REFORM GOVERNMENT.

Press, Volume LIX, Issue 17812, 11 July 1923, Page 8

REFORM GOVERNMENT.

ELEVENTH ANNIVERSARY. CONGRATULATIONS TO MR MASSEY. (SPKcr/iL TO "THS ?8E33."> WELLINGTON, July 10. To-day is tho eleventh anniversary of the swearing-in. of "the Reform A-d----ministration, which took office on July 10th, 1912. Of the original members of Mr Massev's Cabinet, there o now remain the Prime Minister, Sir Francis Bell, and Sir William Fraser (who is now a member of the Executive Council without portfolio), Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, and Sir Maui Pomare. Witli the exception of Sir R. Heaton Rhodes, the gentlemen mentioned have all had continuous service. \\ lien tho National Cabinet was in office Sir Heaton Rhodes resigned hi 3 seat to go on a War Commission to Gallipoli, and afterwards he assumed control of the New Zealand Red Cross in London. Sir Heaton rejoined the Cabinet at the reconstruction in 1919. Tiiis morning the executive of tho Wellington Reform League waited on Mr Massey and officially conveyed their felicitations to him on the celebration of the anniversary of his Administration coming into power. A meeting of the members of Parliament accorded Mr Massey their good wishes, together with hearty assurances of continued loyalty andesteem. A reminder of the occasion when Mr Massey assumed control of the affairs of New Zealand hangs in the room of tho Prime Minister's secretary (Mr F. D. Tnomson). This is a horseshoe inscribed, "Good luck," which was received in Mr Massey's mail on the morning on which his original Government was sworn in. The horse shoe was forwarded to Mr Massey from an old lady wno resides in the King Country, and with the exception of one occasion when it was taken down and cleaned, it has hung in the Prime Ministers offices ever since. After the House of Representatives rose this evening, several members ox Parliament and prominent men from different parts ot the Dominion w h° are now m Wellington, assembled m the Prime Minister's room, and concratulatbd him on the splendid work he had done rur Now Zealand during his term of office. They assured him that there was a general desire throughout the Dominion that he should go to London, and that ho should return benefitted by his trip to the Mothei Country, to conduct the affairs or fcne Dominion, for many years to come. Mr Massey is receiving many telegrams from all parts of the Dominion congratulating him on his eleventh birthday as Prime Minister of New Zealand.