NATIONAL CABINET

Dominion, Volume 8, Issue 2533, 6 August 1915, Page 6

NATIONAL CABINET

ITS POSSIBLE COMPOSITION

NO ANNOUNCEMENT MADE

The party leaders whose task it is to select the members of tho National Min- ; istry still refused to make _ any state- 1 ment on their clioico last night. It is probable that a statement will be made to-day. From among the rumours current it is possible to make some hazard at tho 1 probabilities, however, and it now appears to be fairly certain that tho mem- : bers of the Government to retire will be ■ Sir Francis Bell, and tho Hon. It. Hca- : ton Rhodes. This means that the five Government members to remain in tho Cabinet will bo tho Right Hon. W. F. Massey (Prime Minister), tho HOll. J. ■Allen, the Hon. A. L.. Herdnian, the Hon. W. H. Herries, arid the Hon. W. Fraser. About the clioico from. tho other side no such confident forecast can bo made. The fifth place is still 1 doubtful. It is understood that the two men in tho running are Mr, J. A. Hanan and Mr. T. K. Side.v, and Mr. Hanan's stocks 'have risen in the last 24 hours. As it happens they are two men of similar equipment, who have specialised in tho same brandies of politics, a circumstance which, it may bo presumed, makes the choice more . difficult. Tho members from the Opposition side will probably be: Sir Joseph ' Ward, Mr. G. W. Russell, Mr. W.'D. S. Mac Donald, Mr. A. M., Myers,' and for the fifth, place Mr. J. A. Hanan or Mr. T- K. Sidey. If Sir Francis Bell goes out of the Ministry it is expected that he will, go to London to act there as High Commissioner for Now Zealand, succeeding Mr. T. Mackenzie, who retires about August 1,1916. It is also expected that the Hon. A. L. Hordman will go into tlio Legislative Council, to represent : the Ministry in that Chamber. This will leave Wellington North seat vacant. Earlier in the negotiations there was a suggestion that Mr. A. H. .Hindmarsh, Chairman of the Labour Party, would bo one of Sir Joseph Ward's nominees. This did not, however, meet with the approval of a majority of members 0? tho Labour Party, and at a meeting of the party from which, by.the wAy, Mr. John Payne who styles himself an Independent Labour member,was excluded, tho following resolutions wore passed:— (1) That the extent to which the ' Labour Party are prepared to sup- • port or oppose tho proposed National Government will depend upon ' the measures brought forward by such Government and upon its administration. (12) That it is not the Labour ■ Party's wish that any one 'Of its members should be offered a port- ., folio in the proposed National Government 1 AND THE FARMERS' UNION. : . (By Telegraph.—Press Association.! •' Mar ton, August 5. At tho Fanners' Union Conference,. when it seemed hopeless that the political would agree to foi'ih a National Ministry, a resolution was. passed urging both parties to make another, attempt to do so. When the National, Ministry was. announced' yesterday the president (Sir Jas. Wilson) telegraphed to tho Prime Minister and Sir' Joseph. • Ward, on behalf of the Farmers' Union, as follows"Desire to thank both parties on having agreed to form, a National Ministry." .' , AUSTRALIAN PRESS OPINION NEW ZEALAND FREE FROM LABOUR CAUCUS By, Telegraph—Press Association—Copyright Sydney, August 0. Tho "Daily Telegraph," commenting .011 .the New Zealand National Ministry, says :—"Usually in a thickly-populated, country personal differences form- an insurmountable obstacle. The Labour Party ,is numerically negligible in New Zealand; that is a reason no difficulty has arisen, which tact and patriotism and some self-sacrifice havo been unable to overcome. 1 ' The paper contrasts this with tho Australian Labour Party, "ruled by a caucus which forces Cabinet to introduce contentions legislation." WHAT CANADA THINKS NEW. ZEALAND'S EXAMPLE . SHOULD BE FOLLOWED. (Rec. August 5, 11.40 p.m.) Ottawa, August 5. . The Canadian Press welcomos, the establishment of a non-party Government in New Zealand, and the independent newspapers aro asking for tho same course to be adopted in Canada. ' ===== .