CABINET SELECTION.

Taranaki Daily News, 19 January 1918, Page 4

CABINET SELECTION.

The proposal to elevate the member for Oroua to Ministerial rank, due to the retirement from politics of the Attorney General, directs attention to the system Bv which the Dominion is being ruled Merit does not necessarily play a part in the appointment of Ministers; party allegiance and preferment and seniority are the determining factors. No effort is made to bring to the counsels of the Government the best talent and ability to deal with the grave questions before the eoui.Vtry; that would be too great a departure. The party' game must be played to the letter, war or no war. This being the case, it is little wonder Cabinet has signally failed since the war to rise to the occasion and gain the respect and confidence of the 'public. In some respects it is a Cabinet of inefficients and .mediocrities, totally unfitted by experience or training to successfully grapple with the important questions arising out of the war. We want directing our affairs to-day "tha most capable and vigorous men in the country, but whilst the present system of selection obtains such men have not the slightest chance of receiving appointment. In England seniority and personal popularity have been disregarded entirely in the selection of the men to run the country. The brothers Gedtlcs are cases in point. Neither Sir Eric Gcddes nor Sir Auckland fieddes was associated with polities before the war. By sheer ability they have come to the fore, and very largely ■tre responsible, with Mr. Lloyd-George, if English opinion can be relied upon, tor saving the nation in its -time of peril. Necessity drove Britain to discard its old political shibboleths and humbug, and shed its amiable inefficient* masquerading as statesmen. .Similarly with ilie navy, where seniority ban at last to give way to merit. The sajne necessity exists in New "or" to-day; has existed all along, for that matter; hut our leaders will not get out of the old,-well-worn rut. 'jihere is the political to be observed, end that is more important in their precious eyes at least—than the interest;', of the country, and each side of politics must have 0041 a! representation in the Cabinet. Besides, (here ;s the provincialism to be considered in the making of appointments—the South Island must not have over-representa-tion, and so on. All of which is arrant nonsense when the times call for the best and brightest minds. Mr. Guthrie is to be given the portfolio of lands, and the other portfolios are to be distributed among the other Ministers. This is a retrogressive move, for -Mr. Massey has made a distinct success of the Lands portfolio, and a new Minister will be at the best an experiment. Mr. Guthrie has, no doubt, party claims to the position, but no others, as far as we know. Tt is particularly discouraging to see the Government that is national only in name perpetuating a system of selection that can only lead to,, the disadvantage of the Dominion, instead of facing the position in a strong manner and calling to its counsels the best brains, the most forceful characters, the tried and experienced organisers that are only waiting to be asked to serve their countrv.