AN UNDESIRABLE SYSTEM.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 October 1919, Page 4

AN UNDESIRABLE SYSTEM.

In his appeal to the country in December Mr. Massey will be greatly handicapped by the weakness of his present Ministry. Probably at no period in the history of New Zealand has the personnel of the Cabinet been so poor in quality, so lacking in initiative,* so slow in action, and generally so incompetent. Mr. Massey has the fault' characteristic of, many strong men of choosing weak vessels and then standing by them, no matter how conspicuous their faults or how great their falures. A recent instance of this is provided by his actio» in retaining in the Cabinet the Hon. W. H. Herries, who, it is patent from the evidence given before the Railway Commission, displayed no interest whatever in the working of his department and was supremely indifferent to the crisis towards which the administration was rapidly drifting because of twopenny halfpenny squabbles with another department. It was the Minister's duty to see that the interests of the country did .not suffer, yet we know to our cost that he failed in his great trust, mulcting the country in loss and inconvenience hard to measure. In any other country the Prime Minister could not have withstood the public indignation; but here Mr. Massey simply transfers his colleague to a less onerous portfolio. This may be proof of loyalty to a collfeague, but it is not loyalty to New Zealand, which has suffered too much at the hands of Mr. Herries ever to want to see him in office again. The same blind course has been pursund by the Premier in respect to Sir William Fraser, who saw his best days, so far as administrative work is concerned, twenty-five years ago. For an octogenarian he has, it must be admitted, done surprisingly well, but no man of liis years should ever have been given charge of such an important portfolio, which calls for activity, resource, and ability of the highest order if justice is to be done to the work of developing this young country. 'Then there is Dr. Pornare, whose presence in the Cabinet can only be regarded as a joke. But ,tlie greatest handicap to Mr. Massey obtaining a majority at; the elections is his retention of Sir Francis Bell, who, though nominally Lewler of the Upper Hdusc, is generally acknowledged to dominate the Government's policy, even in regard to the smallest matters. He may be a clever lawyer, but ho is right out of touch with democratic sentiment and progressive ideas; indeed, a more inveterate reactionary it would be hard to find in Parliament. Yet he commands supreme influence in the Councils of State, and Is answerable (though occupying important portfolios that should never have been removed from the Lower House,) not to the people, but only to Mr. Massey himself. It is an anomalous condition of things that Mr. Massey will have great difficulty in Justifying at the hustings. It was not as though there was such a dearth of talent in his party, because there were -—and still are —men suitable and qualified for Ministerial rank who have' never been given a chance. Claims on the party, however, are held by Mr. Massey to be more important and desirable than the best management of the country's affairs. It affords but' another instance of the party first country second policy that has been the curse of New Zealand for many years past, but which cannot be allowed to continue in times so serious as the present. Let New Zealand be governed by the best and brightest minds available, and, so long as they love their country, it ii immaterial which banner they fly,

An adherence to the present system certainly cannot be tolerated when there are so many difficult problems awaiting solution and if the country resources are to be developed as they must be if we are to carry the huge burdens imposed by the war.