The Daily News TUESDAY, AUGUST 7. THE NEW MINISTRY.

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

The Daily News TUESDAY, AUGUST 7. THE NEW MINISTRY.

The political suspense of the pas few weeks ended yesterday, when bi Joseph Ward announced the person u'l ol his Ministry. On the selectio nade, Sir Joseph Ward and th olonv are to he congratulated. JNo ince'the early days of Mr Seddon 'remiership—the days of -Seddon Vard, Reeves, Cadman, Mckenzie ind Co.—has there been at the hcai if affairs a Cabinet of such indivi lual and collective strength. 1 lis first important task the ne\ 'remier lias proved that he is nott je tied by conventionality. Hi ask was anything but an envrabl jne, and it can well be imagned tha t was not without a tinge of persona egret that he cut adrift his 01 1 Iriends and colleagues—Messrs T Duncan and C. H. Mills. In .erest at the present moment pnn :ipally centres around the ne\ Vlinistrs, of whom it might be sail hat their selection by Sir Josepl ft'ard but gives effect to the generall; ;xpressed wish of the people. Eacl Df the new Ministers might b described as a specialist in the dutie sf the respective portfolios allottei to them. As Minister of Marin and Labour there probably has neve been in the House an individua •ntitled to speak with mor knowledge of the two Department he will now control than the Hon Mr Millar. Vet while lie enterc< Parliament as the representative o Labour, whose confidence he ha never lost, lie has at the same tint won the confidence of the commmer cial classes, his present constituenc; :omprising essentially the mercantile community of Dunedin. We have ha occasion recently to advocate con siderable improvements in ou shipping laws, and we confidentl anticipate that Mr Millar's practica knowledge of the subject will enabl liim, while encouraging maritim enterprise, to at the same time affori further protection and safeguards fo seamen and shipping. It may b expected that more vigour will bi infused into the administration o the Lands Department by the Hon Mr McNab than has been witnessec s:n<e the late Sir John McKcnzii relinquished control. With all dut respect to Mr Duncan, it cannot bi said that there lias been am brilliancy about his administration jr any disposition to adopt a polic; suitable to the continually changing conditions. Mr McNab is a man o many parts, lie is a farmer, ; solicitor, and a scholar; a man ol ;onsiderably more than average ibility. He has long been regardet is a coming politician of the distinc ive type of which the present lligi. Commissioner, the Hon. W. P. Reeves, was a shining light. Tin. rlon. Mr Fowlds may be expected tc nake a success of the Educatior jortfolio. He has in the past helci some extreme views on many iniinrtant questions, his particular 'kink'' being the single-tax. On thie md other matters he has no doubt iunk his private opinions to conform villi the more rational views of hi: xilleagues. In the rearrangement of lie offices, the only additional ■liange of any moment is the as.umption of "Railways" by the Hon. tlr ll::ll-Jones than whom no one. ■xcept the Premier himself, is bettei nullified. With such a strong Minstry, there is every reason to expect liat the Ward Administration will oll.nv along the lines of sturdv liberalism. The very versatility ol if the Cabinet will, we lume, be ar :s.-,urance tliat Sir Joseph Ward's xilicy will be a progressive anc iound one for every class in the :omr.iunits\