A BUSY MINISTER

Evening Post, Volume XCVI, Issue 152, 24 December 1918, Page 7

A BUSY MINISTER

ON A BRIEF HOLIDAY. The Acting-Prime Minister, Sir' James Allen, left Wellington yesterday for Duriedin, where- he will enjoy . a short rest after au extremely strenuous year. Tho well-worn phrase", "a well-earned rest," applies to him exactly, for. it will be conceded by anyone who lia,?_ close association with Ministers that his list of daily callors is tremendously heavy. The human element is so bound up -with Defence activities that an enormous amount of work connected with the soldiers and their relatives centres on the. office of the Minister of Defence. Ordinary office hours have to be ignored, f.nd the Minister work's even longer hours than his staff, as the callers, private and departmental, during the working day almost preclude any possibility oE quietly 'considering the many important', problems which have to be decided by the Minister himself. The Defence portfolio covers a multitude of activities. Thero j are War Pensions, Soldiers' Financial Assistance, and the numerous sub-divi-sions of the Defence- Department itself. These cover. the care of the sick and wounded, f.-.very big problem involving vocational training as- well as curative treatment, and. tho provision of hospital accommodation for a constantly growing number as the returning men arrive. Demobilisation is another of_ the big Sroblems from which the Minister of lefence will only take a short rest. The system of demobilising returning men on tiie transports) has had to be evolved,and put into operation, and the Defence Dcpariment's work in this respect co-ordi-•/ria-tsd with. 1 that'of tho Reparation 'Board.. ■ ' " '■' ■ >