THE NEW MINISTRY

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 49, Issue 199, 8 June 1929, Page 5

THE NEW MINISTRY

PERSONNEL ANNOUNCED.

MANY FORMER MEMBERS IN LIST 3ER WEBB FOR DOMINIONS. (United Press Association —Copyright) (Received This Day, 11.40 a.m.) LONDON, June 7. The Right Hon. J. Ramsay MacDonald has announced his Ministry. The personnel is as follows, with the name of the previous occupants of the various offices in the first Labour Administration given in parentheses: Prime Minister: Mr J. Ramsay MacDonald (Mr MacDonald). Chancellor of the Exchequer: Mr Philip Snowden (Mr Snowden). Foreign Affairs: Mr Arthur Henderson (Mr MacDonald). Lord Privy Seal: Mr J. H. Thomas (Mr Clynes)" . Dominion Affairs and Colonies: Mr Sidney Webb (Mr Thomas). Lord President of the Council: Lord jParmoor (Lord Parmoor). X«ord Chancellor: Lord Justice SanIcey (Viscount Haldane). Home Affairs: Mr J. R. Clynes (Mr Henderson). ' India: Captain J. C. Wedfe-wood Benn (Lord Ollivier). 'War: Mr Thomas Shaw (Mr {Stephen Walsh). Air: Lord Thomson (Lord Thorn- \. .

Health: Mr A. Greenwood (Mr TVheatley) Labour:" Miss Bondfield (Mr Shaw) Agriculture and fisheries: Mr Noel Buxton (Mr Buxton). President of the Board of Education: Sir C. P. Trevelyan (Mr Trevelyan). „ _, , President of the Board of Trade: Mr W. Graham (Mr Webb). First Lord of the Admiralty: Mr A. V. Alexander (Viscount ChelmsSecretary for Scotland: Mr "W. Adamson (Mr Adam Son). First Commissioner of Works: Mr George Lansbnry (Mr Jowett). All the above appointments carry -irith them seats in the Cabinet. Other Ministerial posts announced are:

Chancellor of the Duchy of ter: Sir Oswald Mosley (Colonel WedgMr W. Jowitt, K C. (Sir Patrick Hastings). Solicitor-General: Mr J. B. Mel Tille, K.C. (Sir Henry Slesser) Minister of Pensions: Mr F. O. Roberts (Mr Roberts). Minister of Transport: Mr Herbert Morrison (Mr Gosling). Parliamentary Under-Secretary tor Scotland: Mr Tom Johnston (Mr Stewart). _ TT _ T Postmaster-General: Mr H. B. Smith (Mr Hartshorn). Paymaster-General: JLord Arnold without salary (Mr Gosling) .—British Official Wireless.

THE DOMINIONS OFFICE SURPRISE FOR THE TIPSTERS (Received This Day, 12.5 p.m.) LONDON, June 7. The formation, of Mr MacDonald's Cabinet has followed' expected lines, with one noteworthy surprise, so complete that political tipsters' lists during the whole week left the Dominions Office blank. It was known that Mr Thomas wanted something bigger than his old office. Indeed, he aspired to the Foreign Office, but when he yielded to Mr MacJDonald's blandishment that the big job of unemployment wanted a big man with vision and initiative, it caused a recasting of political guessing, with no one m the offing to fill the Dominions blank. There was never a breath of a suggestion that Mr Sidney Webb would be selected.—Australian Press Association. United Service.

FIRST WOMAN IN CABINET.

HONOUR FOR MISS BONDFIELD. (Received This l>ay, 11.40 a.m.) v LONDON, June 7. The Scottish legal appointments to Cabinet are still under consideration. It is announced that the reason why the name of Sir Henry Slesser who was Solicitor-General in the last Labour Government, does not appear in the list is that other services have been assigned to him, which will be made known later. - _ It is pointed out that the Right Hon Vernon Hartshorn, who was Postmas-ter-General in the previous Labour Administration, is temporarily engaged on the Indian Statutory Commission. Lord Arnold, the unpaid Paymaster-General in the new Government, has accepted the position with nominal duties in order to be free for work in the House of Lords and in other ways. . Sir 0. Mosley and Mr Lansbury, it is announced, will also have other duties imposed upon them in connection with a scheme for national reconstruction which is being prepared, although several Ministers have been changed •to other Departments. Thirteen out of 19 members of the new Cabinet were members of the 1924 Labour CabIn his earlier Administration, Mr MacDonald himself combined the duties of. Foreign Secretary now ™/Iprtfl.ken by Mr , Henderson, of Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury. With the appointment of Miss Mar- ' garet Bondfield as Minister of Labour T woman attains Cabinet rank for the first time.—Australian Press Association, United Service.

