WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 17 October 1917, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES

CLOSE OF THE SESSION

THE END IN SIGHT. (Our Special Correspondent) Wellington, Oct. 15. The Prime Minister is still hopeful of closing the session by the end of t-lia month, but during the last few days a number of matters have cropped tip which seem likely to make the task lie has set himself one of no small difficulty. The usual incentives towards expedition, the shearing and the,Canterbury Carnival Week, have lo.it softie of them force during the war and of course they appeal only to a comparatively small proportion of the members. On the other hand there is a proposal to set up a parliamentary committee to investigate the defence expenditure, which could scarcely get to work within the next fortnight, the report of the Cost of Living Committee to be dismissed, a further Loan Bill to be passed through all its stages, the filial touches to be put to the Pensions Bill and the Legislative Council’s amendments to the Sale of Liquor Bill to be considered. , Here is work enough to keep Parliament going - for a month if it were left to its own leisurely \way,/ DEFENCE EXPENDITURE. Mr Massey has raised no objection to the appointment of a parliamentary committee to investigate the defence expenditure, except the very obvious one that it would be able to do very little in 1 he dying hours of the session, and it is quite probable the idea may be carried out.in some ether fashion. The “ Dominion ” which recognises the need for enquiry, suggests that a small commission of business men under tlie presidency of the chairman of tie Efficiency Board, if his svrvices are available, would-' bring about practical arid perhaps valuable results. The need for an investigation of some sort is generally recognised in the lobbies. It is admitted that tlie Minister of Defence lias done all that one could be expected to do in tliis direction, but he lias had no time to give personal attention to all the financial details of his Department and with the expenditure rapidly mounting up to two millions a month the representatives of the tax-payers are naturally becoming a little anxious about the future.

COST OF LIVING. The renort of the Cost of Living Committee will be placed before the House this evening and judging from the evidence the Committee lias taken it will be a very interesting and illuminative document. It is understood if will contain a proposal for a Food Controller with very wide powers to regulate prices in .accordance with the spirit of the measure passed shortly after Hie outbreak of war. It was hoped that the Board of Trade would have enjoyed some authority of this kind, and as a matter of fact it did make a number of reports to the Minister of Trade and Commerce in regard to the prices of various commodities, but only in one or two instances did its recommendations bring about anytaiigible results. Whether or not a Food Controller, largely independent of Ministerial authority, could do better may bo questioned, but the cost of living, particular]V in Wellington, has risen to such an abnormal height, that the unhappy consumer well may pray for some relief/ the liquor bill. The delay in pushing on the Sale of Liquor Bestriction Bill, while ensuring.the acceptance by the House of tlie Council’s amendment deferring the operation of the measure Loin November 1 to December 1, lias given rise in prohibition circles to some uneasiness concerning the fate of six o’clock closing. It is announced, presumably with authority, that the Government will not ask t)ie House to accept all the other amendments made by the Council and it is suggested that an obstinate disagreement between the two chambers at, this stage of the session might resnlt in the abandonment of the whole measure. But there is not the least danger or hope—according to the point of view —of this occurring. Possibly there are one or two members of tlie House who would like to reconsider their votes on early closing, but the general feeling is that, the original decision must go through and that the material featiu es of the measure must be retained.