WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 October 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

LABOUR DAY HOLIDAY. UNSEASONABLE WEATHER. (Our Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Oct. 2GThe Labour Day holiday was entirely ■spoiled for people who would iiavo spent it in the open by the wretched weather. Rain fell from early morning till late into the night, and during the greater part of the day was accompanied by a cold southerly wind. Sports, excursions and picnics were abandoned, with, of course, the royal exception of the racing at Trentham, where the crowd, though greatly reduced by the rain, largely exceeded the sheltering capactiy of the buildings and quickly tramped the enclosures into a succession of muddy rivulets and muddier quagmires. Trentham never had been seen under more unfavourable conditions. Still the tot-alisator business went on merrily, the total amount passed through the machine being £77,87-5, an advance of £5,125 upon the amount invested on the corresponding day last year vvlien the weather was ideal. MR MASSEY ON TOUR. The Prime Minister has announced his intention to make an extended tour of the Dominion as soon -as possible after the closing of the session. During recent years, what with the war, his trips to London and the exigencies of a critical general election, lie has been unable to see as much of the country as he would have liked to do and lie has many social obligations as well as political obligations to discharge. He can see no. reason, he still says, why the session should not wind up on Friday, Nov. 5--the day before*;the New New Zealand Cup will lie run—and in the event of his expectations being realised he probably will he in attendance upon his Excellency the Governor-General at Riccarton. Mr Massey, as lie has mentioned once or twice lately, is not a racing man, hut he has a genuine love for a good horse. TOWARDS LIBERALISM. Folk to whom the Prime Minister wiil reintroduce himself during the recess, whatever their party'prejudice against the Reform leader may have been in the past, will find him much more favourably disposed towards what they call progressive measures than lie appeared to lie twelve of fifteen or evpn six years ago. Whether this is the result- of his observations during his trips to the OlckCouutfy or to his intimate association ’with representative Liberals in the National Cabinet it would ho impertinent to inquire, hut it is a fact that at the present time he stands, on most questions, just about' where the of a decade ago did. He admits quite frankly that ho has “changed his mind”' and thus disarms criticism of tile realisation of Mr Scddon’s prophecy that he would “collar” the Liberal policy. THE ONE EXCEPTION. The one exception to Mr Massey’s ah-, sorption of Liberal ideals has to do with land settlement. Though every other plank of the famous Reform platform of 1911 has been renounced, greatly modified or quietly removed, the -one embodying the option of the freehold remains intact, even enlarged and strengthened. The process has been made all the easier by a considerable number of Liberal numbers in successive Parliaments inclining towards the Reform view on this question. The present lender of the Liberal Opposition is a notable example. Mr Wilford declares himself an out-and-out freeholder and votes against his party when the question goes to a division in the House With such encouragement it is not surprising that Air Alassey holds fast to his convictions. The plank has not only been maintained, but it also has been made all-embracing.

THE GAMING BILL. COUNCIL REVERSES DECISION. ■ WELLINGTON, Oct. 27 The opponents of the totalisator, naturally enough, are much incensed by the Legislative Council’s reversal of its decision in regard to an important clause of Mr George Hunter’s Gaming Bill'. Last week the Council by 18 votes to 16, expunged the clause which gave the Government power-on the recommeidation of the commission for which the Bill provides, to issue additional totalisator permits not exceeding thirty-eight for next racing season, subject to the approval of both Houses of Parliament. The effect, of this was to reduce the province of the commission to nothing more than the preparation of a report upon the distribution of the permits already legalised and to deprive the Government of authority to issue new ones even with the approval of Parliament. Without further legislation lio progress could be made towards the goal the promoters of the Bill were seeking. “HOW IT WAS DONE. But when the Bill wafe reported from committee with this amendment, the leader of the Council had the third reading of the measure set down for the next sitting day and apparently the victorious majority had no suspicion of the surprise that was in store for them Yesterday, however, when the Bill was called on, Sir Francis Bell said he felt it was only due to the Council and to Parliament, that a further opportunity for consideration of the matter should be given to members. The Bill as it was sent up from the House had represented a. compromise betwe.cn the contending parties which reserved to Parliament the right to say whether or not , additional permits should be issued and the Prime Minister had thought it fair and just. Mr Massey’s judgment should be respected. The Hon John Barr was “grievously disappointed” by the proposal and the Hon J. B. Gow was shocked beyond measure. THE DIVISIONS. But in spite of fervid protests from Mr Barr and Mr Gow the AttorneyGeneral mot his recommittal by sixteen votes to ten, with six pairs, and the reversal of the previous decision by fifteen to ten, the Hon 0. Samuel’s presence in the. chair while the Bill was in committee accounting for the missing vote from the previous majority. The reduction of the “anti-totalisator” vote from eighteen to sixteen, counting pairs, was broil gilt about by the Hon R. K. Simpson changing from one side to the other and the Hon W. H. Tripps being

absent from the Chamber, while the in-

crease of tlio “totalisator” vote from sixteen to twenty-one, again counting pairs, was duo to the acquisition of Mr Simpson’s vote, and tlm votes, licit pro. vioukly exercised, of the Hoii W. J). Baillie, the Hein B .Harris, the Hon C. Louisson and the Hon H. Ttikino. The opponents of the reversal complained of being beaten by a “reduced Council,” hut as a matter of fact, counting pairs, two more votes were recorded for the restoration of the daifsc than were for its removal. AFTERWARDS. The absence of tlio Hon W. H. Trigg’s name from the divison list is explained by the fact that tho Canterbury Councillor was among the weekenders held up by the railway slip near Ashurst and did not get hack to town till sonic time after tho whole business was over. Probably the Hon J. 1 Fisher .had all equally good excuse for his absence, hut the votes of these two gentlemen would not have altered the result. The Attorney-General got liis way by obtaining pairs for tho Hon W. D. Baillie, the Hon B. Harris and the Hon C. Louisson, gentlemen who no longer take an active part in the business of the Council and who would not have been called upon to vote in any ordinary circumstances. Of course there are precedents for this sort of thin hut they arc not precedents Sir Francis 801 l would have thought of recalling had ho not .been assured that a largo majority of the members of the elected Chamber were favourable to the cause in which they were being employed.