GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

Gisborne Times, Volume XXVII, Issue 2454, 19 March 1909, Page 3

GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS

EEP OR TED AM ALGA MAT lON. (Press Association.) " WELLINGTON, March 13. The “Times” states that the Tourist Department will be taken over by the Railway Department, and controlled by the chief traffic manager, Mr. Buxton. Tho■ Industries and Commerce Department will be separated from the Tourist Department, and merged with the Agricultural Department, the head of which will be the Hon. T. Mackenzie. Alter the retirement of Mr. Humphries, Surveyor-General, his department will be absorbed by the Lands Department. The Prisons Department will become a branch of the -Justice Department. The State Fire and Accident Insurance Department will be permanently _ amalgamated with the Government Life Insurance Department. In all 14 new departments were created in 1891, but most or them will be readujsted and merged into- others.

STATEMENT BY THE PREMIER. CHRISTCHURCH, Mar 18. Interviewed this morning by a “Star” reporter regarding the rearrangement of the Government departments, telegraphed from ‘Wellington, the Premier said: “The guessing is most commendable, but no proposals of any kind have been considered by the Government, and I am not in a position, -to discuss them. I will not go into details, liecause they have not been considered. Ministers are scattered at present, and conclusions in regard to these matteis cannot be arrived at yet. The statement published is*what, you call kite-flym'-r. I cannot deal with the subject tint if" I mako a public statement, which will not be for three weeks, or probably more." The statements published avo not correct. They are merely ,a guess.” Asked concerning the Dominion finance, Sir Joseph Ward declined to make any statement, saying that the accounts were not yet ready for publication. In about thre§ weeks’ time ho would he prepared to mako a statement that would be ——-

The reporter: Startling. Sir Josph (smiling) : If not- startling, at any rata interesting.