CABINET PORTFOLIOS

Evening Star, Issue 21994, 2 April 1935, Page 14

CABINET PORTFOLIOS

RE-ALLOCATION DURING LEADERS' ABSENCE MR HAMILTON MAY TARE FIHAHCE [From Qur Parliamentary Reporter.] WELLINGTON, April 1. Will New Zealand be without an Acting-Prime Minister when the Prime Minister, Mr Forbes, gets outside its territorial liniits on'the Aorangi to-day? This query is suggested by a surprising omission from the official list of redistributed portfolios issued by Mr Forbes just prior to his departure from Wellington. While ho has definitely allocated to Mr Coates the important portfolio of External Affairs, and the remainder of In's responsibilities to Mr Hansom, Mr Masters, and Mr Cobbe, his colleagues in the Coalition Cabinet, he has made no provision for the administration of his main task—that of Prime Minister. Apparently he has merely taken for granted that Mr Coates is the leader, but as the Finance Minister himself is leaving for London on April 13, it appears that tho settlement of this question lias been left in the hands of Mr Coates, who in any ease would reallocate among his own Cabinet .Ministers the portfolios of Finance. Customs, and Transport. Though no specific indications were given by Air Forbes, it is learned that when Mr Coates leaves Wellington on April 12 for Auckland to join the Rangitane, ho will hand over tho portfolio of External Affairs to Mr Ransom, who also will assume the rolo of Acting-Prime _ Minister. It is expected that the important portfolio of Finance will be administered by Mr Hamilton, Postmaster-General; Painstaking attempts have been made to avoid any official declaration that tho Finance Minister will soon follow his co-leader to London, but a large number of circumstances combine to make it dear, as published a fortnight ago, that this is his intention. Although the official announcement has still to be made, he is being entertained at a farewell gathering by his supporters on Tuesday night. It is known that Mr Coates will be accompanied on the trip by Mrs Coates and his personal secretary, Miss H. D. Montague. In parliamentary circles surprise is expressed that the Prime Minister should virtually leave New Zealand in advance of any official announcement of Mr Coates’s plans. The Prime Minister’s portfolios are allocated as follows: External Affairs, Air Coates; Cook Islands. Scientific and Industrial Research, Public Trust, Electoral, High Commissioner’s DeparL merit, Legislative Department, Mr Ransom ; Railways, Native Affairs, and Native Trust, Mr Masters; AttorneyGeneral, Mr Cobbe.

Steve Kilcheii, a fifty-year-old Montreal restaurant proprietor, did not trust banks. So he hid his savings in his wooden leg. Now he has complained to the police that his leg has been burgled of more than £4OO while he was asleep in bed.