NO BIRTHDAY HONOURS.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20889, 3 June 1931, Page 8

NO BIRTHDAY HONOURS.

BREACH OF TRADITION. NEW ZEALANDERS OMITTED. t RECOMMENDATIONS NOT MADE. AN UNOFFICIAL EXPLANATION. [BY TELEGRAPH.—OWN CORRESPONDENT.] WELLINGTON, Tuesday. No birthday honours are to be conferred upon New Zealanders by H:s Majesty the King this year. Such an omission is almost unprecedented, and it is very many years since New Zealanders were not included in the Royal honours list which is announced on New Year's Day and on tho King's Birthday. No official explanation of the fact that there would not bo an honours list for tho Dominion on this occasion was given today by tho Prime Minister, the Ht. Hon. G. W. Forbes. Tho list is usually released for publication by the GovernorGeneral cm the evening before the day on which the names of those honoured by the King are to be published. Confirmation of Rumour. An unofficial report was circulated early this evening that there would be no list on this occasion, arid this was later confirmed by the Prime Minister in conversation by telephone from his home at Cheviot. Mr. Forbes declined to make any explanation of the fact that no honours would be conferred upon New Zealanders this year, although lie added that he might make a statement on the question when he returned to Wellington on Thursday morning. It is understood, however, that the Government made 110 recommendations for honours. The opinion in Government circles is that, there is no reason why tho advantage should be taken of conferring Royal honours twice a year if tho Government does not care to forward any recommendations. There is stated to be no compulsion on the Government to recommend persons for honours, in spite of the fact that it has been customary for the list to include names of New Zealanders twice a year. An Authoritative Suggestion. The suggestion has been made from an authoritative source' that in view of the fact that it has had its hands full in attending to other questions, the Government has not seen fit to devote time to the recommendation of persons for recognition. It is now well known that the Government has been searching the country for suitable men for membership of the Railways Board, which should have been appointed by last Monday, and that it has been unable to complete tho personnel. In addition it has had to appoint the Hawke's Bay Adjustment Court, , the Hawke's Bay Rehabilitation Commission and the Public Service Adjustment Commission.

Efforts are now being made to appoint a non-Parliamentary committee on education, and a commission to investigate the incidence of rural rating and local body finance in general. Apart from the appointment of these bodies, it is stated that the Cabinet has been particularly busy dealing with questions of State policy in relation to the financial and economic position.