THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1906.

Wairarapa Age, Volume XXIX, Issue 8212, 16 August 1906, Page 4

THE Wairarapa Age MORNING DAILY. THURSDAY, AUGUST 16, 1906.

When banqueted at Gore, on Tuesday night, the Hon. K. MoNab took his audience apparently into his inuermost confidence and delivered himself of various seoiets which it would certainly have been better for Mr MoNab to have refrained from telling. He said that "when he returned from Sydney in 1905, the late Mr Seddon offered him a portfolio in his Cabinet as Minister for Lands and ISduoation. Mr Sed. don also expressed his intention of giving Mr J. A. Millar the portfolios of Marine and Labour, so that they would see that Sir Joseph Ward disposed of bis portfolios as

his late obief would have desired. ' Mr Seddon also stated to him that there was do other position wbioh required filling, but If one should be created or an extra member required he could not see any'better man tban Mr Geo. Fawlda. Those three members were the ones who toad commended themselves to Sir Joseph Ward. Circumstances to wbioh be would not refer caused him (the speaker) not to aooept Mr Seddon's offer, but il the late Premier bed lived to the end of the present year the same three men would have bean in the Government with him." Since Mr MoNab saw flit to state that he had been offered a portfolio in February, 1905, it is a little surprising that he kept baok his reason for not accepting it, especially as he has acoepted a portfolio in August, 1906. But the honourable gentleman's remarks in regard to the new Cabinet were of an unfortunate character altogether. No doubt affection for the memory of his late chief inspired him to go further than was wise by stirring up a past position of affairs that it would have been better to have left alone. Mr MoNab assured his heaiers that the late Mr Seddon intended to reconstruct the Cabinet this year. Frankly we consider that Mr Mcl Sab has been drawing freely upon bis imagination in making this declaration. Certainly the late Premier never made any public statement to suoh an effect; m fact, after the tremendous victory of 1905 he claimed that the people of the colony eodorsed the personnel of the Cabinet. We oan hardly believe Mr MoNab when be assures us that the late Mr Seddon intended'to tear his own Cabinet to pieces. It was one thine for Sir Joseph Ward to undertake suoh a task, but the late Mr Seddon was very differently, situated. Jo have made any alteration in the Cabinet would have been a most complicated and diffioulfc matter fitr him to have arranged. It is, also, the reverse of kind, indeed, it is very questionable taste, for Mr MoNab to oast suoh decided] reflection, indirect as it may be, upon the retired Ministers. They were colleagues of the late Premier for a number of years, and have been all closely allied for many years with the party in wbioh Mr MoNab is now, presumably, a shining light. If the Minister for Lands has no more tact and "political ability" than his referenoe to the constitution of the Seddon Cabinet seems to indicate, there is, no doubt, plenty of trouble ahead of him.

A cyclist has oomplained to us that the footpaths in Mascerton are in an abominable condition. He says that they are so full of holes and generally so uneven, while in places they are terribly muddy, that he has given up riding on the footpath in preference for the road. Until we received the illuminating epistle referred to we were in ignorance as to the true object of the footpaths polioy of the Borough Council, but we now believe it is obviously the intention of the Borough Council to secure a complete discontinuance of that sinfully wicked practice on the part of cyclists generally, including most of our most respectable inhnbitants, of riding on the footpaths, by allowing them to get into suoh a horrible condition that no cyclist will dare to venture ou them. The question now is, should the police arrest the cyclists or the Borough Council? If the latter body were ueourely locked up, and the Engineer allowed to straighten matters up a bit, we should have footpaths other thau what are a disgrace to an important and progressive town like Masterton.