A CORDIAL SEND-OFF

Otago Witness, Issue 4085, 28 June 1932, Page 26

A CORDIAL SEND-OFF

REARRANGEMENT OF PORTFOLIOS. WELLINGTON, June 26. Mr Coates and his party left by ths limited this evening for Auckland, where they will join Mr Downie Stewart and the remainder of the delegation. There was a crowd to bid farewell to the official party at Thorndon and the train drew out to the accompaniment of loud cheeking. For the past three or four days Mr Coates has been working almost round the clock clearing up what essential business remained to be done before his departure and supervising the details connected with the final preparation of tae Dominion s case to be presented at the conference as well as arranging for rhe temporary transference of his portfolios. As both Mr Coates and his employment secretary (Dr R. M. Campbell) will be away for about three months the handing over of the duties devolving upon the administration of the portfolio of Employment has had to be provided for. Tie portfolio will be taken over by the Post-master-general (Mr Hamilton), and Mr Coates lias bad frequent conferences with him and with the Minister of Agriculture (Mr Macmillan), who is to assume charge of Public Works in the meantime.

Last-minute discussions were held with members of the Ministry before Mr Downie Stewart left for Auckland by the afternoon train on Saturday, and after he had gone Mr Coates was kept busy with the Prime Minister. Until a fev days ago he was uncertain whether he would be free to attend the conference, and this made his final preparations all the more difficult, and it was not until early this evening that he was iu a position to leave his office. Some time before the limited left a large crowd gathered at the station to see the official party leave. The Prrno Minister was waiting to bid farewell to Mr and Mrs Coates when he arrived on the platform, and with him were Mr Masters, Mr Young, and Sir Apirana Ngata. Those on the platform included the Italian Consul (Signor G. Formichella), the Belgian Consul (M. Armand Nihotte), other members of the Consular corps and many friends of members of the official party. Accompanying Me Coates were the Secretary of the Treasury (Mr A. D. Park) and the comptroller of Customs (Dr G. Craig), expert advisers to the New Zealand delegation. The British Trade Commissioner (Mr L. A. Paish), who~*s to attend the conference, was also a passenger by the train in addition to Mr E. F. Healy, M.P. for Wairua, who intends to be in Ottawa while the conference is being held and will then undertake a tour of America.