LORD PASSFIELD

Evening Post, Volume CVIII, Issue 151, 23 December 1929, Page 11

LORD PASSFIELD

A WORD ON GOVERNORS

THE CIVIL SERVICE

(From "The Post's" Representative.)

LONDON, 18th November.

Lord Passfield (Secretary for the Dominions and Colonies) has not been heard as a public speaker very often since his appointment as a Minister of the Crown. It was natural, therefore, that the monthly luncheon of the Overseas League, at which he was the chief guest, should attract, a very full attendance of members.

The new Secretary for the Dominions has a quiet conversational way of speaking, and it would bo difficult to hear him in' a largo hall. (The Press Gallery in the House of Lords, by the way, now lias telephones connected with microphones between tho front benches). Although Lord Passfield apologises for liis age, as it were, his intellect is obviously not impaired by the weight of his years. Since taking office, ho said, he had had to intimate to-some excellent Governors that tho march of years, rendered it impossible for them to enter upon another period of office, although he was conscious of the fact that some of them were ten years younger than ho was.

"My only retort, when that is pointed out," Lord Passfield continued, "is to say that I am a mere politician, and age in that case does not matter. But when you are a Governor it is necessary that you should remain competent. (Laughter.) When one arrives at the age of 70 one is conscious that other people observe signs of senility, though they are too polite to mention it." (Laughter.)

Sir Ernest Birch, who presided at the luncheon, said that Lord Passfield hadl--been in the Colonial Office for ten years as a Civil servant. Ho was, therefore, not a stranger to the Dominions and the Colonies. He hoped that when Governorships fell vacant Lord Passfield would see that those who had worked out their careers in the Civil Service would bo appointed to them. GENIUS FOR SELF-GOVERNMENT..

This latter statement probably led Lord Passfield to make special reference to the permanent staffs. In regard to the election in this country and also in Australia, it was a wonderful- achievement that a new set of men could take over the Government Departments without a hitch, and knowing they could rely on the loyal and faithful service of the whole staff. That was an achievement in political science that very few other countries had yet quite managed. This country and the Dominions had managed it by their capacity for sportsmanship and self-government. It was one of the biggest achievements of the British nation to have solved the problem of 'uniting popular opinion and popular decision with continuity of administration. The present Government was no less interested in tho whole of the British Empire than tho last Government. Ninety-nine per cent, of the work, say, of the Dominions Office—he might say, 999 decisions out of 1000— were never heard of by the public, and there was no party issue involved. Ho would not.under-rate the importance of those few issues ou which there was a difference of principle, but it would bo a mistake to assume that a new Minister upset all that his predecessor had done.

Lord Passfield referred to tho Imperial Conference on Legislation which is now in progress, and which Sir James Parr and Mr. S. G. Raymond, K.C., are attending on behalf o"f New Zealand. They were working out, said Lord PassfloM, the intricate legal and constitutional problems which followed from the declaration of the Imperial Conference of 192G, that the Dominions wero sister nations, autonomous, and on an equality with the Mother Country. It was easy to say that, but it was not so easy ttf-bring the law into conformity with what had become tho constitutional fact.

The more they proceeded with the business, tho raoro they realised that something had to be " substituted for the former legal supremacy. What they had to substitute was a bond of convention and agreement ba,sed on unlimited freedom and equality, but providing for unrestricted voluntary co-operation. That meant that bodies such as the Overseas League had a very definite part to play in the new constitution. There must be a new social tissue to tako the place of the old, and in that the League had a great part to play.

[Suet) of tho cable news on this pase as Is so headed bas appeared In "The Times" aud Is cabled to Australia and New Zealand by special permission. It should bo understood that the opinions aro not those of "Tho Times" unless expressly stated to bo so.l