THE CABINET.

Dominion, Volume 5, Issue 1490, 12 July 1912, Page 6

THE CABINET.

MRfiiERRIES SWORN IN.

fITHE VACANT P9RTFOLIO.

FOR TARANAKF,

; NEWS AND NOTES. ■ Tho principal incident in national politics, yesterday was the accoptauxe. of the portfolios oi Railways and Native Aifairs foy Mrr. W. H. Heriics, member for Tau.Tanga. He returned to Wellington from England. •by the lonio yesterday morning, and, having accepted tho Prime Minister's invitation to enter tho Ministry, jwas" sworn in at Government House early afternoon. Afterwards, the iPrime- Minister, Mr. Herries, and other 'Ministers- lunched with tho Governor. .' 'Mr; , Herxies has been greatly benefited iliy his visit to England, and is in splendid health. In conversation with a re.pprter ho said that he had been much gratified .at tho success pf, the Reform party,..and was proud to join a Ministry of such strength' as that Sir. Mnssey had •assembled. Mr. D. C. Herries, a brother of tho. Minister, has accompanied him, iand .will, travel through New Zealand. . ■ .The appointment of another Minister of ihe Crown to cohiploto Mr. Massey s 'Cabinet will not be made for some lime, as there -is somo difference of opinion as to'.the interpretation of the Legislature lAot- ,The Administration that has just gone out,of' office had appointed two Ministers without salary, but there is a doiibt -as.to the legality of the appointment-' of what.may.be termed a Second '•honorary Minister.' It may be .Essumed ithat -when;the vacant portfolio is [(Hotted, lit .will go itoi the district, and that either Mr. Hino or. Mr. Okev will be eppointed, more probably the former.

. HARD AT WORK. ■THE :JSEW' CABINET.' MINISTERS./ _ Yesterday was. a busy day for the."new . Cabinet "Ministers. 'There has been' /an' ' extenave-rearrangementof the Ministerial rooms, fed in spite ,* of Tth'o inconvenience of moving furniture-and similar disabilities, every member of:' the ' Government '.■was hard, at work yesterday acquainting ihimself with the business-of his Departments and carrying on'the administration jof national affairs.?.■ For all ..- |the Ministers, will: femain-in' ."Wellington, ■shut .them', at , © , anticipating'bp-' '.' pqrtunities-tq Tisit itheir-homes. Tho Prime Minister.: (th'e Hoii. TV'. /P.: Massey) .expects t6:'tisit'iucklarid-shprtly.,on:,pri- ■ jvate busihes3; : -.•■Minister.- for,' tßailwa.yf4tHe;'adn..'i\V:,-H. , r]lerries);will ' also visit , :Auckland;.-as.' Sooni/na ,possible , /, ijbut only-f'to.v.transact'■'-.-p'riv.ato. business.: ■|The ' Minister,; for:'::Fin'q.nce;, (the, Hon:.: J. Allen) and' the ■Minister'-fqr'Bublio- Works . .(the Hon. ;^;VFr;iser)':in't<Snd,to. visit their homes wiHiin-the;neSt fortnight.' None of j,the Ministers will make any official excurieions.for some time.-';.:.;.'-.' V. ',

• RECRUITS FOR LABOUR. ! Y ..REARRANGEMENT OF PARTIES. ■',■ It'ie agreed by politicians on all sides that v «ome of the members "who followed Mr. , ' Mackenzie in the late:'crisis, including several. ex-Miriisters,' will probably join -the Labo.ur; party., at an early date. The ' '-Labour representatives in'the House eh- '' terrain the idea.b'ut-thereis more in-the. Suggested transfer of: allegiance than a .-■mere change from'one'political party to 'another. The rules- of the United Labour party, provide in tho clearest possible' terms'that every Labour candidate must first of. all' stand his chance at a selection _ ballot with other aspirants for tie seat : which he wishes to contest. Several of the' Liberal m'erabcrs<:who contemplate . going''overito Labour have a fairly good fliold on their districts, and it is unlikely that they will agree to take their chanco at ai selection ballot. There is reason to (believe that tentative proposals have al- , ready been made with a view to securing some modification of .the Labour party [rules in regard to the admission of sitting members. The 1 present Labour mem- , bers do not seem to see exactly eye to eye with ono another in this matter. One of .them, on being spoken to, Simply said .that the rule must stand.meantime, although it might possibly be revised at the next :arinual conference of' the party. ■ ANatur-'■ally.r-he"admitted, some allowance would ,be-made for the claims of members who at present held seats, and this would, lie •considered, hivei its' due influence at the selection ballot. , Another -Labour mem- '■ ber .who was approaohed took a much more decided view. ■In his opinion; he paid, it was essential that the growth of jthe political Labour.party in Parliament (should not be hinderejlrby'an obstructive ■rules,, : and there would have" to hs some of tho rule in regard to selection,: so far as sittine members were con.eejned- ■Ampngst the mombers of the . Jately; dominant^ party who are named ns Oikely.to join the Labour ranks are: Mr. G. Lnurenson. Mr. T. H. Davey, Mr. H. O. Ell, and Mr.: J. Hanan. -■- : . ■-. -

i THE NEW OPPOSITION. -' WHO WILL LEAD? ."._ The Hon. ;'T.-Mackenzie: will continue tp. act meantime as Leader of the OpposiIt is unlikely that any permanent [appointment will be made until members passemble, to carry'on the session. , The iname of the Hon. G. W. RuEsell is persistently mentioned in this connection, (but Mr. T. M. Wilfofd is still looked upon . 'Bβ a- possible competitor.

