HOMELAND CABINET

Greymouth Evening Star, 6 November 1931, Page 7

HOMELAND CABINET

LIST OF APPOINTMENTS A STRONG TEAM [OFFICIAL WIBELESS.] RUGBY, November 5. The following Cabinet appointments have been made: — Prime Minister and First Lord of the Treasury, Mr Ramsay MacDonald. Lord President of the Council: Mr Stanley Baldwin. Chancellor of the Exchequer: Mr Neville Chamberlain. Secretary for Home Affairs: Sir H. Samuel. Lord Chancellor: Lord Sankey. Secretary for War: Lord Hailsham. Secretary for Foreign Affairs: Sir J. Simon. Secretary for India: Sir S. Hoare. Secretary for Dominion Affairs: Mr J. H. Thomas. Secretary for Colonies: Sir P. Cun-liffe-Lister. Secretary for Air: Marquis of Londonderry. Secretary for Scotland: Sir Archibald Sinclair. Minister for Health: Sir E. Hilton Young. President Of the Board of Trade: Sir Walter Runciman. Lord Privy Seal: Mr Philip Snowden. First Lord of the Admiralty: Sir Bolton Eyres-Monsell. President of the Board of Education: Sir Donald Mac Lean. Minister of Agriculture and Fisheries: Sir John Gilmore. Minister of Labour: Sir Henry Bet- 1 terton.

First Commissioner of Works: Mr W. Ormsby Gore. In the new Cabinet, apart from the Prime Minister, the following Ministers retain the portfolios which they held in the Cabinet of ten, formed when the National Government took office at the. end of August, namely: Mr Baldwin, Sir H. Samuel, Lord Sankey, Sir S. Hoare, Mr Thomas and Sir D. Mac Lean. As anticipated the services of Mr Snowden have been retained. New appointments are made to the Exchequer, Foreign Affairs and Board of Trade which are generally regarded as most important offices in the National Government.

Mr Neville Chamberlain a half brother of Sir Austen Chamberlain is chairman of the Conservative Party. He has identified himself closely with the movement for tariff reform and Imperial preference for which his father, the late Sir Joseph Chamberlain, was famous. ' Sir J. Simon, who is the most distinguished counsel at the English bar was one of the law officers in the prewar Liberal administration. Since the war, he has served as chairman of some important commissions, including the Indian statutory commission. He is head of the group of Liberal Nationals, who separated from the main body of the Liberal Party before the election, on the fiscal issue, and who during the election, advocated a completely free hand for the Prime Minister in any measures considered necessary to restore the balance of trade.

Sir W. Runciman,’ is a member of the Simon group of Liberals, a well known ship-owner and a director of the Westminster Bank. He was a member of three Liberal Governments before the war, and president of the Board of Trade from 1914 to 1916. Lord Hailsham, formerly Sir Douglas Hogg, is a son of the famous philanthropist, Quinton Hogg, founder of the Polytechnic. He was Attorney General in two Conservative Governments since the war, and later Lord Chancellor.

Sir P. Cunliffe-Lister was president of the Board of Trade in the late Government, whch position he also held in the post-war Conservative administrations.

Lord Londonderry, the new Secretary for Air, was Under-Secretary for that department in 1920, and Commissioner of Works in the last Conservative Government. Sir A. Sinclair has been a Liberal Member of Parliament for a Scottish constituency since 1922. Sir E. Hilton Young, who is a barrister, was formerly Liberal member of Parliament, but since 1929, has represented a Kent constituency as a Conservative. He has acted as Chairman of many Royal Commissions of enquiries, including the East Africa Union.

Sir J. Gilmour was Secretary for Scotland in the last Conservative Government, in which Mr Ormsby Gore, now Commissioner of Works, was Under Secretary for the Colonies. CABINET MAINLY FREE TRADE? LONDON, November 5. As anticipated, Mr MacDonald’s allocation of offices was eleven Conservatives, four National Labour, three Liberals, and two National Liberals, seeks to reflect the position of the parties in the country. Sir J. Simon’s inclusion was expected, "but it'was a surprise that he goes to the Foreign Office. Mr MacDonald was probably guided by the feeling that Sir J. Simons' keen mind would be able to unravel the difficult problems of reparations and currency with which Cabinet must shortly be confronted. Sir W- Runciman at Board of Trade balances Mr Chamberlain at the Exchequer. Sir B. Eyres Morsel was a highly popular Whip, and should be equally welcome as the civic head of the NavyThe average age of the Cabinet Ministers is fifty-seven, Mr Snowden and Sir D. Mac Lean, sixty-seven, being the fathers of the Cabinet. Sir A. Sinclair, forty-one, is the baby. Lobbyists are of the opinion that' the appointments mean Cabinet will not hurriedly adopt a tariff programme.

SIR A. CHAMBERLAIN LONDON November 5. It is stated that Sir Austen Chamberlain has been offered, but has declined a peerage. MR. THOMAS’S TOUR (Recd. Nov. 6, 10 a.m.). LONDON, November 5. The “Daily Express” understands that Mr. J. H. Thomas will remain as Secretary for the Dominions, and that he will start immediately on a tour of Canada, Australia and New Zealand in connection,.with Imperial agreements as part of the Gbvernment policy.

?. Mr. Thomas declines to=comment on the report that lie is visiting the Dominions, but the Australian Press Association, from the highest quarters, has confirmed the report that he is leaving almost immediately, first for Canada, then Australia, and New Zealand, completing the tour before the Imperial Conference. The chief purpose is to familiarise himself with the Dominion’s feeling, and prepare the ground for commercial agreements to ensure the sucess of the conference.

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE LONDON November 4. Later information confirms the impression that the Imperial Conference will not meet for at least six months. Indeed it is now hinted that next August is the most likely time, and that the venue will'be Ottawa.

EMPIRE TRADE & CURRENCY LONDON, November 5. A “Sun” correspondent states he has ascertained that developments, which will enable the beginning of an Empire unity movement on a far bigger scale than anything thus far contemplated in the Empire’s history, may be expected soon after the next Cabinet meets. It involves a ten-year or perhaps a twenty-year plan, initiated from Britain and can be regarded as a long-range inter-imperial trade policy, aimed to rehabilitate and bind the Empire for such a period, culminating in permanency. The process, he says, will incur all-round sacrifices, and will_.be based on Britain’s purchasing raw materials and food-stuffs exclusively from Dominions, in exchange for which they are to concentrate on purchases of manufactured articles from Britain. The Joint Committee of the Federation of British Industries and the Empire Economic Union, on which there are experts such as Sir Basil Blacket, and Sir Robert Horne, have issued a report advocating an Empire conference to consider the establishment of an Empire currency system so as to link up the financial policies.