CABINET CHANGES

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume LXI, Issue 18559, 20 November 1934, Page 7

CABINET CHANGES

MR. SMITH TO RETURN EDUCATION PORTFOLIO RELIEF FOR MR. MASTERS

(Special to tho Herald.) WELLINGTON, this day

An announcement will be made at an early date that Mr. S. G. Smith, member for New Plymouth, and at present chairman of committees in tho House of Representatives, has been appointed to fill the vacancy caused in tho Cabinet by the resignation of Sir Apirana Ngata. This development was not unexpected in view, of the multiplicity of duties at present devolving upon Ministers, and since a choice had to be made from the United side of the Coalition the selection of Mr. Smith was almost a foregone conclusion.

It is understood that Mr. Smith’s principal portfolio will be that of Education, the object being to relieve the Hon. R. Masters ofi the responsibility of this office in order that he will be in a position to devote the .whole of his time to dealing with trade problems. It is likely, also, that there will be a re-allocation of a number of the minor portfolios, Mr. Smith, who is 55 years of age, was a member of the old Uhited Ministry. He was first elected to Parliament at a by-election in 1918, and returned again in 1919 and 1922, but in 1925 ho was defeated. At the 1928 poll he succeeded in regaining the seat, and held it comfortably at the last election. He was chairman of committees in the Ward Government, and assumed Ministerial rank under the present Prime Minister. With the formation of the Coalition, however, he was one of those who was called upon to give way, and he again took over the duties of chairman of committees.

The new Minister has always taken a keen interest in education matters, having served on the Taranaki Education Board, of which ho is now chairman, the High School Board of Governors, tho Technical College Committee, and the School Committees’ Association. He has also made a close study of the unemployment problem, and was one of a committee of two .which made a special investigation of unemployment among youths.