The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1912.

Gisborne Times, Volume XXX, Issue 3487, 29 March 1912, Page 4

The Gisborne Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. FRIDAY, MARCH 29, 1912.

It will be seen that another important chapter in the political drama has been enacted. Yesterday the Ward Government retired from office and its place lias been taken by a Ministry of which the Eon. T. Mackenzie is the head. The most remarkable feature in connection with the change that has taken place is unquestionably the fact that it has involved the sweeping away of the Ward Administration altogether. That the new Prime Minister should decide not to avail himself of tiic services of even one of his colleagues in the late Cabinet is indeed a striking commentary on the present- position of affairs political in this country. When it was found that the Ward Government had fared so badly at the polls it will be quite well remembered what excuses were put forward. There had, it was at first said, been wholesale misrepresentations in regard to the actions of the Government. It was later claimed by the late Prime Minister that the results that had accrued were due chiefly to an attempt to wreck his own political fortunes. Whatever had had the effect of robbing the Liberal party of its large majority in the House it was, the electors were told, not—what ? Not the fact that the country has lost confidence in the Administration! How empty was this claim may now be judged. It may of course be said that the absence of some of the late Ministers from the new Cabinet is entirely attributable to the circumstance that they were quite prepared to stand down. But is it not more than passing strange that the Hons. Carroll, Millar. R-Mc-Kcnzie, Buddo and Ngata have all been left out of the new Ministry? The new Leader of the Liberal party would, wo feel sure, never have attempted such a wholesale wiping out of the Ward Ministry had he not known that any new. Ministry of which some of them were made members would from the outset be doomed. It is, however, difficult to see how the new Cabinet that has been formed can possibly secure and retain a majority in the House. What effect the disappointment of various members of the party at being overlooked may produce must remain to bo seen. No surprise need be felt if for instance some of the late Ministers take up an “independent” attitude; nor if discontent should arise among members who have always belonged to the rank and file. In this connection it lias, clearly, to be borne in mind that the members of the Liberal party were returned merely to support the Ward Administration which has now passed out of existence. If only one or two members should now decide to take up an “Independent” position so far as the new Government is concerned its chances must be at once crippled. The new Ministry, it will be seen, is composed so far of six South Island members and only four North Island members. How could the electors of this, by far the most populous island be content with such an arrangement ? What of course makes the position even worse is the fact that the Prime Minister, wlio is one of the North Island members, has up till, only lately been a South Island representative in Parliament. The unfairness of the allotments as between the two islands is apparently well recognised, for it is hinted that upon the return of Mr Wilford to the Dominion the North Island may gain another representative in the Cabinet. With reference to the Ministers to represent the South Island, the most noticeable feature is that whilst Canterbury gets four representatives, Southland one representative and the

The New Ministry.

West Coast one representative, Otago j is without a single representative in the Cabinet! The fact that Mr McDonald has been elevated to the Ministry will, we are certain, be received with great satisfaction by his constituents. For a member who is serving only his fourth year of office, he lias in view of the fact that for some time he bias already occupied the position of Junior Whip—done remarkably ■well. There was a suggestion that a Laborite would be included in the Cabinet, but such it will be seen did not prove the case- Containing as it does members holding a variety of views on important subjects, the new Ministry must, like its predecessors, lie reckoned at a very great disadvantage. As a majority of the experienced Liberal supporters aie 10 presentatives of South Island scats Mr Mackenzie, himself a staunch freeholder, had, it will be seen, no choice under the circumstances but to select among his colleagues no fewer than four of the most prominent leaseholders in Parliament! How Mr Mackenzie can possibly hope to carry on it would, indeed, be interesting to ascertain.