COALITION CABINET

Waipukurau Press, Volume XXVIII, Issue 130, 27 May 1932, Page 2

COALITION CABINET

And Ottawa Conference

IMPORTANT ALTERATIONS

HON. E. A. RANSOM PREMIER?

(Per Press Association) WELLINGTON, Last Night.

Important alterations will have to be made in the allocation of Cabinet portfolios during the absence in Canada of the New Zealand delegation. It is expected that the Minister of Lands, the Hon. E.- A. Ransom, will be acting Prime Minister, a position which he occupied while Mr Forbes was attending the Imperial Conference in London in 1930 as head of the United administration. , .

There is a possibility that the Minister of Education will take over Finance from Mr Stewart until, return. Mr Masters has only jne other portfolio, Industries and Commerce, end as he has a sound knowledge of business methods and finance in gen-

eral he will be entrusted -with Mr Stewart’s Ministerial duties in the meantime.

It is possible that Public Works will be allocated to Mr Ransom, who held that portfolio during the United Government’s term of office.

The Postmaster-General, the Hon. A. Hamilton, who is also Minister of Labour, is mentioned as being likely to administer Employment until Mr Coates’ return.

Cabinet has been sitting long hours for the past few days and a great deal of attention has been devoted to the Ottawa Conference. Late this afternoon the Cabinet Ottawa Conference committee heard the representations of tobacco and hop-growers and immedi-> ately after this committee was engaged in the discussiop of conference questions for two and a half hours. Preparations for the conference are already welL forward and it, is certain that the Government, will be actively -engaged on completing its plans within the three or four weeks that remain before the delegation must leayo Auckland for Vancouver.

No intimation has *yet been given

concerning the staff which will go to Ottawa, but it is almost certain that the Comptroller of Customs, Mr G. Craig, will be one of the experts included. Dr. Marsden, Secretary of the Scientific and Industrial Research Department, is absent from work on account of illness and it is unlikely that he will be able to leave New’ Zealand. A representative of . the Industries and Economic Department may be chosen, but in any event in view of the fact that three Ministers are to go to Canada the delegation will be kept as small as possible. iiiii-rw ■ ■■ ii———— i nn.-W*