ABSENCE OF THE PREMIER.

Taranaki Daily News, 10 August 1921, Page 5

ABSENCE OF THE PREMIER.

A DEPUTY SUGGESTED. ANOTHER SOLUTION OFFERED. By Telegraph.—Press Association. Wellington, Last Night. Recently the Hon. A. M. Myers made a suggestion that, in order to avoid interruption of the business of Parliament by the absence of the Prime Minister attending an Imperial Conference, there should be appointed by constitutional procedure a deputy-Prime Minister alter each general election, who could carry on all the functions of office during the absence of the Premier in London. Criticising this suggestion, Sir Francis Bell says that after filling the office of Acting-Prime Minister during Mr. Massey’s absence he is satisfied the suggestion offers no solution to the problem; there can be only one Prime Minister. The true solution to the difficulty, he says, is that when an Imperial Conference is held there should be an agreement between all parties that the business of the session of that year should be confined to useful legislation, and party politics should for the time being be postponed. It should be a business session. ‘By that means each Dominion could ensure that Parliament should continue essential work in the absence of the Prime Minister. The Government could carry on the business of legislation without the Prime Minister, for the reason that the Prime Minister has necessarily approved of the measures which the Government has prepared for the consideration ‘of each session.