THE MINISTRY.

Hawke's Bay Tribune, Volume XI, Issue 53, 16 February 1921, Page 2

THE MINISTRY.

QUESTION OF NEW APPOINTMENT. The name of Mr W. Downie Stewart, member for Dunedin West, has been mentioned frequently of late in connection with the vacancy in the Cabinet caused by file departure for England of Sir William Herries. Mr Downie Stewart is a keen thinker and an effective debater, and he has shown during re cent sessions that the injury he sustained on active service does not prevent his being a valjia’ble member of the House of Representatives. ( The Prime Minister so far has given no definite indication of his intentions in the matter of the appointment. The Ministry as at present constituted, , omitting Dr Pomare (Minister representing the native race) and Sir Wil- j liam Herries (who- remains a member of the Executive without portfolio), | consists of five North Island Ministers : and four South Island Ministers. The ! Ministers from the North Island are:— Mr Massey, Sir Francis Bell, Mr Guthrie. Mr Coates, and Mr Parr; and the Ministers from the South Island are Sir Heaton Rhodes?, Mr Lee, Mr Nosworthv and Mr Anderson. The addition of another southern man to the Afinistrv would give the islands equal representation as far as the active “pakeha” Ministers are concerned, with Dr. Pomare to turn the balance in favour of the north