Mr Menzies Chooses His Cabinet

Manawatu Times, Volume 64, Issue 96, 26 April 1939, Page 5

Mr Menzies Chooses His Cabinet

Increase in Numbers; Decrease in Age DEFENCE PORTFOLIO SPLIT United Press Association.—By Electric Telegraph.—Copyright. Received Tuesday, 6.30 p.m. SYDNEY, April 25. The new Federal Cabinet has been announced by Mr. R. G. Menzies as follows: Prime Minister and Treasurer: Mr. R. G. Menzies. Attorney-General and Minister of Industry: Mr. W. M. Hughes. Minister of Supply and Development: Mr. R. G. Casey. Minister of Defence: Mr. G. A. Street. Minister of External Affairs: Sir Henry Gullett. Minister of Commerce: Senator MeLcay. Minister of the Interior: Senator Foil. Postmastor-General and Minister of Repatriation: Mr. Harrison. Minister of Trade and Customs: Mr. Lawson. * Minister of Health and Social Services: Sir Frederick Stewart. Vice-President of the Executive Council, Minister of Civil Aviation and Minister assisting tho Minister of Defence: Mr. Fairbairn. The assisting Ministers arc: Messrs Perkins and Spender assisting the Treasurer; Senator Mcßride assisting tho Minister of Commerce; Senator Collett and Mr. Holt assisting the Minister of Supply. It is the largest Federal Cabinet in its history and also one of the youngest. The new Federal Cabinet will be sworn in on Wednesday at Canberra. Explaining the reason for the increase in tho Ministerial personnel to 1G by the creation of a new portfolio of Supply and development Mr. Menzies said: “I am anxious to cope adequately with the enormous task of organising for the defence of Australia which hitherto has been far too heavy for one Minister, involving problems of economic preparedness and industrial organisation. Tho Minister of Defence, Mr. Street, will thus be relieved of a large amount of routine work as woll as tho supply sido of his activities.” COUNTRY PARTY ADAMANT DISAPPROVAL OF MENZIES; CRITICISM OF PAGE Received Tuesday, 6.30 p.m. SYDNEY, April 25. A meeting of the Central Council of the United Country Party of New South Wales decided to support the policy adopted by the Australian Parliamentary Country Party under the leadership of Sir Earlo Page, though members of tho council strongly criticised some aspects of Sir Earle Page’s leadership, especially his personal attack on Mr. Menzies. They also expressed definite disapproval of Mr. Menzies as a leader.