CHANGES IN THE CABINET ARE LIKELY SOON

Wanganui Chronicle, 31 January 1947, Page 6

CHANGES IN THE CABINET ARE LIKELY SOON

MR. SCHRAMM, FORMER SPEAKER, MAY STAND IN A BY-ELECTION '■WELLINGTON. Jan. 30 A further reorganisation of Cabinet is expected to be made before the first session of the new Parliament opens later in the year, says the “Evening Post.” A second meeting of the Labour caucus to be held before then may be asked to elect another member to Cabinet rank, after which a reshuffle of portfolios would be necessary.

Speculation about possible changes centres chiefly at 1 he moment on the future of the At-torney-General and Minister of Education (Mr. Mason). Rumours, as yet unconfirmed, have persisted for some time to the effect that he may retire from polities to take up an appointment .is a Judge of the Supreme Cour:. Two of the present Judges are due to retire shortly. After the first Labour caucus—just after the General Election—it was said that suggestions that Mr. Mason should be offered nomination as Speaker in the new Parliament had been dropped because there was "an entirely new post" in prospet for him. The nam e of the Chairman of Committees in the old Parliament (Mr. R. McKeen) has since remained undisputed in speculation about the choice of Speaker.

The new post supposedly in store for Mr. Mason was for a time thought to be a diplomatic appointment overseas. Apart from those posts abroad which are coming up for review this year the question of New Zealand appointing a Minister to France as a diplomatic exchange with the French Minister here has not been finally decided.

Mr. Mason's experience as leader of the New Zealand delegation at the Paris. Peace Conference caused his

name to be linked for awhile with the possibility of a Legation being opened there. MR. SCHRAMM’S POSITION. Lately, however, the rumour of a Judgeship tor Mr. Mason has become persistent. His retirement from politics would necessitate a by-election for the Waitakere seat, and there is further speculation about this as opening the way back into Parliament for the former Speaker (Mr F. W. Schramm). Beyond the question of Mr Mason’s future there is much interest in political circles as to whether the rank and file of the Parliamentary Labour Party will be content with the comparatively minor and orthodox changes that have been made in the Cabinet since the election. Leadership of the Legislative Council, from which the new Minister of Labour (Mr. McLagan) has resigned, has also still to be -settled. Suggestions that a farmer leader of the Council (the Hon. D. Wilson) will return from Ottawa, where he is at present High Commissioner, to fill this post, have been current There has been no firtn indication yet as to the future of Mr. James Thorn, who many party members feel should not be lost to their higher ranks through his defeat in the Otaki e lectorate. Mr. Thorn has one of the longest records of service to the Labour Party, and was an important figure in the Government as Chief Whip and Parliamentary Under-Secretary I ,o the Piime Minister.