WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1918, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE G O V ER NAIENT’ S POSITION. THE LABOUR ATTACK. (Our Special Correspondent) WELLINGTON November 1. ft lias been easy for people unuc(uainted with the. circumstances to at'ach too much significance to the litdemonstration made against the Goerninont in the House of Representatives on Tuesday night. The tact that ill- Hindmarsh's motion of “no confiduee” was rejected by 48 votes to 12, hough not quite a complete answer to )]■ Newman’s subsequent criticism of .lie National Cabinet, showed that the great majority of the rank and file of fbe two principal parties are stand--,ig by the spirit- of the “truce” as loyally fib are their leaders in the louse. The suggestions that they are held to-gether by self interest—by a lesiie to prolong their political lives o the uttermost day and hour —is scarciv fair. Mr Vigor Brown and Dr Thacker are not the only Liberals vho wish to get to the polls as early as possible. It. 'is doubtful, indeed, t their wish is half as ardent as that if many members, both Liberal am. deform, who voted with the Governnent in the recent division. LABOUR TACTICS. Just what the Labour Party hoped .o gain by tabling a motion of no•onfidenco at- this stage it is impossible f„ say. It did not even succeed in iro long ing tile debale or in attracting any desirable attention to itself. Nor ■aii it claim to have embarrassed • sympathisers among the members ot the other parties. Air Poole and Air Witty •ightly or wrongly, already were, committed to support any proposal for bringing about a dissolution, and Air Vigor Brown and Dr Thacker have definitely thrown off all party ties and obligations that do not suit their humour of the moment. But, whatever the purpose of the Labour Party may have been in challenging the Treasury Benches, there need be no doubt- about its sincerity. Its members are obsessed by the notion that only an appeal to the electors is required to bring about tjheir political millennium and that meanwhile the. greatest service they can render to the country is to hasten the happy day. A CANDID FRIEND. Dr. Newman, whose long political experience and sturdy independence make him one of the most effective speakers in the House, following Air H. Holland in the Address-in-Reply on AVednesday, pointed out to the Labour members that they were deluding themselves it they imagined the sueesses they had achieved at the bvc-elections were due to the growing popularity of their creed. They had won seats, not because the number of Labour voters had materially increased, or increased ai all, but because the Reform and Liberal voters had become dissatisfied with the National Government. The Doctor had much sympathy with the aspirations of the Labour Party. Had it stood loyally by the Empire in winning the war, and in enforcing the very principles of right and justice for which it professed to stand, he could have forgiven it all its other mistakes and wished it well. Even, as it was, he could not- regret the presence of capable Labout representatives in the House and he believed their widened outlook would correct- many of tlieir misconceptions. THE NEW LORDS. The new members of the Legislative Council had quite a- field day yesterday when the Address-in-Reply debate mado further leisurely progress in their august The Hon. J.. 8. Low The Hon. AV. 11. Triggs and the Hon. 11. L. Michel showed tlieir paces to an appreciative and sympathetic House and on the whole aequtted themselves remarkably well. Air Gow, as was to be expected spoke mainly ot rural aft airs, the needs and difficulties of the country settlers, but lie spoke with knowledge and understanding. Air Triggs took a wider range, browsing over the whole face of the Empire, and at once impressed the Council hv his confidence his fluency, and his choice of graceful language.' His voice probably will be more often raised on the side of prudence than on the side of daring, but, however it may he employed, it will lie a- distant acquisition to the bating power of the Council. Mr A ehol is an old platform campaigner, and it- is only necessary to say lie '■ • not- over-awed by the st-rangenss of his position. DEFENCE ADMINISTRATION. RAYING CAUSE OF SUCCESS. WELLINGTON, Nov. 4th. The debate on the Address-in-Repiv will he resumed in the House of Representatives to-morrow and probably will conclude before the end of the week The House, in its present frame ot mind, has not nearly so much to say against the Government as the political • roph-t-s expected it to have. Hie cheering war news lias taken most ot the sting out of the debate. Lobby gossip during the last day or two has dealt less with the sins of the National Government than with the possible and probable developments of the political situation after the declaration ot pesyte. Alembers who talk of P*aeo before the end of the year and ot a general election early in the new year may be over sanguine but they have been getting a .hearing. At any rate with the war over, neither. Air Massey nor Sir Joseph Ward will. be anxious ot prolong the present arrangement unncoessarilv. No doubt their closer association has strengthened their personal regard for each other, but it has not bridged tlieir political differences. A SIGNIFICANT CHANGE. Perhaps the most significant indication of a change of temper on the part of the House is the attitude of members generally towards the Minister for Vofence. There is time -yet for Sir James Allen’s critics to resume their fire ol previous sessions, but at present t ie Minister is receiving singularly little

<>i’ their aggressive attention. It appeal's from tiie galleries that members realise more fully than they did a year ago the splendid results of New Zealand’s military effort and are less disposed to quibble over details of Defence Administration. When the Minister for Defence stated in the House the other day that he had been iiiloiirud by a high military authority that the New Zealanders were “the finest storm troop on the Western Front.’ and that “any 'corps commander would give his eves to have them”, he was making an effective reply to a great deal of the angry condemnation that had been heaped upon him in the House and out of it. THE SCHEME OF FORESTRY. Statements made to the Farmers’ Union delegates by the Premier Minister and the Minister for Finance show that the Department of Forestry is going to he made an effective industrial and economic force without delay. A sum of £150,000 is to be placed oil the Estimates for forestry this year, and Mr. Massey wishes this vote to be regarded as a pledge of the Government’s sincerity and not as the limit of its financial support to the great scheme of forestry Sir Francis Hell is anxious to launch. It is scarcely too much to say that hitherto forestry has received no practical attention at all from the Government or from the local bodies of the Dominion. Prisoners have been employed planting trees in locations suitable or otherwise, but quite rightly the authorities have been more concerned for the physical and moral well-being of the men than for the future of the trees. Now tree-planting is to become a scientific branch of forestry and the most approved methods are to be adopted in developing and, as far as posible. restoring one of the greatest of the greatest of the country’s assets. A BIG UNDERTAKING. New Zealand will have to follow the example of older countries by reserving existing forest areas and making them permanently productive. A large force of trained foresters will he required to trim and prune, remove unnecessary undergrowth, construct roads, cut firebelts and maintain an output of timber by-felling each year a certain number of trees. A forest handled in this fashion will provide employment for more labour than a similar area of grazing land will do; it will give an annual return far larger than most people imagine to he possible and it will maintain its output of timber for all time. The Minister of Forestry realises that his first step must he the engagement of some experienced forestry officers, and it is probable that we will have to look for them outside New Zealand. The imported experts, however, will be only imported teachers, who by stimulating local interest and attention will do for the timber industry what the imported dairy experts did for the cheese and butter industries.