A MINISTER’S DAY

Evening Star, Issue 21725, 21 May 1934, Page 7

A MINISTER’S DAY

MANY CROWDED H&URS. SOME RECENT EXPERIENCES [Special to the ‘ Siak,’] WELLING TO X, May 19. : Tiie'Minister of Finance has gone into seclusion in remote Waiho on the West Coal, where, as he hopes, he will “have time to think.” Mr Coates has thus brought vividly before the public mind a serious problem which frequently faces Ministers of the .Crown, who have lives so-crowded with callers' and important routine that there is little time left for constructive thought. And if happily they reach the point of leisure they are too tired to think clearly. -

. Parliament will shortly be at work, taking up afternoons and evenings, and often the eiirly hours of the morning in addition. But the Minister of Finance must somehow find time to take-a broad and general survey of the dominion's financial position to decide on what lines he will recommend the House to face .the financial future. Estimates of probable receipts by the Consolidated Revenue for the year ending .March 31, 1935, have been framed by responsible heads of departments, particularly, the Customs branch and the Laud and Income Tax Department, and these have to he considered before the Minister takes the responsibility of framing his estimates of expenditure. On.these decisions will depend whether taxation is to ho increased or whether the time has come to give practical effect to the belief that the country is on the upgrade, and that some of the heaviest taxation burdens can be relieved because the revenue will be more buoyant in future. While finance is .the major problem calling for thought, the Finance Minister is. also concerned over the launching of the Central Reserve Bank. Apparently its directorate has not been an easy matter to complete, judging by the long delay in announcing the appointments only to-day. And, as Minister of Customs, Mr Coates has to take charge of a complete review of the Customs tariff during the coming session, involving consideration of the voluminous mass of information collected by the recent Tariff Commission, its recommendations, and their bearing on the Ottawa agreement. Perhaps Hie problems of the dairy industry, which have involved laborious hours to Ministers for many weeks, can momentarily be put aside until the Royal Commission is able to-contribute its suggestions. Members of Parliament declare that Sir Coates is the hardest man to see of all Ministers, and this is true, though it involves no "suggestion that he is very exclusive to callers. His chief problem appears to be the reception of a never-ending series of deputations. His day commences at 9 a.m., usually with a long conference with the head of the Treasury, and the rest of the olfice hours are filled with inevitable routine, so that he is frequently obliged to return to his desk .in the evening, when there are few'interruptions.

The Prime Minister starts his official day a ,littlo later' than . his colleague, because he js very insistent on getting an .. hour’s walk after breakfast, and covers an almost invariable route which need not he indicated here, for fear that business might be thrust upon him before he readies the office. This week ho wished to attend to some private matters at his home in Cheviot, and so urgent were the affairs of the Government that ho travelled overnight to Lyttelton, rushed to Cheviot and back the next day, and caught the same boat to Wellington, so that he could continue official work with only a twenty-four-hour break. But business had accumulated, and the first morning’s programme became so crowded that a large deputation from all branches of the Public Service, anxious to present' a request for restoration of wages, could not reach its objective, the Prime Minister and Mr Coates, until forty minutes after the arranged time, which was noon. Ten- organisations had collaborated in the preparation of the statement to these’ Ministers, and it had •,been printed, taking up ten quarto pages of small type.' There was. one. speaker, and ho read this statement with occasional additions by way of emphasis. The field, to be covered was so wide and important that no exception could he made to its length, but lunch time quickly came round, and he still went on. . Half-past 1. and Ministers- were still listening. Mr Coates was due to catch the Picton steamer leaving at 2.45, and he anxiously watched the clock without comment. However, when prospects of lunch had drifted away, the' Prime. Minister suggested that some of the general arguments in the case, involving high exchange and unemployment, might be “taken as read ” —he was following the speaker, with the printed pages—and this resulted in some’ ■ abbreviation. Mr Coates was able -to make a brief.reply and' hurry away to the steamer, while it is assumed that the Prime Minister could got but a sketchy meal, for be had to complete a day’s, work, address the inaugural meeting of the Royal Society of -sow Zealand in the evening, and make an early start the following day for Taranaki. There is ' a telephone wire running alongside the forest road from Hokitika to Waiho for about fifty miles, _so that comriiunication - with the Minister _of Finance is fairly uncertain. If during current stormy weather there is a breakdown, the Ministerial party will probably not expect the Post and Telegraph officials to make very frantic efforts at;prompt restoration.