CHOOSING NEW CABINET.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXVIII, Issue 20982, 19 September 1931, Page 13

CHOOSING NEW CABINET.

MEMBEKSHIP OF TEN. FIVE FROM EACH PARTY. NEW LEADER OF THE HOUSE LINES OF LEGISLATION. PARTIES ALREADY AGREED. [BY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] WELLINGTON, Friday. A smaller Cabinet, comprising ten members divided equally between the two major parties in Parliament, will be one of the principal features of the Coalition Government, for which arrangements afe now being completed between Mr. Forbes and Mr. Coates. It has been decided that 'Mr. Forbes will remain as Prime Minister, and that Mr. Coates, in addition to holding a portfolio, will act as Leader of the House. Economy has been the keynote of the negotiations, and it is considered by the respective leaders that five Ministers from each party to the pact will be sufficient to carry through a programme of legislation, tho general lines of which have already been established. It is now learned that the policy upon which the new Government will work for the solution of the Dominion's economic problems was settled before the definite agreement of coalition was finalised. Committee's Failure. It 1". s been known for two days that as a national attempt to adjust the finances of the country, the special Economy Committee was a failure, and up to a late hour last evening, members were not optimistic that the points of difference between Mr. Coateg and Mr. Forbes would be overcome. It then appeared certain that the committee's inability to reach unanimity would result in nothing but recriminations, and the parties would be as far apart as ever. The difficulties separating the Reform and the United Parties were not finally swept aside until the lunch-hour to-day, when the last few points of the policy which will form the basis of the new Government were settled, and tho Prime Minister's announcement prepared for publication. More will be heard on Tuesday, when tho personnel of the Cabinet is expected to bo announced. Each party will choose its nominees over the week-end and the portfolios will bo allotted by the leaders working together. Possible Cabinet Members. It is anticipated that the men will be chosen for their adaptability to certain portfolios, rather than as men of general ability, and portfolios iater allotted them. Speculators are busy pricking tho political card. It is assumed that the three members from each party who sat on the Economy Committee will be assured of seats in the, Cabinet, but the allotment of tho remainder is causing feverish anxiety, particularly among those directly concerned. The difficulties of jettisoning a number of tho present Cabinet personnel is not overlooked by Mr. Forbes, but if he, along with the Hon. E. A. Ransom and Sir Apirana Ngata is tho party's natural first choice, a careful study of his colleagues indicates that tho Hons. S. G. Smith, If. Atmore and W. A. Veitch Mill bo tho finalists for tho remaining two portfolios available. Mr. Smith, on account of his work in connection with unemployment, is considered to be assured of a seat, and while Mr. Atmore is favoured in many United circles, Mr. Veitch might gain a certain amount of support for tho Ministry of Transport. This would mean dropping the Hons. J. G. Cobbe, A. .T. Murdoch, J. B. Donald, A. J. Stallworlhy, R. Masters, P. A. dc la Pcrrelle, W. B. Taverncr and Sir Thomas Sidey. Mr. Coates, the Hon. W. D. Stewart and Mr. D. Jones are almost certainly front-benchers in the. new Government, and there remain four possibilities for the other two seals, Mr. J. A. Young and Mr. R. A. Wright, both of whom have previously held Cabinet rank, and Mr. A. E. Ansell and Mr. A. Hamilton. It is suggested that Mr. Young might be reserved for Chairman of Committees, a position which bo filled with distinction in the Parliament of 1922 25. The fact. that Mr. Wright has been Minister of Education has raised the possibility of Mr. Atmore being dropped.

but on the other hand, if Mr. Veitch is not taken into the new team, Mr. Ansell would be given a chance to occupy the portfolio of Transport, because of his wide knowledge of transport problems and local body requirements. Mr. Hamilton, on tho other hand, is au fait with the problems of the primary producer, and a recognised student of land settlement and agricultural development, and his inclusion is not without possibility. There is little prospect of an Independent getting a portfolio. As soon as the Cabinet is appointed, it is expected Parliament will bo adjourned for at least a week to enable the new Government to consider its position and prepare legislation. It is believed this will not take very long, as recent discussions have established in the minds of the party leaders exactly wjiat legislation is required to check immediately the financial drift. The House will meet on Tuesday evening and if j)lans for the new Cabinet are finalised, the House might be asked to adjourn immediately for this purpose. When tho change-over takes place Labour will go into Opposition for the second time in its history. This will be the third Government in this Parliament. A point that is exercising tho minds of political speculators is whether the Coalition will mean an extension of the life of the present Parliament. This, it is learned, has not been discussed. The arrangement at present is in the nature of a political pact between two parties for the express purpose of putting into effect what Mr. Coates, in the House today, described as a disagreeable programme. but one calculated to bring economic rehabilitation and financial stability. RECEPTION IN HOUSE. EXPECTANCY OF MEMBERS. KEENEST INTEREST AROUSED. [DY TELEGRAPH. —SPECIAL REPORTER.] "WELLINGTON. Friday. There were some tense moments in the House of Representatives this afternoon when crowded galleries witnessed a change in the political outlook of New Zealand. It fell to the lot of the Prime Minister, the Rt. Hon. G. W. Forbes, to announce that the United Administration was about to give place to a Coalition Government between his own party and the Reform Party. The outcome of the deliberations of the Special Economy Committee had been awaited with keen interest and although it was known last evening that important developments could be expected, there was no hint until a few hours before the House sat to-day that for the remainder of the session a new Government was to occupy the Treasury benches. Gossip had been rife in the lobbies, but there had been no hint of the true trend of affairs until, late this morning, so closely had negotiations been guarded and so quickly had events moved to a close. It was known, however, that the committee's deliberations had virtually broken down on Thursday evening, when it was stated that a final effort was being made to bring down a definite proposal by the time the House met. The bond of secrecy imposed on newspapers by the Prime Minister concerning tho deliberations of the committee during the past few days had been loyally kept, but it was lifted this morning by the Prime Minister himself when lie stated frankly that the Government and the Opposition had agreed to coalesce. Seldom has the Chamber been filled with such a murmur of expectancy as before the Speaker took the'chair. Formal'business seemed drab and not possessed of any import. Then the Prime Minister rose and made his brief announcement in dead silence. Tho United Government was to disappear as a separate entity and be merged in a more representative whole. Mr. Forbes confined himself strictly to the agreement reached, but it was seized upon by the Leader of the Labour Party, Mr. H. E. Holland, as a ground for a motion to adjourn in order to throw the question open for discussion. His main point was that politics should not have entered into consideration while tho committee was at work and that therefore the Reform and tho United Parties had not done rightly in entering into a political agreement in face of economic discussions between all parties. Mr. Coates replied at the end of the afternoon, stating that the step had been forced upon the two parties because of the deadlock reached by the committee and in view of the serious position facing the country. Ho denied that there had been any "hole and corner" negotiations, saying that although no publicity had been given to the preliminaries, the committee was fully aware of what was going 011. The Houso rose at 5.30 until 7.30 on Tuesday evening, when it is expected members will be apprised at least of somo of the intentions of the, new Government.