CABINET RESHUFFLE LIKELY

Chronicle (Levin), 7 October 1947, Page 7

CABINET RESHUFFLE LIKELY

PROPOSAL TO UNIFY TRANSPORT , WELLINGTON, Oct. 6. The filling of the Gabinet vacancy resnlting from the death of the Hon. J. O'Brien, aiid the possibility of reshuffle of portfolios in eonsequence, lends some weight to the suggestion oi a new Ministry which a prominent member of the Labour Party is likely to put before eaucus in the near future. The proposal is that the three Departments dealing with transport should be grouped.under one Minister, and that this niay be a good time to give efl'ect to the change. There are, adniittedly, sound arguments in favour of one Minister controlling the country's transport system — rail, road and air, and it is suggested that the Minister should be given the fortfolios of Railways, Transport and Civil Aviation.

This would be a big task, but the i arrangement would lead to increased effieiency and the saving of tihie in transaeting business, as at. present ; memoranda on inany questions affecting transport as a whole have to be minuted froiu one office to another. The portfolio of Transport is at present vaeant following the death of Mr. O'Brien. This is a portfolio dating back tp the United Government, wlien the post was held by the Hon. W. B. Taverner. The Hon. K. Semple is Minister of Railways, but has also Works and Housing as his responsibilities. ^ The position regardiug civil aviation is somewhat puradoxical as theie is, in fact, 110 sucli portfolio. The Hon. F. Jones, who is Minister in Charge of the Air Department is frequently referred to in the House as Minister in Fluirge of Civil Aviation, and members tveu address questions to liiin by this • litle. Civil aviation, liowever, must now^ be regarded as an iiitegral part of New Zealand's transport system, and argnments have already been put forward in favour of separating this branch of air activitv from tlie administration of Ihe Air Porce. Little may bc heard of this proposal during the present sessiou, but its sponsor liolds the view that sucli a consolidalion must como about iu due eourse as a logical developmeut of reasoned government. Of the two most fancied eandidates for Mr. O'Brien 's place in the' ■ Cabinet, Mr. P. G. ( onnoll.v (Dunedin Central) and Mr. T. H. MeCombs (Lyttelton), Mr. Connolly's chanees are still regarded as tiest. Jf he should be elected by Government caueus, it would be readilv possilde to mnke the oonsoiidatioii (•utlined. The elioiee of Mr. MeCombs, liowever, would involve an additional com]>li cation. As Fnder-Secretarv to the Minister of Finance, Mr. MeCombs has been mainly responsible for Customs Departmeut administration. He has been a valuable right-hand man to Mr. Xash, and if he were appointed to Cabinet would probably take the portfolio of Customs with him so as to avoid plaeing an additioual burden on an already ovbrworked Minister of Finance.