DISMISSED.

Auckland Star, Volume LXIV, Issue 259, 3 November 1933, Page 7

DISMISSED.

MALTA MINISTRY. GRAVE EMERGENCY. i — j Consistent Action Against | „ British Policy. f j PARLIAMENT DISSOLVED. (United P.A.—Electric Telegraph-Copyright) (Received 11 a.m.) MALTA, November 2. The Governor, General Sir David Campbell, has dismissed the Ministry. He has proclaimed a state of emergency and has dissolved Parliament. A British official wireless message states that the Colonial Office has issued the following statement: —"The Governor of Malta has found it necessary to dismiss the Ministers, and the Secretary of Stato for the Colonies, being satisfied that a grave emergency had 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 somo time past the Government has viewed with increasing concern the policy pursued by the Ministers in Malta. It will be recollected that the restoration of responsible government in 1932 was ma.de subject to certain definite 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 secondary schools. Since their accession to office the Maltese Ministers have embarked upon measures the object of which, in effect, would deliberately evade this policy.

"A further source of anxiety is the maimer in ■which the finances of the island have heen administered. These finances, which were taken .over in a sound condition in 1932, have already been gravely prejudiced. The Governor was authorised to warn • the Ministers that the policy which they were deliberately pursuing was contrary to the spirit of the Constitution, gravely detrimental to the interests of Malta, and to make it plain to them the consequences which must inevitably follow •unless their policy was radically altered.

"He subsequently presented" them with a detailed list of the measures adopted by them since their accession to office which he regarded as objectionable and which, both in the interests of sound administration and as , 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 ithe acts to which the Government took exception, and the communique proceeds: "There have, moreover, been in the ordinary day to day administration a number of instances indicating that the 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. "The Ministers have been given the opportunity to amend their policy upon these matters and they have declined to do so. Accordingly, they have been dismissed, and the Governor has again assumed administration of the island."