CABINET CHANGES

Dominion, Volume 25, Issue 223, 16 June 1932, Page 6

CABINET CHANGES

Absentees at Ottawa CONTROL OF FINANCE Mr. Forbes to Take Over The reshuffling of Cabinet portfolios which will be made necessary by the absence at the Imperial Economic Conference at Ottawa of Mr. Coates and Mr. Stewart was discussed by the Prime Minister, Rt. Hon. G. W. Lorbes, on nis return from Christchurch yesterday. Mr. Forbes said he would take over the portfolios of Finance and Customs from Mr. Stewart. The AttorneyGeneralship, which was also held by Mr. Stewart, would probably be administered in his absence by the Minister of Native Affairs, Sir Apirana Ngata, although this question had not been discussed. Employment would be taken over during Mr. Coates’s absence by the Postmaster-General and Minister of Labour, Hon. A. Hamilton. Had the Prime Minister gone to Ottawa, as was originally intended, Finance and Customs would probably have been allocated temporarily to the Minister of Education, Hon. R. Masters. As it is, however, Mr. Forbes has previously administered these portfolios, as he held them in the United Administration, and he also took them over while Mr. Stewart was negotiating for the Canadian Trade Treaty at Honolulu some months ago. The departmental control of the Labour and Employment Departments has now been vested In one head, and as it is intended to use the organisation of the Labour Department to assist in unemployment relief administration, the temporary assumption of Employment will be made the easier for Mr. Hamilton in this respect. When questioned concerning the personnel of the deputation, the Prime Minister said he thought Mr. Coates would go to Ottawa, although he knew he was considering the question.