TWO RESIGN

Timaru Herald, Volume CXLV, Issue 21184, 3 November 1938, Page 5

TWO RESIGN

Cabinet Ministers

Question of Principle I I JOHANNESBURG, October 6. i September has been a month for poli- ' tical shocks for the Union. Two Cabinet Ministers have resigned as the re- ' suit of disagreement with the Prime Minister, General J. B. M. Hertzog, over a question of principle. They are Mr ' J. H. Hofmeyr, Minister of Mines, Education and Social Welfare, and Mr F. C. Sturrock, Minister without portfolio. These resignations might have precipitated a split in the Government party, which only recently fought a victorious general election. But Mr Hofmeyr, who is frequently talked of as a future Prime Minister of the Union, and his colleague, Mr Sturrock, have made it very clear that their resignation from the Cabinet does not involve their departure from the Fusion party. The Prime Minister’s part in this unhappy business has been criticised even by his friends. The trouble arose over General’ Hertzog's anxiety to secure the return to the Cabinet of Mr A. P. J. Fourie, the former Minister of Commerce, who lost his seat at the last election. A Parliamentary vacancy could not be found for him, and the Prime Minister blamed the Press for this because of their somewhat critical estimation of Mr Fourle’s value as a member of the Cabinet. General Hertzog regards Mr Fourie as a loyal and i capable colleague, and he publicly expressed his determination to get Mr Fourie back into the Cabinet by every means in his power. “Cynical Abuse” A critical situation arose when it became known that the Prime Minister was arranging to appoint Mr Fourie to the Senate, where he would sit as Cabinet Minister. Neither Mr Hormeyr nor Mr Sturrock objected to Mr Fourie being made a Senator, and subsequently a men.ber of the Cabinet. They were not prepared, however, to condone the Premier’s decision to appoint Mr Fourie to the Senate as a representative of native Interests. The Act of Union allows the Government to make such appointments from among men who have a thorough knowledge of the reasonable wants and aspirations of the native peoples, and who can sympathetically represent their views. Mr Fourie is generally credited with no outstanding affection for, or interest in, the native. Both Ministers, as soon as the appointment was decided on, promptly handed their resignations to the Prime Minister, who accepted them with equal promptitude. Making a personal explanation in the House of Assembly Mr Hormeyr, in a brilliant and notable speech, condemned this “cynical” abuse of the Constitution in the making of a political appointment, and declared that he refused to sacrifice principle for expediency. The Prime Minister made a querulous and taunting reply, in which he suggested that, since these Ministers had acted according to the dictates of their conscience, they must also give him leave to be guided by his own conscience, which, he said, was perfectly clear. So far there have been no immediate political repercussions of any great consequence, but those in close contact with politics do not regard the incident as closed, and consider that there will be repercussions.