NEW MINISTERS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 January 1926, Page 2

NEW MINISTERS.

THREE CHOSEN.

[by TELEGRAPH —PER PRESS ASSOCIATION.]

AA f ELLINGTON, January 18

A meeting ol the Executive Council was held at the Parliamentary Buildings at 3 o’clock this afternoon. His Excellency the Governor-General presided. The following were sworn in as members of the Executive Council, and were appointed to the portfolios set opposite their names:— Hon. O. Hnwkcn (member for Egmont)."—Minister of Agriculture and Commissioner of State Forests. Hon F. J. Rolleston (member for Timaru) to be Minister of Justice and Minister of Defence. Hon J. A. Young (member for Hamilton). —Minister of Health. Hon AY. Downie Stewart.—At torneyCemwal (vice Sir Francis Bell, resign cd). . It is understood these are appointments which have been immediately advised. . Tlio Right Hon. Sir Frames Bell (Attorney-General) and Sir R. Heaton Rhodes (Minister of Defence and Commissioner of State Forests) have resigned offices. Insofar as the present members are unaffected by the changes indicated above, the existing members of the Cabinet retain their offices. PREMIER’S STATEMENT.

WELLINGTON, January 18. In connection with the new appointments to the Ministry, the Prune Minister (Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates) lias issued the following statement: — “It will he remembered that the vacancy in the Cabinet caused by tlio death of the late Prime Minister (Rt. Hon AA T . F. Massey) lias not been filled. A further vacancy has been caused by the retirement through ill health, of the Hon Sir R. H. Rhodes, who held the portfolios of Defence and of Commissioner of State Forests, and who did not seek re-election to the present Parliament. I have, on several occasions. publicly intimated that, early in the New Year, I would take steps to reconstruct the Cabinet, but before making any reference to the new appointments, I would like to express my keen sense of the valuable services rendered by Sir Heaton Rhodes, extending over a long period of years, and of the great loss that we and the country have sustained by his retirement. Throughout his long Parliamentary career, and more particularly as a Minister of the Crown, he lias been imbued with a high sense of public duty, and has at all times carried out the duties of his Ministerial positions with credit, strict integrity, and befitting dignity. I part with great regret from a colleague with whom I have been so intimately associated since 1919, and who was also a member of Mr Massey’ first ATinistry In * 1912.”

“ It is well-known that the Rt. Hon. Sir Francis Bell has expressed his intention of retiring from Ministerial life, and his resignation of his office as Attorney-General will take effect at once, but lie will retain the portfolio of External Affairs until His departure for Europe in March next, when ho will leave to act a.s New Zealand's representative at the Assembly of the League of Nations at Genoa. This, perhaps, is not the proper occasion to refer at length, to the conspicuous record of public service Sir Francis Bell has rendered to the Dominion, but I can say that tlio high position occupied by him for so many years in the Government will indeed he hard to filj Tt i$ satisfactory to be able to state that he will retain his seat in the Executive Council, and that the Government and New Zealand will still be able to have the benefit of his experienced counsel.” “ Although the country is not to lose Sir Francis Bell’s services immediateIy. yet the date of liis departure i* drawing near. 1 wish to announce, therefore, that Hon AA r . Downie Stewart will now succeed to tlio AttorneyGeneralship.” “The new appointments to the Ministry are as follows: -Mr O. Ilawken, ALP. for Egmont, to be Alinister for Agriculture. Mr F. J. Rolleston, M.P., for Timaru, to he Minister for Justice and Minister of Defence. Air J. A. Young M.P., for Hamilton, to he Alinister of Health. These are the only new appointments which His Excellency lias been advised immediately to make." Further Ministerial changes will ho recommended in the near future, in order to bring the Ministry up to full strength. Alay I say that, where there are so many members possessing undoubted qualifications for Alinisteri.nl office, T have found the task of selection difficult, but it has been made with an effort to command the approbation and confidence of Parliament and of the country.

