WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 23 January 1929, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

MINISTERS AT WORK

BUSY DAYS

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, January 21

With the close of the ChristmasNew Year holidays the members of the United Government have settled down to steady work, and all last week Sir Joseph Ward and Ins colleagues were kept busy long beyond award hours. Tile Prime Minister, with the advantage of years of experience behind him, is surprising everyone by his activity and alertness. He came through the long Cabinet meetings of last week less fatigued than did his younger colleagues and between times was always accessible, within reason, to callers and deputations. Hard work has proved a most effective tonic in his case. Among the deputations he received at the week-end was one from the New Zealand Workers’ Union that wanted to know whether the relief system and the payment of I2s a day on important public works had been abolished. In ten minutes the deputation was satisfied that the Minister had been as good as his word and that a long standing grievance had disappeared. MOTOR CONTROL.

Another example, of his promptness was provided by the Prime Minister on Friday when he announced that the Cabinet had decided upon the creation of a new pbrtfolio to be known as the Ministry of Transport. The portfolio, v he hastened to explain, would not involve the appointment of an additional Minister, nor an additional salary, since it would be administered bv one of the present members of the Cabinet. “ Motor traffic generally throughout the Dominion.” Sii* Joseph pointed ’out, « has attained such a huge development that the necessity for systematizing and controlling it under a separate administration must be obvious. In the past the responsibilities have been shared by a number of Departments, and, although good work has been done, it is not to be expected that we can subordinate a new and growing activity.” The mention o this portfolio means the discharge of one of Sir Joseph’s election pledges and no one can complain that time has been lost in its redemption. NEWSPAPER OPINION..

Roth the Wellington newspapers refer editoroilly to the Ministry of Transport, the “ Post ” a little more cordially than does the" “ Dominion. H>e creation of a Ministry of Transport, says the evening journal, is, we hope, a step towards that transport eontiol and co-ordination which we have long been urging. .. • Under the Minister in our opinion, there should be * Transport Board, comprising the heads of the Public Works, the Railway Department, and representatives of all public bodies or organisations conceded with transport.” Here is a wide field for the expansion of Sir Josep a scheme “ The change now proposed, the “Dominion,” after reminding its readers that Mr Coates had intimated his intention to create a 1 in of Transport, “will be nothing less In a ehan S e in control unless a , note practical policy i» "^hTmkSir Joseph's proposal to hand ove the Ministry of Transport to one of 1 present colleagues must nnpaii - Suey. The ground for this assumption. however, remains t° . TECHNICAL EDUCATION. The decision of the Hon. H. Atmoie. the new Minister of Education, not to increase the technical school lees as proposed by his predecessor to offi* doubtless is uTSSer df Eduction in the We Government, was confronted b> prospect of a substantially j_ vote for technical education »>'< >’ l leanues were not prepared to have 'a - additional expenditure in this In the circumstances they piefene increase" the fees for tuition in some eases from 70s to 120 s “ ye,U y"e\vecl others from 100 sto Ua. from the purely financial l’”' llt of there were some excuses to be m for 1 these substantial increases but Mr At,note and his ,v have taken the v.ew th ‘ n t'rv can afford to spend wh.it moi may bo required to raise an and efficient people. It ™'”»™ " * r g °tt'^r'liid I dSiiiy the money is expended.