WELLINGION NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 September 1919, Page 4

WELLINGION NOTES.

A FARMER’S MINISTRY. AGRICULTURE SUPREME. (Our Special Correspondent).

WiKTJJ'MGTON. September 10 Never before have the rural industries Sheen so full represented in a Cabinet in this country aa they are in the one Mr Massey has constructed on the ashes of the National Government. 'Every one of the- Ministers is more or less,, closely connected with agriculture. The Prime Minister, Mr ■Guthrie, Mr Hine, Mr Coates and iVlr Nos worthy, are practical farmers Harvesting their crops and tending eu flocks and 'rerds; Sir Francis Bed and Ml- iierrit Me lafge land-owners, and Sir James Alien and Sir William Fraser are intimately associated in one way or another with agricultural and pastoral pursuits. Though Mr Masesy naturally would lean towards a generous representation bf the rural industries in the Cabinet, lie probably w as aht le surpiisbd himself when he found thiee-foi-rths of his colleagues to be follow eis of his own occupation and the other fourth personally concerned for the welfare of the man on the land. promotion declined. That the Pri,ma Ministejr had no idea of “cornering” the portfolios m the interests of the farmers may be judged from the fact that his first inclination was to take Mr Downie S eu - ■ill Mr Statham and Mi' G. J- AnderH. n into the Cabinet. If these gentlmen had been willing to accept the distinction they almost certainly would Have had it, and, of course, they would have added very considerable strength to the Ministry. Mr Downie Stewart i-id Mr Statham are among the most capable and popular of the young men in the House, and Mr Andersens ex ptrience would be invaluable to any Government of wluck he might be a member. But Mr Downie Stewart declined promotion on account of 1 .health and partly, it may bo assumed, on account of a disinclination to acipnt office thus early in his parliamentary career. Mr Statham and Mr Anderson doubtless were deterred by n desire to retain the measure of m- 1 dependence they lately have been asserting

BOARD OF TRADE. A very frank discussion concerning 11,0 functions, powers and constitution of the Board of Trade took place at tnc meeting of tlie General Chamber of Commerce yesterday. It arose out of £. motion tabled by Mr A. L. Hunt, lor tho revival of the proposal for the establishment of a board chosen by election' to represent the producing, com|mer,cial, industrial and public interests, for the purpose of promoting trade and controlling prices. Several of the speakers, including Mr Hunt himsvlt, complimented the Board of Trade upon, its good intentions and upon the work it had done, but despaired of its effecting any great change in the existing state of affairs while it remained under political influence. Mr G J. Ward said it would bo difficult to find three harder working dnen than the members of the Board, but much of their labour was in vain owing to the dominance of the Minister. The chairman declared that nothing else ever wats intended. The Board was simply a buffer between the Government and the people. THE' OPPOSITION.

Isir Joseph Ward, who has been laid up with a very severe cold, since the end of last week, and who probably will not be able to take his place in the House till to morrow, when seen this morning said he hoped the session , would be brought to a close early next month. The members of his party were unanimous in their desire to ass>t the Government as far as they could in getting all necessary business through en-.l he could see no reason why any time should be wasted in party bickering. But, of course, the Opposition would be expected by the country to exercise its constitutional functions and it would not hesitate to do so. However, he was not expecting any serious controversial matters to arise or anything of the sort would be opposed to tho wishes of sensible people inside and outside aPrliament—and his own wish was to get to the constituencies in time to have the elections and tlieir aftermath well over before Christmas.

INDUSTRIES REPORT. DISCUSSION IN PARLIAMENT. Wellington, Sept 12. The discussion on the report of the Industries Committee, which was taken last night in fulfilment of the Prime Minister’s promise, gave Sir Joseph Ward an opportunity to remind the House that several of the more important recommendations of the Committee were along the lines of proposals he bad made himself during the last decade. He would have been more than human —or, at auy rate, a good deal less than politician—had be not emphasised this point. He recalled the fact that in 1910 lie had submitted proposals to Parliament which, if followed, would have allowed two schemes in the North Island and one in the South to be carried on simultaneously. That scheme was cut down to one vote of £500,000 for the Lake Coleridge and now at the end of a decade only a beginning was being made with the execution of the other schemes. As for tho nationalisation of the coal mine 3, he did not wish to join up in any vast nationalisation scheme, bat the abundant production of coal would have to be maintained and to achieve this end the old order would have to be changed and the causes of unrest and inefficiency removed. THE PRIME MINISTER APPROVES. Mr Massey, reviewing tho report and, incidentally, replying to the leader of the Opposition, said the most important of all the matters dealt with by the Committee was the need for. the development of hydro-electric power. In 1910 hydro-electric schemes were in the experimental stage and tho question was whether there should be wholesale ventures in hydro-electric power to the possible hampering of roads and bridges, Times bad changed and the Lake Coleridgo experiment had proved a great success fully justifying the entor-

prises tlrnfc now wei’e in hand. With- , I but fully subscribing to the suggestion | for the nationalisation of the coal j mines he said “if nationalisation l were going to solve the problem then j let the mines be nationalised.” He was not quite sure, however, that it would solve the problem. There would be superannuation to provide for the miners and that might present difficulties which could nob be easily overcome. He was sorry the shortness of the sessiori would not permit the appointment of a Parliamentary Committee to deal with the matter.

THE yVHOtE HOG. Mr C. A. Wilkinson, the chairman of the Committee, reviewed the report with a close knowledge of its details and with an obvious faith in its recommendations. The Committee had goiie a little further than the Board of Trade in regard to the nationalisation of the coal mines, had, in fact, “gone the whole hog,” but the trouble was acute and the remedy must be drastic, “ The coal might cost indie,” he admitted, “ but tb the general public the concern was hot so much one of cost as of a plentiful and regular supply. Referring to the cost of living he said the mistake of the past had been in giving the Board of Trade too little power, and the Committee had come to the conclusion it was wiser to give it too much power | than to leave it with too little, The ‘ Customs tariff stpod sadly in need of revision on sound cbiiimonsense liues so that the necessary revenue might be obtained without unduly burdening the poorer people and without sub--1 jeotiug struggling and desirable inclns--1 tries to unfair competition. The 1 interests of the producer, the worker, and the consumer must be recont died.