THE CABINET

Nelson Evening Mail, Volume LVI, 19 January 1926, Page 5

THE CABINET

. NEW APPOINTMENTS ANNOUNCED MESSRS HAWXEN, ROLLESTON AND YOUNG STATEMENT BY PRIME MINISTER (Cu'.tod Press Association.)

■WELLINGTON', This Day. In connection with the new appointments to the Ministry the Prime Mims ter (Right Hon. .1. G. Coates) has issued the following statement It will he remembered that ihe vacancy in the ( abinet caused by the death of the late Prime Minister (Right Hon. W. F. Massey) has not been filled. A furthef vacancy has been caused bv the retirement ,through ill-health, ol Hon. Sir R. H. Rhodes, who held the portfolio of Defence and Commissioner of State Forests and who did not seek re-election to the present Parliament. 1 liave on several occasions publicly intimated that early in the. new year I would take steps to reconstruct Cabinet, but before making anv reference to the now appointments I would like to* oxpress mV keen sense of the valuable services rendered by Sir Heaton Rhodes, ctxending over a long period of years, and of the great loss that we and the country have sustained by bis retirement. Throughout bis long Parliamcntary career, and more particularly as a. Minister of the Crown, lie has been imbued with a high sense of public duty and has at all times carried out the duties of his ministerial positions with credit, “strict integrity, and befitting dignity.” I part with great regret from a colleague with whom I have been so intimately associated since 1919, and who was also a member of Mr Massey s first ministry in 1912. It is well known that, the Right Hon. Sir Francis Bell has expressed his intention of retiring from ministerial lib', and bis resignation of his office as At-torney-General will take effect at once ; but lie will retain the portfolio' of External Affairs until his departure for Europe in March next, when be will have, to' act as New T Zealand’s representative at the Assembly of the League ot Nations at Geneva, 'i bis perhaps is not the proper occasion to refer at length to the conspicuous record of public service Sir Francis Bell lias rendered to the Dominion, hut 1 can say that the high position occupied by him for so many vears in the Government will indeed he hard to fill. It is satisfactory to he abl? to state that he will retain his seat in the Executive Council and that the Government and New Zealand will still be able to have the benefit of his experienced counsel. Although the country is not to Jose Sir Francis Bell s services immediately, vet the date ot his departure is drawing near. I wish to announce therefore that the Hon. W. Downie Stewart will now succeed to the Attorney-Generalship. New appointments to the Ministry are as follows: Mr 0. Hawken, M.P. for Egmont, to be Minister of Agriculture. Mr F. J. Rolleston, ALP., for Timaru, to he Minister for Justice and Minister of Defence.

Mr ,T. A. Young. M.P. for Hamilton, to be Minister of Health. These are the only new appointments which His Excellency has been advised immediately to make, hut further ministerial changes will he recommended in the near future in order lo bring I lie ministry up to the full strength. May J say that when l there are so many members possessing undoubled qualifications for ministerial office 1 have found the task of selection difficult-, hut it has been made with an effort to command the- approbation and confidence of Parliament and country. Further readjustment will include finance being placed under the Hon. W. Downie Stewart in accordance with ar» intimation made last year. 'Hie present Minister of Finance (Hon. \ v . Nosworthy) will continue to administer the Treasury until the end of the current financial year. I should like also to say that although Hon. Sir Maui Pomare ‘is relinquishing the portfolio of health, which lie lias successfully administered, lie will continue to represent the native race in the Executive Council and retain the administration of Cook 1 and other islands.

lam of opinion that, tho Primo Minister should not. he burdened with a mass of administrative detail connected with State departments, but should rattier be available to render his ministers assistance in discussing and deciding suitable organisation and staff to give proper effect to policy decisions. I take this opportunity to announce that whilst I am retaining Public Works for the present, a change in ministerial control of this department is contemplated shortly. I hope to be in a position to advise as to further appointments early in the vear.

Since' assuming the leadership of Governmenl last year I have become increasingly impressed with the manifold activities and almost unlimited scope of work attaching to the office of Prime Minister, involving as they do very heavy demands on time and attention. In our democratic comjrnmity the Prime Minister is called upon perforce to attend to a large amount, of detail work which leaves him but little time to devote to mature consideration of many important matters in the wider field of policy. The Prime Minister in my opinion should be relieved of much of this attention to detail in order that a great deal more of his time may he usefully employed in the general interests of the Dominion. Moreover, the development of closer inter-imperial relations which may be said to have had its birth in the' Imperial War Cabinets and Conferences nine or ten years ago. is now increasing to such an extent that in the opinion of the (lovernmeiil the lime has arrived when special provision should ice made to deal with tins highly important branch of our work, i am strongly of opinion that ail such mutters should coni'- under' the jurisdiction of tiie Prime Minister, especially in view of tiie fac-t that he is the official representative of lhe dominion at all Imperial conferences, and in this capacity is tiie person who is invested with the requisite authority to speak on behalf of the Government, and country in the councils of empire. Jt. is only right to say that, tiie si a IT of the Prime Minister’s oilier with its limited personnel has in the past efficiently carried on a tremendous volume of work, but I am convinced that the demands have now become too heavy to enable adequate consideration being given to tiie many important questions which arise in the course of administration. Therefore, with a view to more effective organisation i have decided to createta Prime Minister's Department under a -permanent, departmental head, arid also to appoint, to the si tiff of the new department a special officer whose duty will be chiefly confined to imperial and external affairs arising in the course

of continuous process of communication and consultation which is now in force as between His Majesty's Government and the dominions. By this means a more complete system ol eo-oi dmal ion will he brought into practice in cornice• lion with our imperial work. The ad ditioti.il expenditure involved in the creation of this department need not he large, hut it will he amply justified lo increased efficiency and organisation. Mr I'. |). Thomson. C.M.G.. who- lias for many years held the position of Chief Private Secretary to the Prime Minister, will be appointed ihe permanent liead of the new department. The spec lal odiccr to he appointed to the exter na! affairs branch of the department will he ammnneed in due course. In an mnmeing the creation oil this (h ear: ment 1 would like in eenidnsimi to-add a few words of a personal nature hearing upon the change. I do not wish Ihe public lo infer that 1 desire In isolair nivself in any way or to render myself inaccessible Ini members of the com munily wlm are desirous of seeing me. On the contrary. I shall continue to welcome such visits and to have the op, port uni tv of mutual discussion of mat tors connected with the administration of public affairs of cur country. What 1 do hope to achieve by setting up such an organisation is a greater measure of efficiency in dealing with olfieial matters and more time to devote personally to promcl lug the wellbeing of all see linos of our people. In saying this it must not he understood that the Prime Minister is the only responsible mem her of the Government, but experience has proved that very often there is a tendency on t.hc part of persons to go over the. heads of ministers of the crown in bringing various matters to the attention of the Prime Minister, re suiting frequently in duplication and unnecessary delay in dealing with them.