WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 March 1921, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE ADDRESS-IN-REPLY. THE OPPOSITION DEMONSTRATION. WELLINGTON, March 16 So far the debate on the Address-in-Reply has been neither very interesting nor very stimulating. Mr K. Williams, j the new member for Bay of Plenty, led ' off in the traditional style, striking the Imperial note earnestly and confidently, but half way through he lapsed into “road board” politics and from that, on was not impressive. Mr James Craigie, the seconder, who plumed himself upon being the first non-party membgr selected to assist in the passage of the Address, left no doubt about the quality of his Imperialism, drawing largely upon the poets for its expression and embellishment. Both the mover and the seconder, of course, were strongly in favour of Mr Massey attending the Imperial Conference, and they did not embarrass the Prime Minister’s colleagues by attempting to explain why a session of Parliament could not be held during his absence from the Daminion. THE OPPOSITION BLAST. Mr T. M. Wilford did not linger over the customary congratulations to the mover and the seconder when he rose to sound the first blast of opposition. He had no doubt Mr Williams Would play polities as they had played football together in their schoolboy days, strenuously and without bitterness, j and lie hoped Mr Craigie would be long I spared to the House, if only to brush up its acquaintance with the gems of English literature. But the leader of the militant section of the Liberal remnant did not dwell long on the suit pedal. He gave place to no one in devotion to the interests of the Empire, hut in his devotion to the Empire he included a lively concern for the welfare of the Dominion. New Zealand, he said, should he adequately represented at the Imperial,Conference—by Mr Massey if the Empire really could not get along without him—hut the Dominion should be looking after its own domestic affairs at the same time. And so on and so on. HOW AND Til FN. The leader of the Liberal Opposition sought to strengthen his ease against the postponement of the session b\ quoting from a speech delivered by Mr Massey twelve years previously in similar circumstances. Here he scored distinctly, though the Prime Minister’s confession of two or three sessions ago that with the accession of knowledge he had changed his opinions on many questions took a good deal of the sting out of the hit. When Sir Joseph Ward was going Home to the Imperial Conference in 1909 Mr M assey was all j against the postponement of the session, and said so with the asperity which distinguished his speeoa in those times. But the Hon W. Downie Stewart followed with the reminder that Mr Wilford himself had strongly supported the postponement and thus obviously weakened the point the lender of the Opposition had made. A CONSPIRACY OF SILENCE. The Government out and out supporters having entered upon if conspir- j acy of silence in regard to the debate and the Labour members reserving their fire for the support of their own amendment, the Liberal and Independent members had the floor practically to themselves yesterday at both th« afternoon and evening sittings. The Hon W. Noswortliy occupied a quarter of an hour in a very spirited reply to Mr George Forbes’s comments upon the Government’s alleged breach of faith in fixing the wheat prices, hut except for this indignant protest the official silence was unbroken. Mr T. K. Sidey, who, without any of the graces of the orator still remains one of the most effective speakers in the House, took up the tale at the afternoon sitting. Beginning by warning Mr Craigie that his constituents might look with suspicion upon his latest expression of im dependence in seconding the Address-in-Reply, the Prime Minister interrupted him to say the member for Timani need have no fear. The Government would look after his interests Continuing, Mr Sidey warmly denounced the administration of the Government, and Mr Forbes followed on similar lines. Mr l.ysnar made an appeal for the Imperial spirit and Mr Malcolm, unexpectedly, insisted upon a broader expression of this spirit than the Government was giving. Altogether the second day’s debate was distinctly brighter than the first. The, end mav he reached to-morrow night.