ARDUOUS DUTIES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LIX, Issue 17947, 26 November 1932, Page 5

ARDUOUS DUTIES

THE PRIME MINISTER

MONTHS OF WORK AND WORRY

(Parliamentary Reporter.)

WELLINGTON, this day.

“We have all the information to hand now, and there are only a few points which we wish to discuss with the lion. W. Downie Stewart, the Minister of Finance, at to-morrow’s Cabinet meeting,” said the lit. Hon. G. W. Forbes last: night when discussing the central reserve bank legislation, which it is the intention of the (Government to introduce this session.

The Government has been waiting to consult: with Mr. Stewart before launching the central bank measure, and yesterday ML Stewart spent a considerable period in consultation with the Prime Minister.

Mr. Forbes is still acting-Minister of Finance, but he is not, keen on retaining the position, and Mr. Stewart, it is expected, will again take charge of national finances in the course of a few days. The Prime Minister has been carrying a very heavy burden during the past, five months, for, in addition to liis own portfolios of Railways and External Affairs, ns well as some of the minor departments, he has been in charge of Finance and Customs. It is many years since a Prime Minister of Now Zealand has had so many portfolios. and lie candidly admitted that lie had been feeling the strain. He said it would not have entailed so much hard work had the state of tho country’s affairs been normal, but in view of the difficult times which the country and its people wore experiencing, he had had no respite front work for months. The position ol Prime Minister atone made sufficient calls ou his time to keep him very busy.

liospite the long period of unremitting worry which Mr. Forbes has experienced, he is in excellent health and shows no visible signs of strain. It is quite possible, however, that as soon as the session is over Mr. lorbcs will take a holiday at his home at Cheviot.