WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 October 1919, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(Our Special Correspondent)

A DISCORDANT NOTE.

PROBABLE RETORT.

WELLINGTON, Oct. 27

The Hon. J. B. Hine struck a discor dant note in his address to his constituents at Stratford on Saturday •light which is likely to disturb the comparative harmony that has prevailed in the House of Representatives since the termination of the party truce. It was very natural, of course, that the new Minister, largely dependent upon the dairy fanners for his seat in the House, and for his promotion to the Cabinet, should have wished to bo early in the field with) a contradiction of the general assumption in his constituency that Mr Massey was mainly responsible for. the institution of the equalising fund which in practice proved to be a special tax upon the butter producers. By stating "that the National Government had levied the tax and that the Prime Minister on returning to the, Dominion and discovering its evil* effects had abolished it, he seemed to imply that Mr Massey had had no part in its imposition and that he aione had been the saviour of the farm°rS PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY. Mr Robert Masters, one. of the leading business men of Stratford, who has done good work on the Taranaki Education Board, and is now a candidate for the seat Mr. Hine is occupying, in a measure, was responsible for the Minister’s somewhat precipitate plunge into party politics. He denounced the special butter tax as being outrageously unfair and opposed to all sound economic principles, and declared no Government capable of inflicting such an injustice upon a section of the community was worthy of the confidence of the people. His criticism on the face of l it was for the National Government, not for any individual member of the “Coalition Cabinet.” but Mr Hine took it to bo directed against his own party and protested accordingly. Perhaps neither of these gentlemen quite understood the etiquette of Cabin ot rule, but between them they have given a personal turn to the administration of the National Cabinet which may set other tongues wagging in the near future, perhaps before the session, is over.

AUCKLAND EAST. The announcement that Mr Clutlia Mackenzie, a son of the. High Commis--w>r, is to be the Reform candidate for Auckland East in opposition to the Hon. A- M. Myers at the approaching election did not come altogether as a surprise to people who have been watch ing the course of events during the last few months. Mr Mackenzie has made ho secret of his ambition towards a parliamentary career and though his qualifications for such a career still have to be revealed he has many personal qualities that will appeal to the electors. He has been allotted a difficult task in Auckland East, however, where Mr Myer’s services to the Dominion in the Cabinet during . the war are no less warmly appreciated than are his services to the “Queen City” over a long series of years. The contest is likely to be ai keen one, but the friends of the sitting member are confident of his ultimate success in spite of the strenuous efforts that arc being made on the other side. END OF THE SESSION.

Though Ministers still talk of the session closing hy the end of the week, it is with a twinkle in their eyes, and with the inevitable reservation that members must behave themselves to get away so soon. There is work enough on the Order;’ Paper 'and in the half promises of Ministers to keep the house going for another month, hut if the Government should attempt to detain members beyond the middle of next week it will have great difficulty in maintaining a quorum. Members who are seeking re-election are fretting to get away to their constituencies, where their opponents are at work in their absence, and the two or* three who are not wooing the electors again have no incentive to remain. Mr Massey himself, who will have to bear the brunt of the campaigning for his side, is not anxious to prolong the session and probably, Tuesday or Wednsday will see the end of it.