The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15. 1911.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXIX, Issue 3323, 15 September 1911, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, SEPTEMBER 15. 1911.

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Tlie Ministerial organs have borne i p on der fully 11 under the „;agge ring blow occasioned the Ward' Administration by the sudden retirement of the Hon. G. Fciwlds from Cabinet rank at suCh an awkward juncture. From one end of the Dominion to the other these journals at first made it appear that nr their opinion Mr. Few,kls was really to be highly commended for quitting the Ministry without delay when lid saw that he was out of sympathy with the line of "policy” which his colleagues bad resolved upon for the immediate future. Now, however, some of the sneaked “Liberal”, newspapers find that they are quite unable to refrain from displaying their true , feelings on this subject. “The more we reflect upon the circumstances of Mr. Fowlds* resignation,” remarks the “Dunedin Star,”

for .example, “the more difficult it be conies to acquit the ex-Mmister of a serious lapse in, political ethics. He chose his time either with strange carelessness or with bitter care fulness-- we prefer to assume the former—and although wo do not believe that any appreciable loss will ultimately accrue to the Government, ho must have foreseen the malign use which an unprccedcntly unscrupulous Opposition would make ot his sensational action. Ho has had ms share in. the political work and responsibility cif the last-three years, and he should havo faced the popular verdict in company with his colleagues. U is not as though he were able to adduce any specific and important disagreement. All the facts carefully net forth in his explanatory (or unexplanatory) speech serve to show cause why he should net have deserted the Government at this juncture.” But our southern!, contemporary is not content to stop at this point. It had observer that the. Hon. J. T. Paul (who hails from the Oago capital) has been showering compliments on Mr. Fowlds for having had the courage ( ?) of his latest convictions. “Truly,” it proceeds, Mi Paul has selected a curious hero: for his almost dithyrambic homily. He says ‘it does one good to be in the political arena’ when a Cabinet Minister acts vs Mr. Fowlds has acted towards the colleagues whose policy he elaborately defended as recently as the first of last month. Mr. Paul finds the significance of the incident quite transcendental: ; It is good for our national life to. have men who will take such steps as have just been taken by Mr. I evicts. I think the thing which transcends all others in importance in the statement made by Mr Fowlds is that it is to my mind a true interpretation of the spirit of the times we are living in—a wonderful age, full of change.’ Did jou ever! Apparently it is indeed an age full of changed ideas concerning political loyalty and the ethics of Ministerial association.” For our own part we can find no sympathy for either the Government newspapers or for the supporters of the W ard Administration. They can only blame Mr. Fowlds tor remaining in the Ministry so long. "To some extent my action,” he said In the House in the course of his explanatory remarks as to why he had resigned, “has been precipitated by the division which took place some weeks ago on the Town Planning Bill.” It would therefore seem that if there had not been trouble ever the measure in question Mr. Fowlds might have still further delayed his retirement from the Ministry! Would it not be interesting to learn when Mr. Fowlds first became . convinced “that the Government .has ' lest its hold on the country?” . . ■ and how long lie has felt “that the country has been calling for a more forward policy.” Maybe Mr. Fowlds has only recently found these things cut, but time may shed seme nu'ther light on the subject. When, at some later date, lie deems it necessary to criticise the actions of the Government he will really have to be vc-ry careful! It will also be c-f interest to watch what the remaining members of the Government have to say for some time to come on matters political.