NO GOVERNOR

Gisborne Herald, Volume LXXIII, Issue 21916, 10 January 1946, Page 6

NO GOVERNOR

NEW SOUTH WALES

AUSTRALIAN REQUESTED

(9. a.m.) LONDON, Jan. 9. Because the New South Wales Government wishes the new State Governor to be Australian-born, New South Wales may be without a Governor for some time. Lord Wakchurst’s appointment expired yesterday and no successor has yet been announced. Apparently it will be some time before one is named, although one of the principal objects of the State Premier, Mr McKell. in visiting London recently was to discuss with the Dominions

Office the new appointment, which he wished to go to an Australian born. It was unfortunate for Mr McKell that his visit coincided with the general election, when nearly all the Ministers were away campaigning and Whitehall was peopled mainly by civil servants. It is believed that the then Dominions Secretary, Lord Cranborne. was reluctant, pending the result of the election, to recommend to the King that an Australian-born Governor should be appointed. Although the result of the election was known before Mr McKell left, the new Ministers either had not been appointed or had not properly taken over. Thus, although Mr McKell hoped that the advent of a Labour Government might have helped his plans for the appointment of an Australian-born Governor, he was not able to discuss the question thoroughly with the new Dominions Secretary, Lord Addison, or anyone else before the time came for him to leave. It is understood that the Dominions Office has been inclined to tread very warily in the present case because it is the first occasion on which a direct request has been made for ■ an Australian-born Governor and, without a clear mandate from the people, there is hesitancy to create a precedent.