The further readjustment will include Finance being placed under the Hon W. Dnwnie Stewart, in accordance with the intimation made last year. The present Minister of Finance (tho lion TV. Nosworthy) will continue to administer the Treasury until the end of the current financial year. 1 should like also to say that, although the Hon Sir Maui Pomnre is relinquishing the portfolio of Health, which ho has successfully administered lie will continue to represent the Native race in the Executive Council, and will retain the administration of tho Conk and other Islands. I am of the opinion that the Prime Minister should not he burdened with the mass of administrative detail connected with State Departments, hut should rather he available to render his Ministers assistance in discussing and deciding suitable organisation and staff to give proper effect to policy decisions. T take this opportunity to announce that, whilst I am retaining Public Works for the present, a change in the Ministerial control of this Dedepartment is contemplated shortly. I hope to be in a positien to advise further appointments early in the year. Since assuming the leadership of the Government last year, I have become increasingly impressed with the manifold activities and the almost unlimited scope of work attaching to tile office or Prime Minister, involving, as they do, very heavy demands on time and attention. In our democratic community, the Prime Minister is called upon per- ..*f

force to attend to a large amount of detail work, which leaves him but little, time to devote to the mature consideration of many important matters in the field of policy. The Prime Minister, in my opinion, should be relieved of much of this attention to detail. in order that a great deal more of his time may he usefully employed in the general interests of the Dominion.

Moreover, the development of closer inter-imperial relations, which may be said to have had its birth in the Imperial War Cabinets and conferences, nine or ten years ago, is now increasing to such an extent that, in the opinion of the Government, the time lias arrived when special provision should he made to deal with 'this highly important branch of our work. I am strongly of opinion that all such matters should come under the jurisdiction qf the Prime Minister specially,

in view of the fact that he is the official representative of Hie Dominion at all the Imperial Conferences, and in this capacity, is the person who is invested with the requisite authority to speak on behalf of the Government and the country in the councils of the Empire.

It is only right to say that the staff

of the Prime Minister’s office, with

limited personnel, has in the past efficiently carried on n tremendous volume - of work, but I am convinced that the demands have now become too heavy to enable adequate consideration being given to the many important contingencies which .arise in the course of administration. Therefore, with a view to more effective organisation. I have decided to create a Prime Minister's Deaprtment, under a permanent Departmental head, and also to appoint to the staff of the new Department a special officer, whose duly will he chiefly confined in Imperial affairs arising in the course of the continuous process of communication and consultation which is now in force as between His Majesty’s Government and Hie Dominions. By this means, a more complete system of co-ordination will be brought into practise in connection with our Imperial work. The additional expenditure involved in the creation of this Department need not Ire large, hut it will he amply justified by increased efficiency and organisation. Mr F. D. Thomson. 0.M.G.. who has s.for many years held the position ot Chief Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, will he appointed Permanent Head of the new Department. A special officer to lie appointed to the External Affairs Branch of the Depratment will lie announced in due course. Tn amnounoing the creation of this Department. T would like, in conclusion, to add a few words of a personal nature, hearing upon the change. I do not wisli the public to infer that T desire to islonte myself in nnv way, or to render myself inaccessible to the j members of the community who are desirous of seeing me. On the contrary, I shall continue to welcome such visits, find to have the opportunity of mutual discussion of matters connected with Die administration of the public affairs of our country. "What T do hope to achiovo by setting up such an organisation is a greater measure of efficiency ill dealing with official matters, and more time to devote personally to promoting tile well-being of all sections of our people. In saying tin’s, it must not be understood that the Prime Minister is the only responsible member of tlie Government, but experience lias proved that, very often, there is a tendency on the part of persons to go over the heads of Ministers of the Crown in ( bringing various matters to the attent'nn of the Prime Minister, resulting frequently in duplication and unnecessary delay in dealing with them.” 1