MR JOWITT'S ENROLMENT.

SEEKING DESIRED REFORMS. (Received This Dav. 10.15 a.m.) LONDON, June 7. Mr W. A. Jowitt, K.C., in a letter x to Mr MacDonald dated Wednesday, said: "Everyone must regard your task with passive sympathy. Those who, like myself, have hitherto been Radicals, must consider whether we ought not to support your party as \ the only effective instrument to carry

through the desired reforms. I willinely enrol under your banner. Mr MacDonald replied, pointing out that it had become a question ot choosing which of two parties one must serve, and cordially welcoming Mr Jowitt.—Australian Press Association, United Service.

ACCESSION TO RANKS. MR JOWITT JOINS LABOUR. (Received This Day, 915 a.m.) K June 7. Mr W A. Jowitt, K.C, has definitely joined the Labour Party.—Australian. Press Association.

SEALS HANDED OVER. FORMAL LEAVE OF THE KING. (Received This Day, 9,15 a.m.) LONDON, June 7. Members of Mr Baldwin's Cabinet handed over the seals _of office to his Majesty at at 2 today. They took formal leave of the King.—Australian Press Association.

BOMBSHELL TO LIBERALS. AN UNPRECEDENTED ACTION. (Received This Day, 1.25 p.m.) LONDON. June 7. The "Herald's" political correspondent says that Mr Jowitt's action came as a< bomb-shell to Liberals everywhere. The Liberal Party Executive meets to-night to consider the position. No recent example can be recalled where the member of the Houso of Commons "crossed the floor" within a week of an election. Mr Jowitt offered to resign the Preston seat and contest it as a Labour candidate, but it is understood he jvill not b© asked to resign if he undertakes to stand as a Labour candidate at the next election and not contest Preston again. He has given this undertaking. The Liberals had no knowledge that Mr Jowitt was likely to become a member of the Labour Ministry. One of the most influential of .the Labour members said: "At least seven or eight more Liberals are sure to come oyer to the side of moderate Labour during the next few months Our next job is to put the Liberals out of existence, based on the idea that Liberals must either come with us or go with the Conservatives." Mr Webb's lack of a Parliamentary seat will be overcome by his elevation to the peerage.—United Service.

PARTY ACTIVITIES. BALDWIN'S "SHADOW CABINET." "IONiDON, June 7. Mr Baldwin intends to revive the Conservative "shadow Cabinet" from which there were such good results in 1924. The ex-Minister s will meet geriodically at the Party headquarters,, t. Stephen's Chambers, where Mr Baldwin will have an office. The Liberal leaders assembled at Lord Reading's house and discussed the policy to be recommended to the Liberal Parliamentary Party, which has been summoned for June 13 to hear a statement from Mr Lloyd George. It is believed that the leaders decided to table an amendment to the King's Speech demanding an inquiry into electoral reform. The "Daily Telegraph" predicts that resignation honours will include a peerage for Sir William JoynsonHicks. —Australian Press Association.

MR JOWITT MEETS LEADERS. LONDON, June 7. Mr W. A. Jowitt, K. 0., who is suggested as likely to join the Labour Ministry, conferred to-night with the Liberal leaders at Preston, hut declined to offer any explanation to the Press. Mr Jowitt is one of the ablest men at the Bar and is described as a great accession to Mr Mae Donald's Government. He was elected with Mr Tom Shaw for Preston, a two-member constituency. Liberal newspapers admit that he did not fight Labour but co-operated with them. He and Mr [Shaw were elected in a four-cornered l fight against two Conservatives by the I combined Liberal and Labour vote. — Australian Press Association.

LABOUR'S DOMINION POLICY. LONDON, June 7. One of the first matters for Mr MacDonald to tackle concerning the Dominions Office is the Imperial Conference. It is understood that Labour is particularly anxious to have discussions with the Prime Ministers of the Dominions, as the policy will naturally undergo certain changes, though not necessarily of a drastic nature. The Imperial Conference will definitely be called for 1930 at the earliest moment that can be arranged to fit in with Labour's programme. —Australian Press Association.