CABINET MEETS

Ashburton Guardian, Volume 56, Issue 74, 9 January 1936, Page 3

CABINET MEETS

SUBCOMMITTEES SET UP. EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT OF PLANS. (Per Press Association.) WELLINGTON, January 8. Sub-committees of Cabinet were set up this morning at the first session of the full Cabinet held since mid-Decem-ber. The five members of. the finance sub-committee, headed by the Hon. M. J. Savage, attended to-day’s meeting. Other sub-committees were appointed to report on railways and transport generally, and arbitration, wages, and relief workers’ conditions and wages. The personnel of the last-named two sub-committees has not yet been announced. Mr Savage said that the sub-com-mittees would meet separately, secure whatever information and reports were required to discuss their particular subject thoroughly, and then submit their report and recommendations to the full Cabinet. Mr iSavage indicated that there would be an early announcement giving at; least an outline of the Government's intentions on several major matters. He believes that sub-commit-tees will deal with questions much more expeditiously than the full Cabinet, more especially where details are concerned, and the full Cabinet, relying .on the investigations and recommendations of sub-committees, will be able to come to a decision without undue delay. “We have to get on with our job, and sit till our work on the initial programme is finished,” said the Prime Minister, at the conclusion of this morning’s meeting, which occupied 2-i----hours. A great part of the time was occupied in disposing of a big volume of routine affairs which had piled up during the holiday recess, but most of this is now out of the way, and a beginning can be made on practical work of first-class importance. Answering a question, Mr Savage said that no appointments oi anything of a personal nature had been considered, and all such matters would have to wait until the big things had been attended to. Long sitting hours were observed, and when the meeting finished tonight Mr Savage said' the various subcommittees would meet again tomorrow morning. The next meeting of the Cabinet would be called as soon as the committees had something definite to report. The committees would continue to function except when the Cabinet itself was meeting, until such time as something concrete had been evolved from which the law draughtsman could prepare legislation.