OVERWORKED MINISTERS

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LIV, Issue 244, 15 April 1912, Page 3

OVERWORKED MINISTERS

'PRIME MINISTER'S OPINION. "PUBLIC LIFE REDUCED TO AN ABSOLUTE ABSURDITY." Eltham, April 11. The Prime Minister is the busiest man in New Zealand at the present time. He has not had an idle moment during his s'tay in Taranaki. He has been rushing from one end of the district to the other at lighltning speed, oy train and motor-car, receiving deputations, opening public buildings, attending banquets and socials given in his honor, and at the same time keeping abreast with the ordinary work which devolves upon a Prime 'Minis'ter.

•At a public meeting at Manaia to-day lie remarked that the question was being frequently asked, how long would he be Prime Minister. 'Well, all I can gay," he added, "is that I hope it will be as brief a time as possible." A Minister of the Crown had to be continuously working. There was no cessation, because travelling had to be done. On the train and on the steamers it was all the same. A Minister had no time to be sea-sick.

"The public life of this country," he continued, "is being reduced to an absolute absurdity." Year by year the work- of Ministers was increasing, t>ut there was not an increase in 'the members of the Cabinet. The result was that the work was not as perfectly done as it should be, but if anybody suggested an increase in the number of Ministers a howl was at once raised, protesting against the increased expenditure. Some Ministers not only had' to look after the expenditure of three or four million pounds, but had to control two or three departments as well. "I say," he went on, "it is impossible for them' to overtake the work. If good work is ,to bo done, Ministers must have sufficient time to do it in." There was a good deal of misapprehension in regard to the Ministerial carriage used on the railway. On many occasions he had refused to use it, because he knew that public sentimenjfc was against it. He pointed out that such a carriage could not very well be done without on account of the enormous amount of work which had to be attended to while travelling, work which could not be carried out in the ordinary carriage of a train open to the public.