PREMIER DETERMNED

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 24, 21 September 1931, Page 3

PREMIER DETERMNED

Press Association—

-"Post" Special Sei'vice.

COALITION CABINET MR. FORBES'S PURPOSE AT INTER-PARTY ECONOMY INQUIRY MR. WILICINSON'S MOTION

-Copyright.

By Telephone—

WELLIGTON, Saturday. Remarkable happenings in New Zealand's political history have taken place during the last three days. On Thursday night everything looked black and hopeless from the point of view of the success of the Parliamentairy inter-party economy committee, but as a result of protracted discussions in the United and Reform Party caucuses, and long eonferences between the leaders of the Parties, events moved swiftly in the early hours of Friday morning and at noon it was common knowledge that, although the inter-party committee was a thing of the past, Mr. Forbes and Mr. Coates liad agreed to sink their differences and form a Coalition Government. There is no doubt that the Prime Minister went to the inter-party committee with the firm intention of doing everything possible to establish a national or a coalition Government. When the deliberative stage was reached the Labour Party put its policy on the table and the Reform Party submitted a partial programme, but no economic plan came from the United group. Labour maintained that an economic policy was the first consideration, and when Mr. C. A. Wilkinson, the Independent representative on the committee, moved for the formation of a Natiohal Government, Mr M. J. Savage put forward an amendment that a programme of rehabilitation should first be formulated. Neither motion was ever put to the committee, and the drama of the situation increased in intensity becanse Mr. Forbes supported Mr. Wilkinson's suggestion. The Scene Shifts From then on the scene shifted to outside the committee and the climax came with the coalition paet. Now th'at the tumult and the shouting have died, tlvere is.much speculation in the lobbies as to the pex'sonnel of the new Cabinet, and there are a few well-informed people who proi hesy a surprise or two. The choice of a Cabinet seems to he confined un-lev the agreement to the two parties and present arrangements indicate that the number will be limited to ten. Thus, the first six seem to pick themselves. Mr. Forbes will be Prime Minister with Mr Coates on his right hand and Mr A. E. Ransom, Sir Apirana Ngata, Mr

W. Downie Stewart and Mr D. Jones j will surely find places. It is confid- j ontly expected that the Hor>. R. Masters will lead the Legisiatlvo Council, replacing Sir Thomas Sidey. Mr Masters had long been the man behin! the scenes as far as the Government is concerned and it is not lilcely that Mr Forbes will throw over his chief counsellor. The fifth choice of a United man seems to be betwe- n the Hon. S. G. Smith, the Hon. J. G. Cobbe and the Hon. W. A. Vei;.:h, and the remaining Reform members may come from the Hon. R. A. Wright, Mr A. Hamilton and Mr. A. E. Anscll, although Mr. W. P. End.'an and the Ilon. K. S. Williams are snokon of in some (Uiartois. The 'Uie-tion of the inclusion of an In'iej'- ndcnt in the Cabinet has been raised and it v/as thought that Mr W. J. Polson might have a chance in viev/ of Mr. Wilkinson's declaration that he would not accept Ministerial rank, but it is now generally felt that the Independents will not be con--idered, although there seems little doubt that they will support the c'oal tion. leaving 20 Labour members as the only Opposition.

Ministers Disillusioned To-day there was a procession of members into Mr. Forbes's room, wheie they were told their fate. The Hoes. A. J. tallworthy, J. B. Donald, W. B. Taverner, A. J. Stallworthy, P. A. de la Perrelle, W. A. Veitch and H. Atmore are apparently on the retired list and one or two of them have been disiilusioned. Mr. Atmore was closeted with the Premier for about two hours, but in view of his statement that he would rather resign than allow economies to he made in the Education Department, and that the new Government will set out to save £1,000,000 in economies in a year, which means that education must get the axe, it is probable that he will soon he a private member. Mr Atmore's defection has placed the Hon. R. A. Wright in the running, owing to the fact that he is a former Minister of Education. Uncertainty seems to exist concerning the Hon. S. G. Smith, who is Minister of Labour, but his supporters assert that he has a strong grip of the unemployment problem and a new man would take time to leam the ropes of th'e pressing problem. If he goes in Mr Cobbe can be ruled out. Mr. Ansell's claim lies in the fact that he has a strong grip of the i transpojrt question, but it is also ! stated that Mr. Coates may want the Public Works, Raihvays, and Transpoii; Departments. With the retirement of Sir Thomas \ Sidey, there will be the problem of ! filling the Attorney-Generalship, which must be given to a legal member. Mr Downie Stewart and Sir Apirana Ngata are qualifiecl to hold this offiee, but Sir A. Ngata has his hands full with Native Affairs, and Mr Stewart may find Finance sufiicient. This gives rise to a rumour that Mr. W. P. Endean may be in the Cab- j inet, although he has not displayed any outstanding ability in the House. Allocation Difficulfc. The question of allocating portfolios will be an extremely difificult one and in some quarters the opinion is held that because of this diffieulty, the numerical strength of the new Cabinet may have to be increased to more than ten. There are not a few who contend that Mr Forbes will endeavour to retain finance, but this would appear ridiculous with Mr Stewart in the Cabinet. Mr Forbes has practieu^y : been the mouth piece of the Treasury Department, while Mr Stewart has

at least some experiencei and know-' ledge of financial problems. Possible Personnel It would be extremely floolish at the present time to attempt to allocate the portfolios, but there are prevalent indications that when the numgo up the following will be very | near the personnel of the Coalition Government: The Rt. Hon. W. G. Forbes, the Rt. Hon. J. G. Coates, the Hon. E. A. Ransom, the Hon. Downie Stewart,, the Hon, Sir Apirana Ngata, Mr D. Jones, the Hon. R. Masters, the Hon. S. G. Smith or the Hon. J. G. Cobbe, the Hon. R. A. Wright, Mr A. Hamilton or Mr A. E. Ansell or Mr. W. P. Endean. If Mr. Smith is displaced, he will very likely be Chairman of Committees, while the Coalition Whips may be the Hon. A. J. Murdoch and Mr J. A. ash.