New-York tribune., 1902-08-17

RAIFOUR'S NEW CABINET.
rFFrcT OF THE CHANGES IN THE RE
CONSTRUCTED ADMINISTRATIONS.

,l,te since the resignation by Lord od"H'ui'
# the seals of the Lord High Chancello's"'p
and the Duke OF Devonshire's apahooiiile
,h. presidency of the Privy Council are looked
f.- at an early date. yet the changes ana ut'i's
,,.s ..Ire,6v made on the of the King : coro-
oation have met with general approval lrue'
they do not Introduce much new blood il'o 'ii'
administration since with one exception no NV
NIL have been brought into the couhchs Va 'A
:.o,,rarnent. ali the other appointments oeis III
tn. nature Of transfers and promotons' YET my
cannot fail to affect its policy in a very maFhed
UegI,e In the first place, they Will nave 'he
,,..ul, Of imparting more up to date and busl
r.eslike flavor to the government than that |
which it has until now enjoyed
Lord Salisbury the late Premier an" ''i |
Michael Hicks Beach, who was the prn'iphi
financial member Of the administration "ete
mon who had been in Parliament all 'hei' I1e'
and who had taken up politics entirely from d
.ene. Of family tradition and patriotic DUTY
Ar5s,ocrats to the finger tips, they were CON
t,1Iptuousv indifferent to popular OPINION anu
pursued their own way in public az wen as /"
Private life according to their own prlnclPles |
and ideas-sornetirnes Of a rather mario" chai-
,.;,r-as to what their duty lhis was
tsYccialIy the case with Sir Michaei tilchs-
,..a.h who never having been in business, was
Llsposed to take a doctrinaI rather thah COM
tr,u sense view of the financial problem bY
I,>chequer. He was drag upon his colleagues
,,i as old fashioned Conservatives OF the most
tv'r-ne type Sir Michael and Lord Salisbury
r,ld always be relied on to obstruct ana 'hro"
Goa water any progressive poh'y OF ne"
departure that was suggested by the other men,
RS Of the administration. Now that they nave
, ne things are likely to go much more smooth
, and thanks to the absence OF fr1ctioh ana Oh
discord in the Cabinet the latter is certain TO
give greater evidence Of vigor and OF action
than has been the since the advent to power
J. the Unionist party some seven years ago
OF all the changes made the most important
j. the transfer of Charles RtchIe from the sec
l.taryship of State of the Home Department to
the Chancellorship of the Exchequer Charles
Richie like Joseph Chamberlain, with whom
Ie has many points in common achieved sue
g, es in business before embarkinG on a polltcal
career His predecessor, Sir Michael Hicks
lieach approached the financial issues OF the
day as a scientist and matter of polltlcaI
economy whereas Charles Ititchie VIII deal with
them like Lord Goschen-that is to say from the
standpoint of a successful business man VINO IS
determined to treat the business affairs OF the
british Empire according business methods
and on a thoroughly business basis. Thanks to
his training, he is able to realize that there are
certain outlays which are Indispensable TO the
welfare of the nation and which. if withheld,
are likely to involve much greater expenditure
and even losses of the heaviest character later
On Thus there is no doubt that had the Treas
ury shown itself more liberal in connection with
the War Department during the period immedi-
.4tely preceding and following the outbreak of
the conflict in South Africa had the authorities
in Pan Mall had the means placed at their dis
pUsal equip the English forces in Natal with
the requisite number of guns and horses, the
struggle would have been brought 10 a far
Speedier end and the loss Of much blood, life
and treasure averted- The South African war
furnished only one of many Illustrations OF the
unbusinesske financial policy Of the Chancellor
of the ExcheQuer who has just resigned. and,
with Charles Ritchie its virtual head. the
British Treasury may to be regarded
as a means of development and of progress to
the British Empire, instead of constituting as
in the past, bghting and whitening influence
on every government department and on every
government official both at home and abroad.
Charles Ritchie is d Scotchman by BIRTH
though Londoner by education and business
training Like his brother the alderman, Sir
James Ritchie who if he lives will become Lord
Mayor of London d couple of years hence he
halls from Forfarshre, but educated at the
City of London School, leaving which he
went straight into business a member of his
fathers firm which is under the direction
Of Sir James Yet he looks neither a Scot, nor
yet a city of London merchant. but, with his
swarthy complexion his flashing black eyes and
turned up mustache, suggests rather Spanish
Jltfxy,