NATIONAL CABINET.

Northern Advocate, 21 July 1915, Page 2

NATIONAL CABINET.

GOVERNMENT'S SECOND OFFER

A FAVOURABLE STATEMENT.

The resumed sitting of the Liberal caucus, which takes place to-day (Wednesday) is expected to see the final acceptance or rejection of the Government's National Cabinet proposals.

rt will be remembered that the first offer of the Government was to take in three members of. the Opposition into a Cabinet of nine members, and this proposal was rejected by the Opposition, the reason given being that, in view of the fact that the parties were practically equal in the House, the proportion was not a just one. Since then a new proposal has been made, which, it is understood, cannot be rejected on this ground. It is stated in the lobbies that one of the obstacles in the way of a National Cabinet is in the choice of the colleagues of Sir Joseph Ward to represent the Opposition Party in the Ministry. There is a suggestion that the party ought to be allowed to elect the colleagues.

Interviewed on Monday in Christchurch Sir Joseph Ward made the following statement, "There is positively no foundation in fact for the suggestion that the difficulties in the way of forming a National Cabinet are due to the men upon the Liberal side being anxious for portfolios. There has never been any suggestion or discussion of portfolios, either between Mr Massey and myself or between members of the party and myself. Any assertion which might be framed upon a basis of that sort is incorrect.

"I think it is only right to the members of the Opposition that I

should say that I have been personally surprised at the self-abnegation of the whole of the members of our party in discussing the possibilities of a National Cabinet. . Nothing of a personal nature has cropped up in any discussion of the question."