The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORRING WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 3, 1912

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3413, 3 January 1912, Page 4

The Gisborne Times PUBLISHED EVERY MORRING WEDNESDAY. JANUARY 3, 1912

The Ward Administration, it is now generally felt, will c-ling to office till the bitter end. Such, at any rate, is all one can gather from the reports which have been circulated with reference to the Government caucuses that have recently taken place If it were not so, the Prime .Minister would surely have announced, ere this, that it was proposed to resign, or, in the alternative, to have the position of parties tested immediately by an early session of Parliament ? But the Government, it is clear, is not particularly anxious to meet either the House or the electors—for a iime. If it were intended to hold a very early session—say in February—the term of office of the High Commissioner (Sir Wm. Hall-Jones) would not, for example, have been further extended to March 31. By continuing in office the Ministry—or rather what now remains of it—would apparently have the people believe, too. that it is really strong enough to carry on. Upon this aspect of the political situation we have all along been convinced that it is only the fact that Sir Joseph Ward and his party are afraid that Mr. Massey in his turn might secure a majority in the House that stands in the way of the Government resigning straight away. Of course, if a majority of the House hold to their election pledges— : as we believe will he found to he the ease—the Government must go under, no matter if it does for a time stall off the evil day. From the ooint of view of tactics tiie Government would doubtless find it more advantageous for a Massey Government rather than their own to be defeated on a ‘‘no confidence" motion. Still a strenuous attempt must be made to keep Mr. Massey out of power. Once entrenched in j office, the lieform party might take a lot of shifting. And how does Sir Joseph Ward propose to endeavor to carry on ? As we pointed out on a previous occasion, the first step which it is intended should be taken is the complete reconstruction of the Cabinet. Truly, if this be the case, it justifies much That has been said all along in regard to the unfitness of the Ward Ministry to administer the affairs of the Dominion ! But let this be as it may. There is apparently a good deal of ground for the assertion that something in this direction is about to be attempted. When touching upon this matter yesterday we alluded to the unenviable character of the task upon which Sir Joseph Ward it is understood i- about to engage. The idea, it seems, is to give the North Island greater representation in the Cabinet, but how is this to he done when by far the larger bulk of the present-day supporters in the House of the Wan'd Administration are South Island members! Still if any Government is to succeed, any advantage in this connection must go to the North Island, with its larger population and its greater need for developmental works. The position which faces the present Government is undoubtedly a sorrowful one. Some political quidnuncs, it may have been observed, would have it believed that what is intended is a drastic reconstruction of the Ministry. They aver, m brief, that the new Ward Ministry will contain only the Prime Minister, the Hon. J. A. Millar, the Hon. T. Mackenzie, and the Hon. A.* T. Ngata! To our way of thinking, Sir Joseph Ward would never dream of doing anything of the kind. This would mean that five new Cabinet Ministers would have to be found, and if justice is to be done to the North Island at least three of that number would have to be drawn from among

A Desparata Position.

members representing in this Island. If this is what is seriously contemplated, the Ward Government would really bo well advised if instead it resigned at once. Such a course of action would amount simply to this: that the Government acknowledges that the Native lands policy and the Public Works' policy in particular are hopelessly unsatisfactoi y! AA nat v ill more likely prove the case—than that there will lie a complete reconstruction of the Cabinet—is that Sir Arthur Guinness will be given the portfolios formerly held by Sir John Findlay, and that Mr Iteed, the member for the Bay of Islands, will take the place of the Hon. G. Fowlds, in the Ministry, whilst room will also Ijc found in the new Ward Cabinet for another North Island member. It is patent that it would be a suicidal policy if Sir Joseph Ward were to form’an entirely new Ministry. What he will probably do m addition to making changes such as we have suggested will be to defer the holding of Parliament till about the end of the financial year, viz., March 31, at earliest. By that time he may have reshaped his proposals so as to try and catch the votes of the 'n dependents and the “Doubtfuls.” AYill he succeed# It is by no means likely.