postal Conference 1„. hj„ ! ■ mention of "doing- as Rome does " , Rome do as he did and I'C nearly effected that revers of r nns,^o ' , '• i,r ,r,r!; ( '"r'l ,' mi "'° SS lhc of ' T|, ,i rn . i here, riehi oul,!°! towers all trcqtnfl hi clforts, and thev st-iv In H™ "" loy '' , " v ''"ring his sui in their coimtrv.

means gave him a good start in life, but it is more than probable that he would have been successful without this assistance. In his early youth he forcibly demonstrated that he was possessed of marked ability, and set out in pursuit of scholarships and scholastic distinctions with a vim and determination which knew no falurc. He has practised at the Bar, farmed land, given his support to advanced educational movements, and an untiring devotion to politics, lie is recognised in the House as a politician who has a good grasp of political questions. lie is a lucid and vigorous speaker, a skilled debater, and always a good friend to the novice in the art of government. In committee work in the House he has proved himself to be one of the most useful members. Physically, Mr McNab is a big man, built on robust lines. Years ago it was predicted he would attain to Ministerial rank, and'rumour has it that on two occasions he declined a position in the Cabinet.

Mr McNab nrst gained a seat in the House in tStj3, when he defeated Mr Richardson for Mataura. lie is the eldest son of the late Alexander McNab, of Knapsdalo Station, who came out to Australia from Scotland in 1840, and to Southland in 1855, where he was afterwards Speaker of the Provincial Council. Mr McNab was born in Southland in 1864, and received his early education at the Invercargill Grammar School, of which institution he was dux in 1579. He entered the Otago University the following year, and there matriculated, In 1883 he obtained his B.A. degree, taking the senior mathmatical scholarship of the New Zealand University of that year. In 1884, <, at the age of 20, he took his M.A. degree, with honours in mathematics and matliemaical physics. He entered the office of Messrs Smith, Chapman, Sinclair, and White in iSSO, and three years later he was admitted to the Bar. Next year he removed to Invercargill, where he commenced the practic of his profession, and in the same year he obtained the degree of LL.B. from his old university. Mr McNab has prominently associated himself with volunteering for a long time. He was at one time a member of the U Battery in Dunedin, and in 1887 lie obtained command of the North Dunedin Rifles, a position which he held until his removal to Invercargill. He was also a prominent rifle shot in those days. He competed at the N.Z.R.A.'s meeting at Blenheim in 1888, and won the champion bolt of his company in iSSy. In Invercargill he has held the command of the G Battery of Artillery. Of public positions he had more than his share before he entered the House. Ho has been a member of the Southland Education Board and a governor of the high schools. Education has always received close and earnest attention from him. As far back as 1890 lie was working strenuously for the establishment of Saturday training classes for teachers and others in Invercargill, and always urged the necessity for training schools for young men and young women. While lie occupied the position of President of the Southland Teachers' Institute he did much for the profession, and these services are still kindly remembered. Mr McNab is strongly opposed to denominational education, and is an ardent supporter of our present ; system of free, secular, and ; compulsory tuition. In the House he has been recognised by Government and Opposition members alike as a politician of more than average ; ability.