WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 4 March 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE SHORT SESSION. MATTERS OF URGENCY ONLY. (Our Special Correspondent;. WELLINGTON, March 2 The Prime Minister has announced that the business of the short session to open next week will lie confined strictly to matters of urgency connected with his impending departure lor Loudon. That is, no doubt, his earnest desire. But one set of politicians proposes, and another set sometimes disposes. There is no reason to suppose there "ill he any serious opposition in Parliament to Air .Massey lolloping up his acceptance ol Air Lloyd Georges invitation by taking (lie seat allotted to him it 1 the Imperial Conference. Even ..,c militant members of tlic Labour Party admit the desirability of the Dominion being adequately .ropiesented at tlic groat national council pregnant with so many possibilities to this remote part of the far-flung Empire. I'mt it will not be surprising, and certainlv not unnatural, if they ami, pmhaps! some less bellicose members, (| ,,„Lo against the rigid curtailment of the session some of the objections urged in former years by Air Massey and his friends against the machinery „f government being thrown out of gear in order to facilitate Hie departure •.f other Prime .Ministers for similar

gatherings. THE ORDER PAPER

in the view of the Prim.' .Minister, as far as can he ascertained, the matters of urgency "ill consist mainly of financial* measures and the voting ol supply for the period alter June 39 lor which no provision has been made. But obviously these could lie made the subjects of tedious discussion it even a small unsympathetic minority sot,

itself to the task. During the short

session which preceded Air Seddon s departure oil a similar errand the Liberal loader presented to the House a concise statement of the financial position of the country with some indi-

cation of the Government’s intentions for the future. If Air Alasscy, impelled by the circumstances of the hour, should follow this precedent, the floodgates would he opened to a torrent of talk which no form ol the House could

easily stay. But the real peril to the Minister's desire for brevity lies in the anxiety of members to make themslves '■card on a number of matters that aie specially exercising their constituents just now. GAMING AND RACING.

Two of these, though ol comparatively small importance among the great issues now before the country, already are marked down for mention. They are the kindred subjects of gaining and racing. Wellington juries have re. fused to convict under the penal Hanses yf the amended Gaming Act of :a: t session and so far as the capital citv is concerned the administration of

tho law in this respect is practically at a standstill. Parliament, one would

think, can scarcely allow its authority

to be flouted in this fashion without taking some action and the responsible Alinister at least must make a statement on the subject. Then there is the roving Totalisator Commission which cannot present its report in time for consideration during the short session, and yet, to keep faith with the racing clubs and the public, must advise the Government on the distribution of permits before the clubs make their arrangements for the season beginning on August Ist next. Afcmbeis will want to know what Air Alasscy is going to do about the matter. SETTLEAIEXT AND PRODUCTION. Again there are the big questions of settlement and production, which will be even more difficult to postpone than will he the reform of the jury system and the readjustment of racing eluhs’ privileges. Bearing on these, there is a report about town to-day to tho effect that a committee, with Sir Thomas Mackenzie as chairman has been appointed to inquire into the grave statement made by Air H. E. Holland last; session concerning the condition <ol cer-

tain shipments of frozen meat loaded at Wellington. The story goes that the allegations made'by the member for Bullcr are in a great measure confirmed and that the object of the Government in appointing the Conifnission is to prevent the recurrence of such

candais and to establish public confi-

dence in official supervision. The critics' comment upon this is that the Government’s first step towards reform, if the story really is true, should have been to hang the responsible officials. and the next to find some more effective and speedy safeguard than the one now proposed.