THE COMMONWEALTH

Press, Volume LIV, Issue 16167, 22 March 1918, Page 8

THE COMMONWEALTH

NEW VICTORIAN MINISTRY. (By Cable.—Press Association.—Copyright.) MELBOURNE, March 21. The new TTctorian State Ministry is as follows: — .Mr H. S. W. Lawson—Premier, At-torney-General, and Minister of Labour. .Mr "John Bowser—Chief Secretary and Minister of Health. Mr McPherson—Treasurer. Mr W. Hutchinson—Minister of Education and Mr Clarke —Minister of Lands. Mr Walter H. Barnes—Minister of Railways and Mines. Mr Oman—Minister of Agriculture. Mr Robinson—Solicitor-General and Minister of Works. Honorary Ministers—Mr Robertson, Mr Newlml, Mr Campbell, and Mr Kendull. v. . STATE POLITICS. SYDNEY, March 21. lljo Stale Parliament has been prorogued till April 30th. BRISBANE, March. 21. Slow progress is being made with the counting of the absentee votes. The general position is unchanged. Several heats are still in doubt. LORD FORREST RESIGNS. MELBOURNE, March 21. , Lord Forrest* has resigned the portfolio or Federal Treasurer, and will probably take his sent in the House of Lords. Lord Forrest has been in indifferent health for some time. He has resigned for health reasons. POST-WAR TRADE. MELBOURNE, March 21. Iho Chambers of Commerce Conference has approved of Mr Hughes's postwar trade organisations scheme. SOLDIERS' WIDOWS. MELBOURNE, March. 20. Among the resolutions passed by the Stat© Recruiting Conference was. on© to the effect that it was desirable to increase tho amount paid, to soldiers' 0 widows to equal at least that paid in .New Zealand.