WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 October 1919, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(Our Special Correspondent)

PROFITEERING

TRADERS RESENT IMPEACH MENT.

Wellington, October 20 The wholesale merchants and manufacturers entertained the retailers at dinner here on Saturday night and both the hosts and the guests took the opportunity to denounce in good round terms the charges of profiteering that had been levelled against them. The chairman, Mr James Muir, speaking tor the trade with which he is best acquainted, said there was no other business in the Dominion that worked upon such a small margin of profit or was called upon to take such risks as was the provision trade. By popular clamour the country’s legislators had been induced to pass a Board of Trade Bill which put drastic and far reaching powers into the hands of the' idministration, and it was his honest ppinion that the various trades were ti for troublous times through the uterference ot officials who knew practically nothing of the ramificaion of business. COMMERCE IN PARLIAMENT. Mr H. D. Bennett, following in he same strain, said that if the > isiness men adopted the tactics hat were employed by the wharf abourers the prices of certain goods rould be three times what they rere now. No one, he declared, rould object for a moment to the eal profiteer—“the man who creted corners and such things ” eiug dealt with severely and made isgorge his ill-gotten gains, but le trader who was earning a bare

profit and taking immense risks ought not to be perpetually harrassed by the politicians. 1 The only safeguard against this sort of thing was the more adequate representation of commerce and all the interests for which it stood in Parliament, and if business men wanted relief and a fair deal they should take the trouble to bear a part in the, public life of the com-

munity. Other speakers strongly supported this view.

IMPATIENT POLITICIANS. Members of the Plouse continue to display their anxiety to bring the session to a close as speedily as possible, so that they may get about their electioneering, but at the same time many of them want the Government to save measures of their own from the inevitable “ slaughter of the innocents,” which

promises to be unusually heavy this year. Referring to the subject in the early hours ol Saturday morning the Prime Minister said he

thought all the imperative business could be concluded within a fortnight if members would refrain from over much talking and give the Government their assistance in other obvious directions. The Public Works Statement probably will be presented on Wednesday, and if members will accept tlie Estimates in discreet silence they will greatly facilitate their release.

independence. Quite a number of the members of the present House, hitherto more or less docile followers of their partyleader, now are proclaiming their independence. The latest of those to throw off openly the shackles of the caucus is Mr G. H. Sykes, the member for Masterton, who in an advertisement in the papers this morning announces his intention to seek re-election as an “Independent,” free to support or oppose any measure that may come before Parliament. Mr W. B. Mathesop already is in the field as an Independent, and Independent Tabour and Official labour are also represented, while Mr Coradine, an exMayor of Masterton, with party predilections undefined, is mentioned as a probable candidate, Many other constituencies are embarrassed by a similar wealth ot candidates and it looks highly probable that when the general election is over a meeting of Parliament will be required to determine to which fold half the successful candidates belong,