MAY RETIRE.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20361, 19 July 1934, Page 10

MAY RETIRE.

CABINET MINISTER IN POOR HEALTH. Who Will Take Portfolio? I KEEN INTEREST IN POLITICAL c J SITUATION. C * (‘‘Star” Parliamentary Reporter.) c WELLINGTON, July 19. > Early reconstruction of the Coalition 1 Ministry appears to be inevitable in „ the light of the official intimation given late last night of the contemplated re- s tirement from Cabinet, on account of ] ill-health, of the j

lion Adam Hamil- i on, Postmaster-Gen- : eral. Minister of Employment, Minister « of Labour, and 1 Minister of Tourist j Resorts and Pub- , licity, whose medi- : cal advisers have ; prescribed for him complete rest for at least the remainder of the session. With the • possibilities . that

this probable development raises, interest in the political situation is intensified, and the movement towards a permanent coalescence of the Reform and United : forces is almost certain now to be accelerated. In some quarters, predictions are already available that recon- , stitution, if undertaken, will result in (1) the appointment of additional Min- , isters, or (2) some alteration in the existing personnel. Whilst Air Hamilton’s health gives no cause for immediate alarm, the specialists he has consulted are not optimistic of the consequences of the strain of continued application to the heavy duties which he has undertaken since the formation of the Coalition in September, 1931; in particular, the work associated with the portfolio of employment has taken heavy toll of the Minister’s time and made serious inroads into his health. It is understood that Mr Hamilton himself suggested to the Prime Minister that resignation from the Ministry was the best course to follow. The Minister’s colleagues, however, in preference to losing the service's of Mr Hamilton, indicated the possibility of his being relieved of all ministerial duties until his health had recovered. Another Suggestion. Another suggestion was that Mr Hamilton should be relieved of all portfolios except the Postmaster-Gen-eralship, with the object of distributing those of employment, labour, tourist and publicity among the remaining nine Ministers. A third course of action mentioned was that the strength of Cabinet should be increased to twelve, involving the appointment of a new Reform and a new United Minister. Partial consideration of the question has already been given by Cabinet, but a point has not yet been reached at which any official pronouncement can be made. When approached by a “ Star ” representative, Mr Fqrbes, beyond indicating that Mr Hamilton had not been well for some time, said he could make no statement on the suggestion that the Minister was contemplating leaving Cabinet. It is gathered that Mr Hamilton is disposed *o leave himself entirely in the hands of his colleagues, but rather than be the cause of complications he is prepared to resign. In any event it is certain that the Minister will have to relinquish his Parliamentary duties for some considerable time. in this connection there is a known willingness cn the part of other members of the Ministry to share the responsibilities of portfolios that would be rendered vacant. Ministers and. members of all parties are in agreement that Mr Hamilton has carried out his difficult duties in a conscientious manner and has not spared himself in the administration of his portfolios. He has borne a particularly heavy load in dealing with the many problems associated with unemployment, and, although he has been a target for criticism in certain quarters, his sincerity and honesty of purpose have never been questioned. Interest in Political Outlook. The possible retirement of Mr Hamilton from office will attract much attention to the immediate political outlook and invest it with some uncertainty in view of the. suggested reconstitution of Cabinet, which was expected to be : a factor in the mooted plan for the permanent union of the Coalition elements. Wrapped up with the question of a successor to Mr Hamilton is a proposal I for the appointment of two additional Ministers, and already the lobbies are - simmering with speculation in this i direction. ; The difficulty facing Mr Forbes is the absence of an available Minister for the administration of the Employment portfolio. In some quarters it ’ has been suggested that the Hon R. ’ Masters might relinquish Education - and take, over Employment, but rank t and file acceptance of such a redistribution is said to be doubtful. Strong exception has already been taken to ' the f2ct that Mr Masters, a member i of ti e Legislative Council and not an elected representative of the people, , holds such an important post as Minj ister of Education, involving an ex--1 penditure of nearly £4,000,000 annually. An even greater expenditure. £4,500,000. is entailed in the administration of the Unemployment Fund, and any ! suggestion that its direction should ’ come from the shelter of the Upper 2 House is certain to raise a storm of protest throughout the country, as 1 wefl as in the ranks of the Coalition. 2 The appointment of additional Min- • isters raises intriguing possibilities. 5 since the claims of a number of memt bers from each side of the Coalition • would be entitled to an ecflial measure of consideration. Younger Men Needed. . In addition, there is reported to be a strong feeling that some of the present Ministers should consider giving 1 way to a ycunger type of man. The ’• need for Ministers with an unrivalled r grasp of the exporting situation is ’• stated to be felt by those who cont sider that Mr Coates has enough on his hands, with fiscal and financial 1 problems, without having to intervene in every development in export trade • issues. It is significant that in the re- < cent critical discussions which took place in reference to the placing of

