POLITICAL CRISIS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1919, Page 5

POLITICAL CRISIS.

DEFECTION OF MINISTERS. FURTHER STATEMENT BY MB. MASbJiY. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Mi-. Maasey made the following additional statement: The decision of Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues to retire from the Government and thereby terminate the existence of the National Government formed in 1015, under the agreement of the two principal parties in the House of Representatives, was publicly announced some mouths ago, but no intimation was given then or since until the 20th inst. whether the consequent disruption was intended to take place before the session of Parliament convened by the National Government for dispatch of business on the 2Sth inst. Some of the moat important public departments, such as Treasury, Public Health, Mining, Education, and Justice, have been since U)ls continuously under control of those Ministers who have now announced their resignation. The remaining Ministers have not intervened in the internal work of such departments, nor in departmental policy, except in cases where decisions of the Cabinet have been called for, and the present position ia therefore in respect of t-'icne departments similar to tiiat which occurs in a change of Government, Unit with the grave exception that the reau'ining .Ministers have not the time always allowed to an incoming government to make themselves acquainted w : th the methods of the departments and the requirement? of the country in regard to the mutters which those departments control. They are called upon to meet 3 arliamont in less than a week hence and assuir.'j the responsibility for werk of many months past without the aid •■i the several Ministers who have directed it. REARRANGEMENT r>F PORTFOLIOS.

STRENGTH OF PARTIES NOT DEFINITELY KNOWN. (By Wire.—Own Correspondent,) Wellington, Last Night. AH tlie Liberal Ministers remaining resigned to-day, except Air. Russell, who will resign on Monday, and Mr. llanan, who is expected to go out of office on Tuesday. No definite allocation of the vacant portfolios has yet been made. Sir James Allen is not taking any more work, finding that he is already overloaded. Mr, Massey is to take Finance and the Police. Sir Francis Bell is to take Internal Affairs, Justice, and probably Education. Fortunately, he is not at present heavily loaded, so that he can take rather more than his share of the extra work. Sir William Fraser will take Mines. Mr. Hemes will take Customs and Marine, and it seems likely, although no such arrangement seems to have been made, that he will also take over coal distribution. Mr. Guthrie will take Agriculture. This still leaves the Post Office and the Department of Public Health unaccounted for, and they have not yet been placed.

Mr. Massey does not intend to make any appointments to the Ministry until after lie has met his party next Wednesday. ITe may not then hasten to make now appointment?, but he will almost certainly make some appointments then. There will probably not be

may "be that the Ministers of the present Cabinet who will bo retiring will not at once do so. These nre questions on which members of the party may wish to say something. Mr. Massey's majority will be a very small one. It is believed that with Mr. Heaton Rhodes in the House he will have a strength of 42, including Mr. Speaker. It is also fairly certain that some other members commonly called Liberals would not follow Sir Joseph Ward on a vote of no-confldence, but will refrain from voting. No one knows what the Labor men will do.

PLENTY OP WORK AHEAD. STATEMENT BY PREMIER. Wellington, Last Night. In reply to further questions this morning, Mr, Massey said he could, as yat, make no statement aa to the reconstruction of the Ministry, which would take place in the near future. There would, as far aa he know, be no postponement of the session. As to whether the session would he shoTt or long, he could not say what the members would do. He wanted to do as much business as possible in the time at his disposal, and there was plenty waiting. There was legislation which must be passed, and Parliament would bo asked to deal with essential measures. Besides Supply and the Expiring Laws Continuance Bill there was the validation of the Peace Treaty. That would, probably, not take long, but it must be done- The administration of Samoa would not require much legislation, but they wished to get it dealt with as soon as possible. The Liberal Ministers arc all following Sir Joseph Ward's lead and tendering their resignations. The Hon. W. D S. Macdonald to-day resigned his portfolios of Agriculture, Mines, State and Fire Insurance, Tourist and Health Resorts, and Legislative. When asked for a statement he said: "Anything I can do to help until there is a reconstruction of the Ministry I am prepared to do. All the heads of Departments are very competent men, and no doubt Mr. Massey will get all the assistance he requires from them."

Hon. A. M. Myers has resigned the portfolios of Customs, Coal Control, and the National Provident Fund, "I have followed my leader," was all he said. Hon. T. Wilford has resigned as Minister of Marine, Justice, and Stamp Duties. "I am going back to work at my office in Stout Street," was his statement. Hon. G. W. Russell, Minister of Public Health and Internal Affairs, said: "When the National Government was formed in August, 1915, we entered it as members of the Liberal Party. It having beeu decided that the Liberal I Party shall withdraw from the Government, I, of course, will retire under the arrangement that was made four years ngo. There avo several very important matters which I have been unable to clear up, and consequently I shall not he ready to present my resignation until Monday next. By that time these matters will have been completed, and on Monday next I shall hand in my resignation. More than this at present I do not feel disposed to say." Hon. J. A. Hanan, Minister of Educacation and Friendly Societies, said he was sending in his resignation, and today was busily engaged eadeavouriag to