MEW MINISTRY.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 May 1925, Page 8

MEW MINISTRY.

WHv rVILL BE PREMIER? CONSTITUTIONAL POSITION. BY-ELECTION IN FRANKLIN. PORTFOLIOS TO CHANGE HANDS. Sir Francis Bell, who has held office as aeting-Prime Ministar for some time, will continue in that capacity until the Reform Party meets, when they will doubtless select a leader who must be a member of the House of Representatives (says the Auckland Star). His Excellency the Governor-General, after Mr. Massey’s death ha? been gazetted, will send for Sir Francis, whose duty it will then be to request His Excellency to send for the Minister selected by the party, who will be asked to form a Ministry. At the time of Mr. Seddon's death, the position was somewhat different, for the then acting-Prime Minister, Mr. Hall-Jones, was a member of the Lower House, and he was thus eligible to be appointed Prime Minister until the ret” n from abroad of Sir Joseph Ward. It is customary on such an occasion as the present for the Ministers to resign, and this course will be followed, but there are several factors which may prevent the return of individual portfolios to those at present holding them. Before this matter is considered by the Reform Party, the Premiership must be settled. Two names have been mentioned in this connection, the Hon. W. Downie Stewart and the Hon. J. G. Coates. Indifferent health—the reason for Mr. Downie Stewart’s absence from New Zealand at the present time—may prove a serious stumbling block to his accepting the Premiership, although he is considered a man of ability and one v 11 qualified to take up the reins of office. Mr. Coates is generally regarded as likely to prove the choice of the party, but-if he is appointed Premier he will assuredly wish to retain two of his portfolios, namely those of Minister for Railways and Minister for Public Works, the latter of which covers the hydro-electric development of the country. With Mr. Coates as Prr-nier, holding these two important folios, the office of Postmaster-General would be vacant, in addition to the various portfolios that Mr. Massey carried. The most important vacant portfolio wtfl be that of Minister of Finance, and the Reform Party may feel disposed to place thia in the hands of Mr. Downie Stewart. Another of Mr. Massey’s portfolios—almost of equal importance—is the State Advances Department, which handles some seven millions per annum, and. assuming that Mr. Downie Stewart accepted the one, he will be likely to be asked to take over the other. It will be recalled that, during Mr. Massey’s aibsence in England, Mr. Downie Stewart was Acting-Finance Minister. If the portfolios of Finance and State Advances are given to Mr. Downie Stewart, he will probably have to drop his present portfolios of Customs and Ind us tries, which will give the Reform Party a good opportunity to place them in the hands of a good business man, where, in the opinion of many people, they ought properly to be. It is anticipated that Sir Heaton Rhodes, who has the portfolios of Defence and Forestry, will not remain in the Ministry. The indications, therefore, are that there will be some considerable reshuffling of portfolios, and,, it has been hinted, some change in the personnel of the Ministers. In the ordinary course a by-election in Franklin must take place within 28 days and it is understood that Mr. Jack Massey, of Pukekohe. will stand for the •cat occupied for so many years by his gather.