STATE DEPARTMENTS.

Timaru Herald, Volume XIIC, Issue 13857, 19 March 1909, Page 3

STATE DEPARTMENTS.

A RUSE THAT FAILED. .fer irresa Association.. WELLINGTON, March 18. The "Times ' states tnut mc loi.nst' Department will Do taKen over by tiie Kadway Uepartuieiit and controlled uy uit! <Jijjor'.'J.railic-Manager, .Air iJuxtou. Hie industries and, Commerce jjepan;--intiit win lie &e_j<uatvu i I'm in the' -tuiuists' Department and merged into tne Agricultural Department, tlie head of wmcli will be the Hon . T. Mackenzie. Alter the retirement of Air Humphreys, Surveyor-General, his Department will lie absorbed by the Lands Department. The Prisons' Department will become a branch of the Justice Department. Tlie State Eire and Accident will be permanently amalgamated with the Government Life; Insurance Department. Inall, fourteen new departments have been created since 1891, but most will be readjusted and merged in others. THE PREMIER INTERVIEWED. CHRISTCHURCH, March 18. Interviewed this morning by a -'Star" reporter, regarding the rearangement of Government Departments as telegraphed from Wellington, the Premier said: "The guessing is'most commendable, but no proposals of any kind have been considered by the . Government, and I am not in a position to discuss them. I will not go into details, because they 'have not been considered. The Ministers are scattered at present, and conclusions in regard to these matters c-aniiot.be arrived at yet. The statement published is what you would call 'kite flying.' I cannot deal with t the subject until I make a. public statement which will not be for three weeks, or probably more. The statements published are not correct, they are merely a guess." Questioned concerning the Dominion's finances, Sir Joseph de-c-lined to make any statement, saying the accounts were not ready . yet for publication.. In about three weeks' time he would be prepared to make a statement that would be . The reporter "startling?" Sir Joseph smilnig: "Well if not startling, at anyrate interesting."