STAGE RESET

Hokitika Guardian, 13 December 1928, Page 2

STAGE RESET

PARLIAMENT

THE CHANGE-OVER IN PARTIES AND THEIR PLACES

(By Telegraph—Press Association)

WELLINGTON, Dee. 1!

The political singe was completely reset when the House ol Representatives met this afternoon, tin* Prime Minister (he (Rt Hon Sir Joseph Ward) being in the seat occupied by Reform Prime Ministers for the past sixteen vent's. With him on (lie front I ''i-asio'y benches were lii.s Ministers, snorii in oid.v last night, and lour of whom ba\e so far not spoken in (he House. Each will have the singular ''xperience of making Ids maiden speech as a lieu member and also as a Minister.

On fiie other side of the Chamber vat tin Rt. lion J. G. Coates in tinseat of the leader of tin- Opposition, with the Hon W. |>ownie Stewart, exM inistor of Finance, on his lelt. Ollier ex-M misters in tlie front row of I lie Reform benches were: Sir Alaui Romaic and Ales'rs K. S. Williams (Bay ol Plenty) R. A. Wright- (Wellington Suburbs), and J. A. )oung (Hamilton), while Sir George Hunter (Waipawa) and Mr W. H. ]• ield (Otaki) are also in the front row. The three new Reform members .Messrs A. E. Ansell (Chalmers), A. W. Hall (HiUirnki) and J. X. Alassev d'ranklin') occupy seats on the right of Labour members on the cross benches. Tlie remainder of the Reform Party are behind their leader. Oil the Government side the Hon G. W. Forbes, Alinistor of Lands am 1 Agriculture, lias the seat on the right hand of the Prime Minister, the TH"’ W. B. Taverner, Alinistor o,f Rail wavs, lias the seat on the extrcim right of the front row. and on lie left is the Hon W. A. Yoiteli. A!ini--tor of Labour Tn the next seat 1 S ; r Ai-irana Xgata. Alinistor of X' live Affairs, and on his right- the Hun T. Al. AY i I ford. Alinistor of D - fence. The front bench nearest M-' Soealur is occupied hv the Tlnii H. Atmore. Afinister of Education and the Moil E. A. Ransom. Alinistor ol Public Works. Behind Air Ransom N the Hon A. J. Stallworthy, Alinistor for Health, sharing a bench with the Hon J. (L Coblic. Alinistor of Marine. The senior Government Whip. Air A. J. Alurdoeh (Marsden) and the Junior Whip. Mr G. C. C. Black (Alotuoka) have the bench behind Sir -Ms ( .p], Ward, while the Hon. P. do la Pern-lie. Alinistor of Internal Affair-. ;,nl the Hon J. B. Donald. Postmas-ter-General. are next along the second row. The Chairman of Committees. Mr S. G. Smith (New Plymouth) F vented on the extreme right o-f the second row.

A few of the Labour members have ex' hanged places and the Independents have been relegated to the cross benches.