BRITISH CABINET GIVES MINISTERS INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 1, Issue 130, 25 January 1932, Page 5

BRITISH CABINET GIVES MINISTERS INDIVIDUAL FREEDOM

: ■ UNITY MU$T BE PltESERYEl) . ; 5 17 • v -f V; v Y ^ A j UNUSUAL METHOD OF OVERCOMING INTERNAL DIFFERENCES

• V . ■ V . v.. LQNPQ^, .gaturday'. A communique states that lack of Cabinet unanimity makes it impossible to adopt the sub-comxnittee's recommendation on tiie tariff. Cajbinet is impi^fessed with the paramount ipipbi'tanefe df maintaining national unity, and has decided that Ministers unable to support the conclusion on import duties of the majority of their colleagues are to be at liberty to express their views in Parliament by speech and vote.

After a further two and a-half hours' meeting Cabinet issned the f ollowing communique : — "Cabinet has had before it the report of its committee on the balance of trade, and after a prolonged discussion it has been found impossible to reach a unanimous conclusion on the committee's recommendations, Cabinet, however, is deeply impressed with the paramount importance of maintaining national unity in the presence of the grave problems that now. confront this country and the whole world. It has accordingly determined that some modification of the usual Ministerial practice is required, and has decided that Ministers finding themselves unable to support the conclusions arrived at by the majority of their colleagues on the subject of import duties and .cognate matters are to be at liberty to express their yiews by speech and vote. Cabinet, being essentially united on all other matters of policy, believed that by this special provision it is best interpreting the will of the nation and the needs of the time." Although the decision is not entirely without precedent it marks a striking departure from usual practice, and has created exceptional interest in political circles. It is understood that the Cabinet

Committee which has been considering the balance of trade questions comprised representatives of all three political parties — namely, Mr. Walter Runciman, Mr. Neville Chamberlain, Sir John Simon, Sir Herbert Samuel, Viscount Snowden, and Sir P. Cunliffe Lister. The /'Times" states that , the proposal which found most favour in the committee was oftd for the immediate imposition of a 10 per cent. general tariff, with limited exceptidn's, accompanied by a proposal for the creation of a committee empowered to make a more detailed examination of imports and schedule those which might be subjected to a higher rate of duty in later legislation. The decision now reached, which will allow Ministers in disagreement with the majority on this issue freedom to express their views in Parliament, indicated the importance attached to the maintaining of unity in face of the problems of overwhelming significance now before the world. Satisfaction is expressed -in Ministerial circles that the constitution is sufficiently pliable to permit of a development whereby co-operation on all the main issues can be maintained while allowing this freedom in regard to .a particular issue which, for the time being, is -regarded as of less importance.