CABINET DECISION

Rotorua Morning Post, Volume 2, Issue 257, 22 June 1932, Page 5

CABINET DECISION

("Post" Special Commissioner.)

necessary that dominion should be fully represented "one leader remains"

WELLINGTON, this morning. After a long sitting of Cabinet to-night, it was announced by the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, that the New Zealand delegation to the Imperial Economic ' Conferenee at. .Ottawa, wonjld be the Minister of Employment, Rt. Hon. ,J. G. Coates, and the Minister of Customs, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart. , \ In announcing the decision, Mr. Forbes said that the Ottawa conferenee was one of extreme importance, not only to the Empire as a whole, but also to New Zealand as an individual country, and for this reason, it was necessary that New Zealand should have the strongest possible delegation, Had it been feasible, both leaders of the Government would have been sent. It was fe.lt by all members of Cabinet that .the Minister of Employment should be free to withdraw, if he found that hjs duties were too pressing to allow him to leave New Zealand. It was also agreed by Cabinet that notwithstancling the importance of tlje deliberations at Ottawa, it was desirahle tliat one . of the leaders should remain in the Dominion, as it appeared that the gathering at Ottawa was not necessarily a Prime Ministers' conferenee, and that the duty of members of tlie Government primarily lay in New Zealand. It hecame necessary on Mr. Forbes' withdrawal that Mr. Coates, as the leader of the Government, in company with the Minister of Finance should represent New Zealand at Ottawa. Mr. Coates had accordingly met the expressed wish of all members of Cabinet by consenting to head the delegation. Mr. Forbes said that Cabinet had decided on the general lines qf poliey the delegation would pursue at Ottawa, and had eome to a complete agreement on the representations to be made on behalf of the Government. Mr. Coates' Statement Interviewed at midnight, Mr. Coates said that he had given careful thought to the fact that he would be absent from the Dominion, and the fact that New Zealand should be adequately represented at Ottawa, which presented a unique opportunity for the Dorainions as well as the Empire. He had insisted that he should have the right of withdrawal from the delegation, but the question was one that had been finally decided by Cabinet. At Ottawa there would be a chance of rehabilitating industry and this problem was wrapped up in the proiblem of unemployment. It was hoped ; that the conferenee would provide the i means for the co-operation of Great ; Britain and the Dominions to the muI tuai benefit of all, and the result would generally assist in the rehabilitation of industry. Then their efforts would be well woorth while. He wished to refute the statement that the delegation was going to Ottawa in a bargaining or militant spirit.