The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1883. A NEW PORTFOLIO.

Wairarapa Daily Times, Volume 5, Issue 1474, 4 September 1883, Page 2

The Wairarapa Daily. TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 4, 1883. A NEW PORTFOLIO.

A sew portfolio is expected daily to be bora in our local Parliatcant, Some want the Jibtlo stranger to be a Minister for Railways, others a Minister for Agriculture. It is very immaterial to ns what the particular name of the new creation is—whether it be Minister of Marine, Minister of State Pickings, or Minister of' Mines. It is quite understood that it will, cost the country some £ISOO a year, and that it will redeem some pledge that has been given to some Government supporter. Why appoint a new Minister at the close of a session? The press of ministerial work is during session, time and not during the recess, and one is forced to come to the conclusion tliat the new Minister is. not wanted for work. "With a House with less than one hundred members, -with a Ministerial party of little more than half that number, the six existing Ministers in the Lower Chamber ought to he suiHcietit. A party which can make one man in ten a Minister ought to be satisfied. If half a dozen Ministers;cannot conduct the business in the: Lower House, we venture to assert; thai a, dozen will only make matters worse, and, like too many cooks, altogether spoil, the legislative broth. If the six Ministers now in the Lower House, and the two Ministers in the Fpper House canr.ot carry on the business of ..the country, it is time for other men to take their places. It will be remembered that the Duke of Wellington for a short period carried on all the departments of the British 'Government single handed; His daily, task must have been about ten times as arduous and as difficult as the combined labors of our eight Cabinet Ministers. No doubt our colonial Ministers are busy men—oyer trifles. They solemnly discuss in cabinet such vital questions as the travelling expenses of members' wives, and possibly■; the propriety of charging the consolidated revenue with new bonnets for each of them ; but for '.what, in other countries, are considered State questions, tbey must, have an abundance of leisure. Itis usually the case that when the number of servants in a household are increased, the quantity of work performed is diminished, and this rule will probably hold good if the Cabinet be over-manned. The Ministers are apparently bent ; ■on suicide. The colony will not stand the numerous freaks in which they have recently been indulging. They have proved themselves strong enough to hold their own against the Opposition, but who is to Bave them from themselves? .'■'