WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 November 1918, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

A SICK HOUSE.

(Our Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, Nov. 20

When the House met yesterday afternoon only twent.v-six members were in their places. Ministers had made up their minds the night before to giant the adjournment demanded by the deputation to the Prime Minister and had advised a number of absent members accordingly, so that the twenty-six could not be taken as the only representatives of the people who had escaped the ravages of the prevailing^epidemic. Still the position, as Mr. .Massey and Sir Joseph Ward presently explained, was bad enough. Two members. Mr. Hindmarsh and Mr. Buick, had actually succumbed to the malady, eighteen others were laid up in a more or less serious condition, and as many more had cases of illness in their own families. The adjournment for it week was made in the hope, the Prime Minister said, that at the end of this time the epidemic would have abated and members would be prepared to give their undivided attention to the business of the session. WHAT IS TO BE DONE .

The motion for adjournment gave members an opportunity to renew their enquiries concerning the work ot the session. Ministers were very, circumspect in their replies, giving little move information than was contained in the Governor’s Speech, hut Mr. Massey implied quite plainly that once the House got to work it would be kept at high pressure till the end of the ministerial programme was reached. Putting this and that together it seems pretty safe to assume from what fell troru the Treasury Benches that Mr Massey is hoping to be free to leave for London in the first or second week of December, that lie will be accompanied by Sir Joseph Ward and that he is strongly averse to Parliament sitting after his departure. The House is to resume at 11 a.in. on Tuesday next, and if the Dominion delegates are to get away to the Peace Conference on the day they appear to have in mind, only ten sitting days, at most, will remain before their departure. THE LIQUOR QUESTION. All this would mean that a large par: of the Government’s programme, expressed and implied, would have to be postponed until a more convenient season. Demobilisation and repatriation schemes have been prepared and discussed by Cabinet, but it would be quite futile to submit them to the House for discussion with any hope of reaching a conclusion within a week. Then there is the liquor relerendum proposal. It is stated that a Bill dealing with this would have been introduced yesterday had the way been dear for its immediate consideration. If this is the ease the measure may he expected as the first business for next week. The popular opinion hero is that with peace in sight and a general election next year assured the House will be less favourably disposed towards an independent referendum than it was six months ago. A pricked card, however, shows a narrow majority of members still willing to leave the whole business in the hands of die electors. THE PARTY TRUCE.

Politicians in and out of Parliament are in no humour just now to take any interest in controversial politics and the resolution adopted at the Reform (.'aliens urging the continuance of the Party truce during the settlement of post-war problems lias provoked little discussion aiiywero. The Liberal Canons, at which it might have been mention ed, was not held yesterday, being postponed indefinitely for the same reason as everything else of the kind is being postponed. The “Evening Post”, however, is giving Sir Joseph Ward sage advice on the subject, urging that he and his party, following the example of Mr. Lloyd George and the Liberals at Home, should ally themselves more closely with Mr. Massey and his party so as to present a united front to the revolutionary forces which, it says, are as much a menace to good government in New Zealand as they are in older countries. But both the party leaders have found more urgent matters to occupy their attention at the moment, and are not proclaiming their personal views.