THE NEW CABINET

King Country Chronicle, Volume XXV, Issue 3369, 24 September 1931, Page 5

THE NEW CABINET

SWORN IN ON TUESDAY. REFORM SELECTIONS. MESSRS. HAMILTON AND YOUNG. The United-Reform Coalition Cabinet was sworn in by His Excellency the Governor-General on Tuesday afternoon. The strictest silence was maintained up to the last as to the personnel of the new Ministry. The Reform selection was not definitely completed until Tuesday morning, and it was plain that the gentlemen concerned in the ultimate choice had not been informed officially up till lunch-time, at any rate. It is understood that the final choice lay between the member for Wellington Suburbs, Mr. R. A. Wright, who held the portfolio of Education in the Coates Administration, and the member for Hamilton, Mr. J. A. Young, who was Minister of Health in the late Reform Cabinet, and that Mr. Young was decided on. The new Cabinet is as follows: — RIGHT HON. G. W. FORBES: Prime Minister and Minister of External Affairs. RIGHT. HON. J. G. COATES: Public Works, Transport. HON. W. DOWNIE STEWART: Finance, Customs, AttorneyGeneral. HON. R. MASTERS: Education, Industries and Commerce, and Leader of the Legislative Council. HON. E. A. RANSOM: Lands. HON. SIR APIRANA NGATA: Native Affairs. HON. J. G. COBBE: Justice and Defence. MR. D. JONES: Agriculture and

Mines. MR. A. HAMILTON, PostmasterGeneral and Labour. MR. J. A. YOUNG: Health.

It will not be surprising to find Mr. Coates assuming the chairmanship of the Unemployment Board. The general expectation is that Mr. S. G. Smith, the retiring Minister of Labour, will be appointed Chairman of Committees, and Mr. A. J. Murdoch, the ex-Minister of Agriculture, Chief Government Whip. Both have had valuable experience in those capacities. The Prime Minister paid an official call at Government House shortly after midday on Tuesday, when he handed in the resignations of those present Ministers who will not be included in the new Cabinet, and made an arrangement for the swear-ing-in of the new Ministry in the afternoon.

TITLES LOST. DISPLACED MINISTERS. None of the Ministers who have lost places in the Cabinet will be able to retain the title of honourable. That is the privilege of Ministers with three years’ service and more, and even then the honour is only bestowed at the discretion of the Sovereign. The Minister of Railways, Hon. W. A. Vietch, the Minister of Education, Hon. H. Atmore, the Minister of Public Works, Hon. W. B. Taverner, the Minister of Internal Affairs, Hon. P. A. de la Perelle, the PostmasterGeneral, Hon. J. B. Donald, and the Minister of Health, Hon. A. J. Stallworthy, all fall short of qualifying for the distinction by about three months. The other Ministers who are beingdisplaced, the Minister of Labour, Hon. S. G. Smith, and the Minister of Agriculture, Hon. A, J. Murdoch, were not advanced to Cabinet rank until after the death of Sir Joseph Ward, and the Forbes Administration assumed office, so that they would have longer still to go before beingeligible for the honour.