The Waipukurau Press. Friday, March 2, 1906. THE PREMIER’S WANDERINGS.

Waipukurau Press, Issue 22, 2 March 1906, Page 2

The Waipukurau Press. Friday, March 2, 1906 . THE PREMIER’S WANDERINGS.

—o—- — will wonders cease? The New Zealand Times, a servile Government organ, takes exception to Mr Seddon dodging about the country when he is required in Wellington to attend to departmental affairs. The paper thinks that the broad grounds on which these excursions of the Governor and the Premier are justified is that it is desirable that they should become acquainted with the various districts, keep in touch with the people, and get to know their wants. This pjea has a good deal of plausibility, but it is doubtful if it covers such occasions of absence on the part of the Premier as the desi.e to attend a Maori wedding or to be present to welcome the football team on its landing in the colony from its English and American tour. At the same time, we are far from agreeing with those critics who condemn tne Premier’s travelling as wasteful and unnecessary. Mr Seddon transacts a great deal of public business in the course of his journeys, as his secretaries are well aware; and even at such social functions as that at Waimarama last week he is able to “ improve the occasion ” by delivering addresses of considerable public importance. It would, however, be much more in the interests of the country if the Premier either delegated these social duties to other members of the Ministry, or made arrangements for urgent public business being attended to during his . bsence. There is surely no reason why Mr Seddon should be Minister ior feocial Functions, in addition to being Premier, Colonial Treasurer, Minister for Labour, Education, and sundry other matters. Now that Sir Joseph Ward is absent from the colony, it is more necessary than ever that the Premier should be as much as possible at the seat of Government. It is just here that the weakness of the Cabinet as at present constituted is most evident. The head of the Government apparently cannot resist the very natural desire of people all over the country to have

his company on all sorts of public or semi-public occasions, yet it is notorious that when he is away from Wellington hardly one of his colleagues can do anything save the merest routine acts of administration, unless it be to talk vague generalities to deputations, and make promises that, the matters Drought under their notice will be “ kept steadily in view.” With a really competent Cabinet, this state of things would not exist. Hence the complaints about the Premier’s absence resoive themselves into a powerful argument for Cabinet reconstruction. Now, it is clear to the most superficial observer that there will be no changes in the Ministry until the return of Sir Joseph Ward from Rome —probably not until after the close of the session, for it is most undesirable to attempt Cabinet reconstruction while Parliament is sitting. The present unsatisfactory state of things will, therefore, be continued tor seven or eight months longer. We are within a month of the closing of the country’s annual accounts, when there are many matters requiring toe personal attention of the Premier, it is also ntces.<u v that some labour should be bestowed upon measures to be submitted to Parliament when it assembles in June, if there is to be an avoidance of complaints that members have nothing to do ior a mouth or more but discuss the Address-in-Keply and toy with a few academic bills which everyone knows have no prospect of becoming law. Cabinet reconstruction a month or so ago, which we stongly advised, would have lightened the Premier’s labours immensely, and would also have conducted to the despatch of public business. There is urgent need lor Mr iSeudon being relieved of the portfolios of Education and Labour, and there are members of the party well qualified to take charge ot these departments and infuse ueeued vigor into their administration. While the Premier’s grasp of all branches of government and his capacity for sustained work arc undoubted, it is not fair to expect him to continue hearing the unequal share ot the burden he is now doing. It is, therefore, io be hoped that, at the earliest possible moment, he will follow the advice of the friends of Liberalism, by reconstructing the Cabinet, in the interests of his own health and of the efficient administration of the country’s affairs.