NEW FEDERAL MINISTRY.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LI, Issue 15718, 19 September 1914, Page 7

NEW FEDERAL MINISTRY.

MR. FISHER'S CABINET.

OPENING OF PARLIAMENT.

By Tclesraph-Pms Association-Copyright.

Melbourne, September 18. The new Federal Ministry has been com, pleted as follows:—

Prime Minister and Treasurer, Mr. Andrew Fisher ; Minister for Defence, Senator Pearco: Minister for Customs, Mr. F. G. Tudor; Minister for External Affairs, Mr. J. Arthur; Minister for Home Affairs, Mr. W. Archibald; Postmaster-General, Mr. W.. G. Spence; vice-president of the Executive Council, Senator Gardiner; Honorary Ministers, Messrs. H. Mason, J. Jensen, and Senator Russell.

The Federal Parliament will bo opened on October 8,

NEW PORTFOLIO CREATED

FEDERAL WORKS DEPARTMENT,

Received September 18. 9.00 p.m.)

Meleovunk, September 18,

• The Labour caucus has decided to create a new Federal Works Department to control the works in progress at tho new capital of Canberra, the Federal railways, and all Federal public works excepting tho naval and military fortifications.

The now portfolio has been given to Mr. J. Jensen.i This will increase the Ministerial salaries from £12,000 to £14,000 or £15,000.

General satisfaction is expressed with the new Ministry.

BIOGRAPHIES OF MINISTERS,

The Right Hon. Andrew Fisher was born and educated a* Crosshouse, Kilmarnock, and went, to Queensland in 1885. He entered tho Queensland Parliament in 1895, and was Minister for Railways and Public Works in the Dawson Ministry in 1899. He was elected member (or Wide Bay in the. first Commonwealth Parliament, and in 1904 was Minister for Trade and Customs. Ho was leader of the Federal Parliamentary Labour Party in 1907, Prime Minister of Australia in 19081909, and Leader of tho Opposition in 1909-1910. In the last-named year ho became Prime Minister, and held the office until the Cook Government came into power in 1913.

Senator the Hon. George Foster Peaico was Minister for Defence in the Commonwealth Parliament in 1908-1909 and 1910ISI3. He began life as a carpenter and joiner, and went to West' Australia in 1892. He . began public life by organising trades unions and • political associations. He joined in the rush to the newly-dis-covered goldfielde at Coolgardie, tramping 40G miles from Perth, and after an unsuccessful mission returned to the coast. He was head of various Labour organisations, and was elected as a Labour candidate at the first-election for the Federal Senate. He was re-elected in 1906 and 1913. He was a member of tho executive of the Parliamentary Labour Party, and was elected Chairman of Committees of the .Commonwealth Senate in 1907. He was also a member of the Imperial Conference in 1911, and has published a number of articles on labour matters, ;

The Hon. Frank Gwynno Tudor was Minister for Trade and" Customs in Mr. Fisher's Government from 1908 to 1913. He was educated in Victoria, and worked in England and America at the felt fiat trade from 1889 till 1894. He is credited with having' introduced the trade union, label into. Englaud in 1892. Ho, returned to Victoria in 1894. He was president of Trades Council, in Melbourne, in 19001901; and was elected to. the first Commonwealth Parliament. He was subsequently Whip for the Watson Ministry.

The Hon. William Guthrie Spenco was born in Orkney in 1846, and was a member of the New - South Wales • Legislative Assembly from 1898 till 1901. He was elected member for Darling in 1901, and represented that constituency for a number of years.

The Hon. J. Arthur was returned for Bendigo by a majority of 2907 votes.

The Hon. W. Archibald is member for Hindmarish,' in South Australia, and had a majority of 13,883 votes.

The-Hon. J. ■Jensen represents Bass, Tasmania, and was returned by a majority of 1745 votes.

. It is noteworthy that the name of Mr. W. H. Hughes, who was Attorney-General in the last Labour Ministry, does not appear in the list of Ministers, and that no selection appears to have been made for the Attorney-Generalship. The Sydney Morning Herald of Friday last, discussing the possible composition of the new Ministry, said : " There are two certainties— Hughes and Senator Pearce—and that is all that can bo said."