YOUNG LABOURITES IN POWER

Otago Daily Times, Issue 17935, 14 May 1920, Page 6

YOUNG LABOURITES IN POWER

NOT A KEVOLUTIPNABT OABINET.

(Fboij Odb Oun Corbebposdent.) SYDNEY, April 14. The most remarkable feature at present of the Labour Cabinet, whioh has just taken office in New South Wales is the youth, of the majority of the new Ministers. About half the 12 men who have just been sworn in are mere boya. Mr Mutoh. who* becomes Minister for Education, is 34, and looks less than that. is » good-loolrirjg, glim youth, tad tme a Sydney pressman before going into Parliament three years ago. He has a wellbalanced mind, and an attractive personality and is certain to have a pronnneai place in the future politics of this State Mr M'Kell, Asswtant Minister for Jnstioe is only 29. He wag a boHermaker when threo years ago he etood against his former Sunday school teacher, Mr J. T S. M'Gowan (ex-Premier), and defeated him. Since then he hae been studying law wifii a view to Qualifying oe a barrister, and has generally shown himself to be an earnest young man. He, too, has an attractive personality. Mr MTfteman, Attorneygeneral and Minister for Justice, is just 28 Ho has never before been in Parliament! but since he was the only qualified legal man in the whole party, he got the coveted iou Ho is a Master of Arts and a Bacholor of Laws, Mr Gregory M'Girr, the Minister for Health, is 38. and looks much less. He ie a qualified chemist and an exuniversity man. Mr Damn, Minister for Agriculture, io spite of his 42 years is also remarkably youthful in appearance He was a publio school teacher before entering ■ Parliament, and is the only one of '"this team pi boye who have become Ministers who served in the A.I.P. He rose from private to the rank of captain. Mr Longhhn, Minister for Lands, ij 38, and Mr Lang, the Treasurer, » 43. The oldest man in the. Ministry ia the Premier, Mr Storey, and he ia only 49. Mr George Cann, Minister for Labour, is a few months younger. He served two years ia IVance as a sergeant.

These men are not rev6lutionaries, and their training and the responsibility which they now hold are likely to steady them. Thoy will need all the ballast they can got. Behind them, in the Labour ranks, are disloyal and "rod rag" elements, which would push them into extremes if they could. Those Ministers—and this in rteelf is an interesting , fact—were elected by exharasfcivo ballot by their followers in Parliament, and it is S!j*nifira.nt that tho extremists who were prepared to take office nrere thrown out on the first ballot.

The Labour majority is eo small tHat there dexvs not soom any prospect of its holding oflfice for any loner time. Its only hone is to bo moderate in ite profrramme and methods, -ind tTma enliet the eupoort of indmHiia.l ProßressiTes wh<s are astonished to find themselves in Parliament, and arc r.ot Mix'Oiis for another election.