Sir Sydney Olivier is Secretary for India, and Brigadier- General
C. B. Thomson Secretary for Air. One wonders whether General Thomson, as a soldier, will be convinced of the necessity of maintaining the independence of the Air Ministry. Mr. Sidney Webb is President of the Board of Trade, Mr. Noel Buxton Minister of Agriculture, and Mr. John Wheatley Minister of Health. Mr. Wheatley is the leader of the Clyde Socialists, and it will be remem- bered that he was one of those M.P.'s who were suspended when Sir Frederick Banbury was called a " murderer " in the House of Commons. Mr. Charles Trevelyan is President of the Board of Education, and Mr. Thomas Shaw (who represents the cotton operatives) is Minister of Labour. He is believed to be a rather tepid Socialist. Mr. Vernon Hartshorn is Postmaster-General. From the point of view of Labour itself, Mr. MacDonald's chief difficulty was to reconcile the claims of the, Trade Unions with those of the intellectuals who have really captained the Labour Party. Probably the Trade Unions have 'received fewer places than they would like, but from the point of view of ability and experience the Ministry has unquestionably gained.
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