quantitative restrictions on the export of dairy produce* and meat, the most prominent figure in the negotiations was the Minister of Finance. As ex-Ministers in the United administration, Mr S. G. Smith, Chairman of Committees, and Mr A. J. Murdoch, chief Government Whip, must be considered as having reasonable claims to preferment in any choice made fr6m the United ranks. Of these two, Mr Smith has a slight advantage in senior-, ity and has also had experience in unemployment administration, being the author of the original Act. Moreover, he has had considerable experience in educational matters, and this may stand him in good stead should the portfolio of Education change hands. On the other hand, Mr Murdoch is a practical farmer with previous experience of the portfolios of Agriculture and Mines, and, incidentally, was for twenty-eight years a school teacher. More Likely Candidates. Political inexperience may be a barrier to the selection of Mr A. E. Jull, but the same does not apply in the case of Mr F Lye, whose name is also mentioned in , the list of likely candidates, and whose knowledge of farming questions and the many aspects of the dairying industry brings him into the limelight. Any selection from the United ranks is the prerogative of Mr Forbes. The Reform choice would be made by Mr Coates, although the appointment would be conditional on acceptance by Mr Forbes of Mr Coates’s nominee. Among Reform ranks at least three names have been canvassed, those of Mr A. E. Ansell, the Hon A. D. M’Leod and Mr J. N. Massey. Mr Ansell is a South Islander, but in the lobbies it is considered that he would not have to rely alone on territorial considerations for selection. He understands the city viewpoint and, like Mr Smith, has been a practical student of various phases of the unemployment problem With Mr Smith, he investigated, at the instance of the Government, the problem of boy unemployment in New Zealand. Mr M’Leod, of course, has had former Ministerial experience, but it is to be remembered that at the last general election he stood against a Coalition candidate. It may so happen that Mr Coatefe would not risk a chance of causing resentment in the ranks of his party on this account. “ A Silent Member.” Although not an outstanding figure in the House—he is one of the “ silent ” members—Mr Massey is a practical farmer and well acquainted with the export situation He is known to be a keen student of current affairs and his opinion is often sought by his colleagues.

The hitherto quiescent political situation has become enlivened with the suggestion of United and Reform caucuses to consider the future of the Coalition, and the developments now in the air are almost certain to hasten the decision.

Accompanying the change in the atmosphere of Parliament is a succession of rumours concerning the possibility of alterations affecting the present party leaders and foreshadowing the retirement of Mr Forbes. No credence is given to this report or to the circulated forecast that Mr Coates intends to accept the position of High Commissioner for New Zealand in London. There is no doubt that a certain measure of confusion exists in -he minds of Coalition members over recent happenings and doubtless steps will be taken to summon an early meeting of Government supporters in order to clarify the position. Petition to Two Leaders.

Further evidence was provided this morning of the the movement toward permanent fusion will derive from the developments already outlined. Several members of the Coalition have conferred with the object of drafting a memorial to the two leaders, urging the immediate and definite amalgamation of the two groups and the reconstruction of the Ministry. When this document is completed, it will be submitted to members of the party for signature. As anticipations and speculations concerning Ministerial changes . crystallise, the names of Mr IT. M. Campbell and Mr A. Harris are bound to have a place in Reform considerations. It is no secret in informed circles that Mr Campbell was the nominee of Mr Coates when the Coalition Ministry was first under consideration, and that his appointment was not acceptable in other quarters. It is known also that Mr Bitchener’s selection was really a compromise to bridge the gap between the irreconcilable claims of Mr Endean and Mr Ansell. Mr Campbell may be considered on this occasion and Mr Harris, who on at least three occasions has been in the running, may be found among those from whom the final selection, if any, is made.