WELLINGTON TOPICS
THE CABINET. APPOINTMENTS STILL UNMADE. (Special Correspondent). Wellington, ]-'eli. 23.' Mr. Massey, who is leaving for Auckland to-night to be entertained there by some of lim personal and political friend.-:, still is unable to give any information in regard to the reinforce-' ment of the Cabinet. The delay in making an announcement on the subject is provoking a good deal of comment, and doubtless taxing the patience of the various aspirants for office: but it must he admitted the Prime Minister is kcepii'7 the administrative machine running surprisingly well with his much reduced team of colleagues. The arrangement inevitably places a large amount of additional work and responsibility upon the shoulders of permanent heads of' departments, but happily the civil service system, with all ite defects, seems to provide reliable and capable men at the top of the tree. Were it otherwise Mr. Massey would have found very great difficulty in carrying on under the enormous burden he has taken upon himself.
:;MORK SPECULATIONS. If the Prime Minister has made up his mind as to the personnel of his reinforced Cabinet ho has kept his decision very closely to himself. The matter was mentioned at the recent caucus of tire Reform Party, but was not discussed in any detail, and Mr. Massey was left with an entirely free hand. At the time it was thought he might have it in his mind to approach certain members of the Liberal Party and certain unofficial Laborites with a view to their inclusion in the. Ministry, but now anything of this sort seems highly improbable. The scheme would bo as impracticable from the Liberal and Labor points of as it would! be from the Reform point of view. However desirous the Reformers may have been for a combination of the "best brains," irrespective of party, before the election, they see now that no such compromise can be effected. THE HOUSING PROBLEM. Home seekers in Wellington are no longer complaining of the rents they are asked to pay. Their more pressing trouble is that they cannot rent houses' at any figure. House owners, who do not require the accommodation for themselves, are all sellers and appear to have no difficulty in commanding boom prices for their properties. In these circumstances anxious inquiries are being made about the Government's housing scheme, and yesterday Mr. Massey gave some information concerning the progress it had made. The figures are not very impressive. The applications received from local bodies under the legislation of last session amounted to £405,000, but tlie heaviest of them were from the big centres, the Christchnrch Citv Council.: for instance, asking for £200.000. Applications of tltnt magnitude had to be "turned down," but eleven applications, varying from .{4OO to £IO.OOO and amounting to £75,000 altogether, have been entertained, and these, it is understood.' represent '-.the c!;i=s of business to which the scheme will be confined.
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Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1920, Page 3
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483WELLINGTON TOPICS Taranaki Daily News, 27 February 1920, Page 3
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