UNITED LABOUR PARTY. . THE. PLEDGE." ' :-. .' , It Tias bee'n'generally .'understood since the conference of the United . Labour a few months ago that an understanding acceptable to nil members of the party had been arrived <tt in regard to , tho pledge which political candidates of aro required to take. At the 'conference a neV form of pledge was jadopted. The old membership pledge and jtte candidates' pledge w«ro brought tojgether ;amd_a c\ause was added by which . Imemoers of tho party agreed to act and .vote in concert when the fate of a Government was at stake. In this.form the pledge now hag to be taken by all r,er|ons who join the .party, whether they intend to become politioal candidates or 1 A ™ia g ° i>tl authority for saying -that :>-tne pledge question hag not been satisfactorily) settled and.that when an ; opportunity arises some present members of tae party and some. who are es yet : onlypTbspep.tiTe members will do all they oan to. secure the complete abandonment 'of th,e pledgo as a feature in the political organisation of the Labour party. One (labour man Tomarked tho other day that > party unable to command support without a pledge, was not worth supporting and v-ttere is every reason to believe that he hs mofc-.aJono in holding this opinion. •There are strong supporters of the Labour ;movement .who believe that it will never imake , . any) Wcol odvance Until tho •pledge •eas bean-abolished. "

;; .' ORGANISATION. ,-A KEFOKM-CONFERENCE. The first national convention of a political character ev«r held in New Zealand Is beim?" arranged by the New Zeriind Political Keform League. II: will be held in Wellington on Saturday, August , 1). 'Two or moro -delegates, will .!:<> present jfTom; each electoral district. The pririri,pal business of the conference will be to ■deVise a uniform scheme for organising the supporters of the-Reform party in •order to ensure the. success of its candidates'at the polls. Arrlingßihents will .probably be made to entri-tain the Prime Minister .during the sitting of this 10piesentativo gathering of his friends. . ■A SPLENDID RECEPTION.

' FEELING IN TRIO COUNTRY. : . "We are getting a splendid reception," Eaid a prominent member of tlis Ksferin party';yesterday-;- Jin -was-mt referring to what-, "had taken place inside the walls of Parliament Jiuildin?*. bii( i'< tli? trend of outside opinion in buMp l .-iml other circles. It f«fiml to bo felt •.•verywbnre. h'j said, thftt tho re'-Mr.-aliMii -if itjihlt eoiiilifctrmra in politics tfould have aj&tuu^

ulating influence on business, nnd tfould d<> a, great ileal to restore confidence. Another member spoke in a similar etrafn. Ho had been,jn touch during the day with a number of big locnl retailers, and all of them -agreed in looking forward to I;etter times and brisker business as a result of tho change of Government,

HON. W. H, HERRIES. NOT TO CONTROL RACING PERMITS. The Hon. W. H. Herries arrived in Wellington from London by tho lonic yesterday morning. Ho had already been advised by wireless of the success of the party for which ho had fought so long, and also cf tho fact that he was to take the designation "Honourable" as tho holder of important portfolios in tho new Ministry. He formally took over his now duties when he was sworn in as a Minister at 1 o'clock yesterday at Government House. After this brief ceremony, Mr. Herries and other members of the Cabinet were, entertained at luncheon by his Excellency tho Governor. Throughout the afternoon Mr. Herries's thno was very fully occupied in attending to tho accumulation of Departmental matter, and in receiving the felicitations of his friends. Tho new Minister appears to be much improved in health by his trip. Mr. Herries will not_ be tho Minister in charge of racing permits, as has been announced. Ho is already a member of the Racing Conference.,and very probably.he did not care to act in the dnial capacity. It has not yet been decided what Minister shall -undertake.the duty of Tegulating tho issue of totalizator permits. , Tho .Prime Minister, the Hon. R. H. Rhodes, the Hon. Dr. Pomare.; and Mr. J. A. Young (member for Waikato) wont out in the doctor's launch early yesterday morning to greet Mr. Herrios aboard the Tonic, nnd welcome him back to Now Zealand. Mr. Young has been looking after the affairs of the Tauranga constituency during the absence of its member in England. '

, NEW GOVERNMENT WHIP. . : A'SOUTH ISLAND VACANCY. It is expeotcd that 'either Mr. W. Nosworthy (Ashßurton) \6r Mr. G. Anderson (Mataura) will be appointed Government Whip for the South Island, a position left vacant by the eleration of the. Hon. R. H. Rhodes to Cabinet rank. Mr. D. Guthrie : (Oroua), w v ho was junior'to Mr. Rhodos. will henceforth be senior Government Whip. The vacancy will- not. be filled until members reassemble at the end of the month to carry on the eession. ■ ■ '■•."."■■,"

CUSTOMS TARIFF. NO AMENDMENT THIS YEAR. •'' The Hon. F. M. B. Fisher (Minister for Customs) stated last evening) that in view of the uncertainty which ■existed in tho minds of importers throughout the Dominion upon the question of : amending the Customs' tariff, Cabinet had 'considered the matter, and had decided .that there.should be no amendment. of tariff during the session which is to -be ; resumed at the end of tho month. This statement, the Minister remarked, was made solely with a view to allaying the anxiety of importers whose business might be affected by the uncertainty created by remarks on the subject of the tariff which have been made recently In the House. < The Minister for Customs is at present engaged in reviewing the correspondence with the Prime Minister of the Commonwealth regarding the reciprocity proposals which have been put forward by the Australian Government.