MORE WORK.

Auckland Star, Volume LII, Issue 250, 20 October 1921, Page 4

MORE WORK.

A decision of the Imperial Conference that has not received the attention it deserves was mentioned hy the Prime Minister in his recent review of the Conference's work. Copies of the dispatches of the Foreign Office are to be provided for every Prime Minister in the Empire, who will be expected to express an opinion on the matters contained therein. Mr. Massey said he thought this would mean "the appointment of a responsible man to look after" the dispatches, by which we presume he means a civil servant. The far more Important question he did not touch on—how is the Prime Minister going to find time to read and study these dispatches to an extent that will give his opinions value? Burdened as he is at present, Mr. Maasey will find it absolutely impossible to do justice to this important innovation. Does he propose to treat the foreign affairs of the Empire as he treats the Railway Department—to give it ten minutes a day? If he intends to deal with all these dispatches himself—and apparently in coming to this arrangement the Conference did not contemplate any delegation —this is another argument for his divesting himself of most or all of 'the departmental work with which he is already overwhelmed, and securing a freedom for general supervision similar to that enjoyed by the Prime Minister of Britain. In our opinion, the innovation adds point to the argument that thore must be some change in the arrangements by which New Zealand keeps in touch with Imperial affairs. Kither the Prime Minister must be free to attend to "foreign afTairs" properly, and go abroad when he is required, or to another Minister must be assigned the study of these matters.