THE PREMIER'S TASK.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 328, 21 January 1909, Page 3

THE PREMIER'S TASK.

I CONFESSIONS OF A OABINETI MAKER. / .OVER-WORKED MINISTERS. ! Christehurch, January 19. j I In the course of a speech given after a deputation that waited on him to-day , at Clarence Road, Addingtpn, the Prime Minister (Sir Joseph Ward) made reference to the recent re-construction of the '.Ministry. Sir Joseph said that the Dominion had been moving at a swift rate, land was doing not so badly, yet some ni the Government's critics, whenever there was the slightest indication of a iehange, thought that the skies were goag to fall. Looking at the horizon and looking at the affairs .of the Dominion, there odd not appear to be anything to disturb its prosperity, or anything to them having other than a very deal of confidence in their very fine country. pNLY ONE REPRESENTATIVE OK | THE MAORIS. He had recently had some anxiety in fconneotiom with the readjustment of HUc Government. Some people appeared to have conceived the idea that there Iwere now two representatives of the '.Maori race, and he had noticed that some had taken exception to that alleged state of affairs. He did not know 'if those critics had studied the question from a constitutional point of view, •hut the fact was that there was only one representative of the Maori race in (the Executive, and that was the Hon. Mr. Ngata. His friend and colleague, 4he Hon. Mr. Carroll, did not represent *the Maori race, but represented a (European constituency, and was returned by Europeans, and not by Maoris; therefore, those who said that tbe.e Were two representatives of the Maori Tace in the Ministry were misleading 'themselves and were misleading the (public Mr. Carroll was a very highlyeducated half-caste, and. with the (knowledge he possessed of the Maori fracc, would find it extremely difficult iu\ •the position he held not to bring to bear on questions affecting the Maori race Ithat intimate knowledge of it that he possessed. The law of the country gave the Government power to appoint a member of the native race, and the Government had done so.

I SEVENTEEN 7 INTO THREE. I A very grave responsibility had been least upon his (Sir Joseph's) shoulders fin reconstructing the Ministry. As (head of the Government, he had a very hrido responsibility. If the head of the Government could give effect to his own (wishes, if lie could only include hi* (friends in the Ministry, he would he the fliappiest man, on eartii. If a man ImA « Iproblem to divide 17 in 2 or into 3, and fcould solve it, then he ought to be Itaken out of that particular ruck in life that he was in and raised to a liiglier position. He (Sir Joseph) had tfouud it a difficult job to divide- fifteen onto two or into three. Naturally, there •thad been expressed different views of iris action, but that action was the refault of an honest effort which had expended over a long period. The problem had been an extremely difficult one. land one of the most unpleasaat jobs he had had to do. He only trusted tlut Ihis action would be justified by the judgment of the future. BSCBBASE IN WORK AND DBPARTI MECTS. i The Government as it stood reflected «ajd Sir Joseph, the. ideas of the ]>cop)c generally. The increased number of I)e----jpartments had proved too many for the •number of Ministers. Despite the fact (that the Administration were handling 1.£0,000,000 annually, and were conduct jng more. Departments, thej-e were sonu •men in New Zealand who were so fas tortious and so parsimonious that th'-'V (demurred at the suggestion to pay an tether Minister; yet, if a farmer who Mien .farming a small area, employee ione man, was told when he increasetl !iis a«reage to carry on the work wit! lonly one assistant, he would look rouiit Wid'ask, "Wat do you take me for? Bo when it came to the controlling ol t£»,000,000. and a greater number ol [Departments than hitherto, men wc« Ifound who took the narrow view of th< Ipeoplc he had referred to. Such critic, hpparently would like to sec men grim (themselves to death rather than giv< Itheni extra assistance to permit of tin hvork being done. For the reason indi fcated he had felt it incumbent upoi trim, as being in charge of the practica (administration of the. affairs of W leountry, to see that Ministers had mor, Assistance in the administration of th ■lcounltrv*» affairs. The country nms Jiave niore efficient administration, am iinore hands were needed to assist. l He hoped that during the next threi (years at least they would be able tj torv on the affairs of New Zealand Mtto the satisfaction of every uhUti . dual—that was impossible-but tomeel Hire views of the mass of the people s< (as to ensure at least the recognit.o. ham the great mass o the people t a they had tried to do their duty. Th Kvas the most that public opinion con; lexpect. They might have their d.ffei lent degrees of capacity, in that the? were like other people, but they wen (working with the object of doing the' test, and if that were done they coul< not do any more. (Hear, hear.)