MINISTERS DISMISSED

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 54, Issue 20, 3 November 1933, Page 5

MINISTERS DISMISSED

EMERGENCY IN MALTA.

LANGUAGES AND FINANCES.

GOVERNOR ASSUMES POWERS. (United Press Association—Copyright). (Received This Day, 11.20 a.m.) LONDON, November 2. The Colonial Office has issued the following communique: "The Governor of Malta found it necessary to dismiss his Ministers, and the Secretary of State for Colonies is satisfied that a grave emergency has arisen within the meaning of section 41 of the Malta Constitution Letters Patent. The Governor has assumed the powers vested in him by the Constitution. "For some time the Government has viewed with increasing concern the. policy pursued by Ministers in Malta. It will be recollected that the restoration of responsible Government in 1932 was made the subject of certain clenriita provisions with regard to the language question and particularly, to the teaching of languages in the schools. It is the essence of these provisions that the languages to be used in the public elementary schools should be Maltese and English only, adequate provision being made for the teaching of Italian in the secondary schools. Since their accession to office, the Maltese Ministers have embarked upon measures the object of which, in effect, was deliberately to evade this policy. . ', • "A further source of anxiety is the manner in which the finances of the island have been administered. These fmanoss, which were taken over in a sound condition in 1932, have already been gravely prejudiced. The Governor was authorised to warn Ministers that the policy which they were deliberately pursuing was contrary to the spirit of the Constitution and gravely detrimental to the interests of Malta, and to make plain to them the consequences which must inevitably follow unless their policy was radically altered. He subsequently presented Ministers with a detailed list of the measures, adopted by them since their accession to, office/ which he regarded as, objectionable and which, in the interests of sound administration and as a proof of their compliance with the policy of his Majesty's Government he called upon "them to revoke.'' ■■. 'Examples are cited as an illustration of the nature and extent of the acts to •which" the Government took exception and the communique proceeds: "There has, moreover, been,in the ordinary day-to-day administration a number of instances, indicating that Ministers have neglected few opportunities, however small, of displaying their disinclination to work in harmony with the policy.of the Government., The cumulative effect of these and similar acts is unmistakable. Ministers have been given an opportunity to amend their policy upon these matters. They declined to do so, and, accordingly they have been dismissed.. The Governor has assumed the administration of the Island,"—British Official Woreless,.'- T ! -;'-,-' ',■",""' '•' . ;-':'

1 PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED. (Received This Day, .1:3.0 p.m.) MALTA, Nov, 2. The Governor has proclaimed a state of emergency, and dissolved Parliament.