MINISTRY IS FULL

Evening Star, Issue 20048, 13 December 1928, Page 17

MINISTRY IS FULL

B APPOINTMENT FOB MR JENKINS CABINET COMPLICATIONS ’ [Special to thb ‘Star.’] AUCKLAND, December 13. Sir Joseph Ward states that the report that Mr H. R. Jenkins is to be taken into the Ministry is incorrect. He says that no further appointments arc to be made—the Ministry is full Neither is it intended to appoint a deputy-leader in the Legislative Council.

In an editorial entitled ‘ Cabinet Complications,’ the, ‘Herald’ states: ‘‘ Tire emphatic statement by the Prime Minister that he does not now propose to make further appointments to his Ministry does not dispose of the fact that on both Monday and Tuesday ho contemplated a fourteenth Ministry. Some sympathy is certainly duo to the member for Parnell. There need be no hesitation in dismissing any suggestion that personal ambitions on bis part have contributed to the embarrassing position in which he has been placed. It is well known that Mr Jenkins has scrupulously retrained from making any claims for office. Indeed, some of his friends and constituents have been inclined to the view that, instead of accepting the modest obscurity of a private member, Mr Jenkins should have seized the opportunity to secure the prestige of Ministerial representation for Parnell. Including Mr Atmore, there are twenty-eight members in the United Party. Thirteen have been given Ministerial rank, another nominated as Chairman of Committees, and two more appointed party whips. Twelve onlv remain as simply members of Parliament, it is not impossible that the authoritative announcement ot a vacancy in the Cabinet provoked so much competition among them for the honour that the clamour could be appeased only by an emphatic intimation that the vacancy had been abolished. However, the House of Representatives requires twenty-six select committees, two of, which have the Speaker ns chairman, The remaining dozen members of the party may therefore expect to secure at least two official positions each, in which they will find the opportunity for a great deal of useful work, even if it does not bring them very prominently under public notice.”