CABINET POST

Wairarapa Times-Age, 28 October 1943, Page 3

CABINET POST

MEMBER FOR WAIRARAPA RECOMMENDED NOMINATION OF MR. SCHRAMM AS SPEAKER. DECISIONS OF LABOUR CAUCUS. (By Telegraph—Press Association.) WELLINGTON, This Day. A decision to'request the Prime Minister, Mr. Fraser, to recommend to the Governor-General the appointment of Mr. B. Roberts. M.P. for Wairarapa, to fill the vacancy in the Ministry was made by the Parliamentary Labour Party at a caucus of its members in Wellington yesterday morning. 1 was also decided on the assembly of Parliament to nominate Mr. F. W. Schramm, M.P. for Auckland East, for the office of Speaker of the House of

Representatives. The decisions ol caucus were announced by the Minister of Finance, Mr. Nash, who presided in the absence of the Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, because of temporary indisposition. Mr. Nash stated that Mr. Fraser had been enthusiastically re-elected leader of the party. “Unanimous confidence was expressed in the Prime Minister,” he added. “Reference to his magnificent work for the Dominion and the Labour movement, particularly during the war years, was received with applause.” Mr. Nash, who has the post of Deputy-Leader of the party, said that Mr. R. McKeen, M.P. for Wellington South, was unanimously recommended for the post of Chairman of Committees, a position he held in the last Parliament. It was also decided unanimously and with expressions of appreciation of their previous good work, to reappoint Mr. A. S. Richards, M.P. for Roskill, and Mr. D. W. Coleman, M.P. for Gisborne as the Government Whips in the new Parliament. Captain, T. H. McCombs, M.P. for Lyttelton was elected secretary of the Parliamentary Labour Party.

In referring to the members who had lost their seats at the General Election in September, Mr. Nash paid spepial tribute to their splendid work over long years on behalf of Labour and the Dominion, and said he knew they would continue their work outside Parliament and later would come back again to resume their Parliamentary duties. With the exception of the Prime Minister, there was a full attendance of members. Mr. Nash welcomed the new members, Mr. A. E. Armstrong (Napier), Mr. E. Coulter (Raglan), Mr. T. Omana (Eastern Maori), Mr. T. P. Paikea (Northern Maori), Mr. : F. Hackett (Grey Lynn) and Lieutenant-Comman-der P. G. Connolly (Dunedin West). "The meeting,” said Mr. Nash, at the conclusion of the morning session, “was one of the most enthusiastic experienced in the history of the party, and with the new members the fighting strength in Parliament for progressive legislation is as high as at any period in the history of the Labour movement.” Meetings of the caucus were also held in the afternoon and evening, when there was a discussion on war and post-war problems. Asked if he were able to say whether the caucus had expressed any opinion as to when Parliament should meet, Mr. Nash said this subject had not so far been dis cussed. The caucus adjourned at 10.30 p.m. till this morning.