GAINING GROUND.

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 258, 1 May 1912, Page 4

GAINING GROUND.

It is gratifying to note how quickly the new Ministry is gaining confidence in the country after the extremely qualified reception of its personnel at its formation. Nowhere has this been more marked than in the North Island in general and in Taranaki in particular. And it is on their merits alone that the members of the Cabinet have scored this success. In no sense aggressive or revolutionary, they have proved themselves to be able platform speakers and conscientious administrators, and they have fully justified their appeal for "a fair field and no favor." The early prejudice was a good deal of the "political Dr: Fell" order, but it is more difficult to live down a nebulous dislike of this sort than it is to combat a more tangible opposition. Of course, the Cabinet has still to undertake the strenuous ordeal of facing Parliament, but the opinion is daily gaining ground that the coming session will not see any very drastic legislative proposals, nor does it threaten to produce a very prolific Statute Book. Mr. Mackenzie, indeed, has more than hinted that the Government; in the meantime, is disposed to confine its attention to a thorough overhaul of the public service in all its branches, with a view to pruning its redundances and reducing expenditure wherever it is compatible with a retention of complete efficiency. In this he will have the sympathy of a country which is somewhat tired of the enormous mass of legislation which has beeft effected during the past decade or two. It is wisdom, indeed, for the Government to set its house thoroughly in order by proving its administrative capacity before attempting to display its constructive ability. There is no light task before it even upon these lines, and already the Prime Minister is being taken to task for coupling his proposed economies with a suggestion that two more Ministers should be appointed. There is nothing whatever illogical in the position, for it is easily conceivable that the shortest road to effecting economy is by improving the departmental supervision. The tradesman who starts in business with modest premises and one assistant does not consider it unnecessary, as his connection increases, to enlarge his establishment and. multiply his staff, and it would be equally supremely ridiculous to argue that because the Ramwa only carries ten boats the Titanic should have been restricted to the same number. We do not want any excrescences on the body politic, but if the number of Ministers is insufficient for the proper administration of the affairs of the country—and the allotment of portfolios suggests that it is—then the best economy is to add to the staff. We are, of course, met by Mr. Massey'e statement that as the departmental heads do the work further Ministerial assistance is not necessary. But the sound corollary of this statement is that we do not require any Ministers at all. In any event, as the statement comes from, the leader of a party whose idea of logic is to demand the cessation of borrowing coincident with an increase of public works expenditure, it can safely be taken as another instance of that obliquity which is born of years of disappointment in the quest for office. The new Cabinet has made an excellent debut, and if it impresses Parliament as it has impressed the country, its tenure of office may be a good deal longeT than that which was allotted to it by its earlier critics.