DEPUTY PREMIER.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXI, 10 August 1921, Page 5

DEPUTY PREMIER.

DEPUTY PRIME MINISTER. SUGGESTION CRITICISED. Per Press Association—Copyrlgnt. WELLINGTON, August 9. Recently the Hon. A. M. Myers made ■the suggestion that in order to avoid the interruption of business of Parliament by the absence of the Prime Minister attending the Imperial Conference there should be appointed by constitutional procedure a Deputy Prime Minister after each general election, who would carry on all functions of office during the absence of the Prime Minister in London. Criticising this suggestion. Sir Francis Bell says that after filling the office of Acting Prime Minister during Mr Mas. sey’s absence, he is satisfied that the suggestion offers no solution to the problem. There can be only one Prime Minister. The true solution of the difficulty is, he says, that-when an Imperial Conference is held there should be an agreement between all parties that the business of the session of that year should be confined to useful legislation, and party politics should for the time being be postponed. It should be a business session. By this means each Dominion could ensure that Parliament should continue a part of essential work in the absence of the Prime Minister. The Government could carry on the business of legislation without the Prime Minister for the reason that the Prime Minister has necessarily approved qf the measures which the Government had prepared for consideration of each session.