MAY LEAVE THE HOUSE

Sun (Auckland), Volume IV, Issue 975, 19 May 1930, Page 8

MAY LEAVE THE HOUSE

LATEST REPORT ABOUT SIR JOSEPH WARD “POSSIBLES,” FOR MINISTRY Special to TUB SUX WELLINGTON, Today. I A new turn is given to the Primd Minister's resignation by the information, from a reliable source, that Sir Joseph Ward is likely to leave the I House. According to this report, the advice of Sir Joseph's medical counsellors is definitely against his participating actively in political life again. Thns it is forecast that at a later date, unless there is a marked change in his condition, he may resign his seat. The extent to which a member mav carry absence from the House is not decided. Mr. T. D. Burnett, Reform member for Teinuka, for instance, has not sat in the present Parliament; Sir Maui Pomare has been absent fer a long period, and Sir Joseph Ward might, if he wished, retain his membership for Invercargill, even If he were too unwell to enter the House this session. The statement that he intends to relinquish his seat is reported to be based on the fact that his medical advisors consider absolute freedom from worry or responsibility a desirable thing. NEW FINANCE MINISTER Another question raised is who is likely to succeed Sir Joseph as Minister of Finance in the new Cabinet. Apart from the Hon. W. B. Taverner, who has been chairman of the Finance Committee of the Dunedin City Council, there is no member of the Cabinet with financial experience. There is also the question, of deep interest to the Post and Telegraph employees, of who will be the new PostmasterGeneral. There have already been two holders of this office, and it is difficult to say who will gain it. If Mr. Forbes gains the Prime Ministership, and new Ministers are wanted, three members stand out as prospects. These are Mr. W. J. Murdoch, Senior Government Whip, Mr. A. Bodkin, who represents Central Otago, and Mr. W. J. Broadfoot, who was forecast as original Minister of Lands, and who has criticised the Government for its delay in carrying out settlement schemes. Of these the two most likely are Messrs. Broadfoot and Bodkin, the latter especially If there is a reshuffle of portfolios and a new Minister of Justice is appointed. A TARANAKI RUMOUR A message from New Plymouth says that, according to a Taranaki rumour, Mr. Robert Masters, -ormerlv member for Stratford, and chairman of the United Party during the 1928 election campaign, is considered a possible successor to Sir Joseph Ward. It is stated in Taranaki that he may wield stronger claims to succeed Sir Joseph than any of the three men named —the Hon. G. W. Forbes, the Hon. E. A. Ransom and the Hon. H. Atmore. Mr. Masters paid a brief visit to Rotorua at the week-end He arrived on Saturday and left on Sunday morning. Mr. Masters is not a member of the present Parliament.

IMPORTANT DECISIONS

UNITED PARTY TO MEET ON WEDNESDAY ALL MEMBERS INVITED Press Association CHRISTCHURCH, Today. In a brief interview, the Hon. G. W. Forbes said that important decisions affecting the United Party would be made at a meeting on Wednesday, to which all members of the party had been invited. Sir Joseph Ward had retired from office for purely health reasons, but he would remain in the House as the member for Invercargill. Sir Joseph did not desire any Cabinet position with the new Government, his retirement from Ministerial office being final and absolute.

“FUSION IS UNLIKELY”

ELECTION MORE PROBABLE, SAYS MR. MUNNS I Special to THE SUN GISBORNE, Saturday. “In my opinion a fusion of the Reform and United Parties is unlikely,” said Mr. G. C. Munns, United member for Roskill, who is paying a brief visit to Gisborne. “A more likely result is a general election in the near future, which is quite within the bounds of possibility.” Mr. W. D. Lysnar, M.P. for Gisborne, said that Sir Joseph Ward's resignation would give the party a better prospect of working successfully in the face of the difficulties that confronted the Dominion and the Government of the day. Some of Sir Joseph Ward’s ideas, he averred, were out of date and not applicable to present-day conditions.

REGRETS FROM HOME

BRITISH PRIME MINISTER’S MESSAGE British Official Wireless ! Reed. 11.55 a.m. RUGBY, Sunday. In a telegram to Sir Joseph Ward, whose resignation as Prime Minister of New Zealand was announced on i Friday t the British Prime Minister, Mr. Ramsay MacDonald, expresses his sympathy and regrets. “This means that we shall be deprived of the benefit of your counsel and ex- * perience at the Imperial Conference,** : he says. * “I earnestly hope this relief from the cares and burdens of office may soon lead to an improvement id j your health.” rights. One thing is sure. "We will not be deterred by this or any other j opposition. The bridge must come if the Xorth is to be opened up. and tli# j suburbs are a secondary consideration. We won’t load it with a lot of unnecessary costs. Wc can get the mor.' will put Auckland on its feet and i us a good traffic: bridge into tho barj sain. v_ O. K. GORDON.