CABINET MEMBERS

Southland Times, Issue 22075, 24 July 1933, Page 7

CABINET MEMBERS

ALL BUSINESSMEN.

MINISTER ANSWERS CRITICS. (Per United Press Association.) Danncvirke, July 22. Relative to the recent comment at the Dannevirke Chamber of Commerce on the absence of businessmen in the Cabinet, the Hon. E. A. Ransom (Minister of Agriculture) at Wimbledon yesterday said that criticism had been made when the Chamber was discussing the next appointment of the Attor-ney-General. He had nothing to say against the Chamber’s representations in that connection, but he took strong exception to the statement “that at present they had not the benefit of a single businessman from the House of Representatives in the Cabinet.” The Minister said that he took very strong exception to this statement, especially coming from the Chamber of Commerce in his own electorate. The statement was untrue, and was calculated to discredit members of the Cabinet in the eyes of the public. The Minister claimed that all members of the Cabinet had had business training in some special direction or other. At the present time it was very essential the country should be represented in Parliament by farmers with successful business experience. It took a good businessman to run a farm nowadays.

The Minister quoted details of his own business experience in Dannevirke and his connection with various bodies. He gave similar exhaustive details respecting other members of the Cabinet, “every single member of which has had wide business experience.”