The Daily News THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26. SIR JOSEPH WARD'S CABINET.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 285, 26 November 1908, Page 2

The Daily News THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 26. SIR JOSEPH WARD'S CABINET.

Now that the elections are over, Sir Joseph Ward is iaeed with the problem' of iilliiig the vacancies in the Cabin H caused by the promotion of the Hon. W. Halljoues and the defeat at the poll of the lion. it. Ah-Nab. There is liie possibility also that the Premier may, is was niiited last session, increase the number of Cabinet Ministers, whose work within recent years has increased enormously. Jn any case, two vacancies remain to be lilled, and there is no doubt these will he lilled from members of the Lower House.

The portfolio that presents the greatest uilhculty, in making an appointment that will be popularly received by all classes, is tnat of Lands and Agriculture, iliere are several aspirants to the ollice, but of those who .perhaps might be considered to have prior party claims, .Messrs. Unuenson and Hogg are out of court for the very obvious reason that their individual views on the laud question do not conform to those of the farming community as a whole.

Hie auility ol these gentlemen, and purj ticularly Mr. Laurenson, is universally .recognised, but as administrators -of the Lanus JJeparline.nt of the Dominion is not within tncir sphere. <>i the reli.aoiiiig nu iiiucis viio on ilie slop.: of l'arihuiientiiry service have ciainis for preferment Messrs. \V. i'. Jennings, i l '. lyiiwiy, X. Mackenzie, J. S. Thomson and I'. Witty at once suggest Womsckes. iiicae niea are all stauncii lreciioulus, and each has a long and llonurable Parliamentary career to recommend linn. Mr. Frank Lawry would perhaps have had the best chance of pro-

motion, and his appointment would moreover have been a .popular one, but for various reasons quite unpolitical he lias allowed his opportunity to slip by. I Jlr. G. Witty must be considered, alj though we scarcely think he will be the Premier's elect. Jlr. Jlaekeirzie, we have 'every reason to believe, would make a most successful Jlmister for Lands, and a vorliiy administrator of 'the Department once «» capably controlled by his illustr.ous name-sak-.. in.late Sir -John .Mackenzie, i here are reasons, However, which, malic it unlikely that Jlr. Mackenzie will attain Cabinet rank for some time to come. In the first place, his full conversion to -Sir Joseph Ward's policy is of too recent happening to warrant the J'rumier passing over members who have given long and loyal support to the Government. While Jtr. Jlaclccnzie :iever allied himself with tlie Opposition, lie maintained so independent an attitude that lie was never looked upon as a party man nt all. Accordingly, although his selection might be a popular one with the country, it certainly would not be warmly received by the Government members of the House', and of this no doubt the Premier is fully cognisant.

That narrows the field down to a choice between Mr. J. C. Thomson, the popular member for Wallace, and Mr. W. T. Jennings, member for Taumarunui, who is niiicii better and more favorably known in these parts. Mr. Thomson, ia the representative of a purely farming electorate, and is recognised as one of the coming men in Parliament. Mr. Jennings also is a member who possesses the confidence of the fanning community as a whole, and is recognised as oae of the most indefatigable. members in the interests of land settlement and of the backblocks that there is in the House, lie possesses further the recommendation that he is a North Island members, and as the ditliculties of land settlement are at present almost peculiar to this Island, it is reasonable to expect, since there arc no AlcXabs in the field, and other considerations being equal, that the ne.vj Minister for Lands should be chosen from the North Island. We incline lo the opinion, therefore, that Air. Jen nin'gs should have the best chance 01 preferment for the position. Thai lua appointment would be popular in Tara naki goes without saying, and that it would meet with approval in all parrs of the Dominion we believe. Already, to mention only a few of the newspaper opinions that have come under our notice, we have noted that the AucKi-i id Star, the Fanners' Union Advocate, and the Duuedin Star have recommended his selection. l''or the remaining vacancy in the Cabinet, our opinion is that Mr. Laurenson or Air. Witty—the former more probably—will receive the position. tt is quite likely that there will also be n shuffling of the portfolios at prese.it held by members of the Cabinet. it is well known that Mr. Jlillar is anxious to be relieved of the task of controlling the Labor Department, in which lie has a most anxious and arduous lime, and there is little doubt that will he Air. Hall-Jones' successor in charge of Railways. Mr. Laurenson is well equipped from his experience to assume the portfolios of Customs. Aiarine and Labor now held by Air. Millar. Should the Cabinet be increased, the new appointment would probably be from th" l-i.wi House. There is, however. tl i-i i.'kv possibility in the re-arrangeni.-.iL tint has not generallv been taken into account. We refer to the pru'nb'e r ... tirement of the Hon. .1. McGowai. A> a Minister of the Crown, he is quite out of touch with the people, and w.iile he might be a capable Alinister fo- Mines, he is certainly not * success as .Minis' tor for Justice. We cannot sec that he has been any greater a success than the Hons. T. Dtrnean and C. H. Mills, both of whom have been superseded since Sir Joseph Ward assuiiiefPTlie reins of office and we are certain that a much stronger and more capable man in the Hon.°A. R. Guinness, the present Speaker, o onM at once be appointed. Air. Guinness leis special qualifications for the. portfolio of Justice, and as the representative of a distinctly coal and gold-mining district, is fully acquainted with the requirements of that important industry I