Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY. MAY 18th.. 1938 HOMELAND MINISTRY.

Greymouth Evening Star, 18 May 1938, Page 6

Greymouth Evening Star. AND BRUNNERTON ADVOCATE WEDNESDAY. MAY 18th.. 1938 HOMELAND MINISTRY.

TRUE changes announced in the British Ministry will not arouse popular enthusiasm. Viscount Swinton, bowing lo public opinion, has resigned from tin* increasingly important position as Air Minister, and Sir 0. KingsI ley Wood reigns in his stead. Aerial administration is one of the lew things, the new Minister has nol previously attempted, | thus, his appointment may bo reI garded as somewhat of' a gamble. Tie has slowly forged ahead in Ministerial status, and as Postmaster General and Minister of I Health, he had his successes. A solicitor by profession, he has written-several books on the legal aspects of public questions, and has served on numerous public bodies and committees. He may prove to be the man required, and, in any ease, should do as well as his predecessor. A change in the Cabinet, that was a real surprise, was the transfer of Air. IM. MacDonald from the* Dominions Office to that of the Colonies. The latter has always,, been regarded as the inferior of the other. Indeed, Mr. MacDonald. l

was promoted from the Colonies Io Hie nominions following the resignation of Mr. .1. If. Thomas, 'fin* salary attached to the Dominions portfolio was formerly nearly twice as much as the head of the Colonial Office received, but recently, the Ministerial salaries’ scale was revised, with a. view to greater levelling. Mr. MacDonald has owed some of his Ministerial opportunities to the fact that ho was the son of his father, but he has proved he has merits. He did well at the Dominions Office. With the possible exception of the present New Zealand Government, he had no serious dispute with any of the Overseas Cabinets, during his term, and his share in the successful negotiations for an An-glo-Irish agreement, must. not be overlooked. lie seems to have been given an “Irishman’s rise,’’ for his good work, unless the view is now taken at Downing Street that Ihe Colonial Office is. in practice, the more responsible position. Overseas countries are now so self-governing that the Do-

minions Minister has little power,

and is mainly a means of official communication. Lord Stanley, who succeeds Mr. MacDonald, is the eldest son of Lord Derby, whose politic,al influence explains to some extent, the other’s promotion. Some more deserving have not climbed so high. The other changes in the Minis-

try are unimportant, being mainly routine promotion. The socalled “National Government.’’ is becoming less and less entitled to this nomenclature, being frankly Conservative. Recent by-eleetions have brought reverses to the Government. and this lack of popularity will be increased by the failure of the Prime Minister to re-construct his Cabinet in more drastic manner. His foreign policy commands the support of the majority, but on domestic matters, he is losing ground. Meanwhile, sympathy will be. general with him in his latest, attack of gout. Nearly 70 years old, the tremendous responsibilities he is bearing must bring physical as well as mental strain, ami his own resignation is becoming a topic for Press and other conjectures. No outstanding successor is in sight.