MINISTERS' AGES

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 108, 29 December 1931, Page 6

MINISTERS' AGES

INTERESTING COMPARISON REGARDING MEMBERS OF CABINET When Sir Austen Chamberlain stood aside from the National Ministry to leave the way open for a younger man there was a little discussion in the British Press concerning the ages of Ministers. One cor- ] respondent of "The Times" compiled an interesting return of the ages of men who had served recently in Conservative Cabinets. Of 61 years and over there were five: Sir Austen Chamberlain, Mr. Baldwin, Lord Cecil, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, and Lord Peel; of 55 to 60 there were four, and of 51 to 55 there were six, while three were under 50. This was quoted to disprove the suggestion that the Conservatives had given an undue proportion of posts to senior men; and the correspondent further stated that the Conservative share of responsibility allotted to younger men compared quite favourably with the share given by the Labour Government and with the share of offices held by Liberal Ministers in the National Government. In New Zealand New Zealand has shown no contin- j ued and marked preference for either youth or age. Mr. Massey's first Ministry comprised mainly older men who had served with their chief through long years of Opposition; but younger men were brought in after the wartime National Government resigned. Under Mr. Coates, himself a youthful Prime Minister, young men had their full share, and when a veteran Liberal came back to be head of the Government his principal eolleagues were many years his junior. The present Coalition Government is mainly a Ministry of seniors. If we consider the prospects in Australia, Mr. Lyons is 52, and Mr. Bruce, though he has had a long political career, is still only 48.