The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, May 25, 1915. MINISTERS AND THE WAR.

Manawatu Herald, Volume XXXVII, Issue 1402, 25 May 1915, Page 2

The Manawatu Herald. Tuesday, May 25, 1915. MINISTERS AND THE WAR.

There is not a harder worked man in New Zealand to day than the Prime Minister, When in Wellington (and owing to the incessant demands made upon bis time and attention by the war, he is seldom out of it), he is regularly in attendance at his office from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m., and more often than not is engaged throughout the evening, and well on to the small hours of the morning. His capacity tor work seems to be unbounded, and the pace at which he lives may be estimated by the fact that he now keeps three secretaries and four typistes all fully employed, and frequently working overtime. Much of the business the Prime Minister handles nowadays has to deal with affairs that would have been considered quite outside of a Minister’s scope twelve mouths ago. But the necessities of the war, and the requirements of the country bring within the Prime Minister’s jurisdiction such matters as the importation of foodstuffs, the control of the frozen meat export trade on behalf of the Home Government, and the arrangements for procuring insulated ships, etc. The allocation of space on the latter is now in the hands ot a Shipping Committee, specially appointed by the British Board of Trade, and upon which Mr Triggs sits as the Government representative. The Prime Minister is in continual touch with the Committee through Mr Triggs, and has to further find time tor consultations with his colleagues, and also with the heads of Departments under his control, and for meetings of the Cabinet. Interviews with members of Parliament and with private citizens who desire to consult him on various matters, also demand bis attention, and then he generally has a big stack of correspondence to wade through. On an average, from 120 to 150 letters and upwards of 100 telegrams, are received at bis office daily ; and, in addition the Departmental files have to be dealt with. Much of the business passing through his hands at the present time relates to the war, the Imperial Government and the New Zealand Government being in daily communication

with each other through His Excellency the Governor, and many of the suggestions concerning methods by which New Zealand can help the Imperial authorities have come from his office. To the average man who has the idea. that Ministers of the Crown have a nice easy time, a day spent with Mr Massey would be a revelation. In these days the Prime Minister and his colleague, the Minister of Defence, are working night and day.