WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 March 1921, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

PUBLIC FINANCE

PRIME MINISTER OPTIMISTIC

(Our Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, March 21

Though the Prime Minister’s temporary indisposition—a recurrence of the hemorrage from the nose which gave him some trouble last year—prevented him moving the second reading of the Finance Bill on Saturday, as had been intended, a summary of the salient features of the public accounts up to the end of February was distributed during the afternoon. This shows that the revenue for the eleven months ol the financial year covered by the figures amounts to £2(5,880,887 and the oxjenditure to £24,210,741, leaving a nominal surplus of £2,(570,14(5. But many charges are to lie brought to account before the close of the linancial year at the end of the current month and Mr Massey contents himself in the meantime with saying .lie estimates there ultimately will bo a surplus to carry forward to assist in meeting the special needs of the coming year. NEED FOR ECONOMY.

In his brief comments upon the figures, Mr Massey again emphasises the vital importance for the utmost economy in both public and private expenditure. Large savings, he says, already have been effected in the public service and others, be promises, are to be effected in the immediate future. The accounts for the eleven months under review, however, bear little evidence of any substantial economies having been yet realised. The Mental Hospitals Department and the Agricultural Department indeed show the only reductions in expenditure ol any magnitude. The expenditure of the Justice Department, compared with that of the corresponding eleven months of last year, lias increased by £132,488, Internal Affairs by £284,518, Defence by £ 13,9(51 and Education by £331,090. Still the Prime Minister is properly optimistic. Mo is sure that with

“economy, hard work and co-operation the difficulties that beset the Dominion will be easily overcome. THE CENSORSHIP.

At flic time of writing Parliament i> sitting and it is hoped the business oi the session will ho elosod before it rises this evening. The Labour members, however, are threatening to make a demonstration against the censorship and of course the discussion on the Finance Hill will open the way to a long and tedious debate il Mr Holland and bis colleagues care to take advantage of all the forms of the House bv which their freedom of speech is secured. Mr Holland mentioned the banning of certain literature on Saturday and if was admitted oh all sides that neither ihe Postmaster General nor the Prime Minister was particularly happy in bis explanation ol the working of the censorship. It scorned to amount to an admission that the whole business was entrusted to a clerk in ibe Customs Department with authority to say what the public should read.

EARLY CLOSIN'!

On Saturday the Shops and Offices Amendment Bill came hack to the House from the Council with an amendment providing that the small shopkeepers requiring exemption Imm the early closing law should make bis application to a stipendiary magistrate and not to the Arbitration Court. Mr 11. E. Holland raised the objection that i ln> adoption oi the amendment would deprive the organisations ot their light to appear bet ore the constituted authority in opposition to any application for exemption, but the Hon C. J. Parr held that other evidence than that of tin' official could be beard by a magistrate. Mr Wilford admitted this was t!u> ease, but pointed out that mere witnesses could not cross-examine those giving evidence in support ot an application. The House, however, believing U,e rights of dissentients were sufficiently secured, agreed to the amendment made bv the Council.

THE FINANCIAL BILI

ANTI -B A NIC A.\ IE XI) .\ 1E NTS

WELLINGTON, March 23

The Government- kept its intention to add “anti-panic” amendments to the Finance Bill uncommonly close and its proposals seem to have been mentioned in advance to no one outside the Cabinet ,-oom. On Monday morning the newspapers stated there would be some additions to the Bill of an “unimportant character” and even members of the House in the closest intimacy with Ministers expected nothing more. Ol course all tins was necessary in ordei that the purpose ot the amendments should not be defeated and that no “intelligent anticipation” ol the impending legislation should he turned to account by favoured people. In these circumstances the Government’s proposals naturally created considerable astonishment in the House when the.\ were circulated on Monday evening and some of the members sitting on the Opposition benches were disposed to be extremely critical. Labour members protested that protection was provided for the capitalist and none for the workers and some of the Liberal members were scarcely less aggressive. TIME TO*CONSIDER.

At one stage of Hie proceedings it looked as if the passage of the amendments through the House would he a long and tedious business. The Prime Minister had indicated bis desire to have them embodied in the Bill as speedily as possible as the Legislative Council was waiting to confirm the determination of the House and H.s Excellency, the Governor-General, was ju attendance to give his assent to the measure. This appeal, however, was loss effective than was a suggestion by Mi- St'illiani, the member for Dunedin South, now sitting on the Opposition

J benches as an Independent, that the House should be definitely allowed a : couple of hours for a free discussion of I the proposals. Mr Massey readily assented to this arrangement, saying he would gladly place all the information in his possession at the disposal of the House, and from this on it was evident that a large majority of the members were prepared to trust the Government in the extremely difficult conditions that had arisen. PUBLIC OPINION.

Though few people bad anticipated the proposals of the Government, little surprise was expressed on Tuesday morning when the legislation in which they had boon embodied was announced. Of course representatives of the banks and of kindred institutions bad made suggestions to the Government in regard to the financial stringency, and it may be presumed they bad pointed out to the Prime Minister the perils of the situation. But Mr Massey bad other advisers, able to speak with authority on different aspects of the position, and judging from the opinions expressed by the commercial community 24 hours after the event, the precautions taken by the Government are meeting with very general approval and promising to assist materially in maintaining public confidence. Mr Massey himself, however, does not attempt to disguise the difficulties of the position. The need for the strictest economy, he says, is as urgent as ever, and drastic retrenchment may be among the imperative needs of the near future. THE BANKS.

During the discussion of the Einanee Bill and its amendments in the House, a good deal was said by the Labour members and by one or two other irresponsible speakers about what tliev described as the harsh methods and soulless measures ot the banks. “These private concerns,” as Mr Holland and bis colleagues derisively dubbed them, “were represented as raising interestto an exorbitant rate, demanding the extinction of overdrafts at a moment’s notice, foreclosing.on securities and doing a score of other things to produce tb(> panic Parliament was seeking to avert. Mr Massey and oilier members stronglv protested against “these wild assertions.” The hanks, they pointed out. bad (heir troubles as oilier financial institutions bad. but, speaking generally. they were straining their resources to the utmost to help the country over the difficulties it was encountering. They might not .he doing all they would like to do, hut they were doing all thov reasonably could.

THE WATERFRONT

COMM UNITY CONTROI

WELLINGTON, March 25

At a meeting of the Wellington Harbour Board on Wednesday evening it was resolved on the motion of .Mr J. (J. C'olibe, one of the country members of the Board, “to approach the Government with a request that the Harbour Board’s Act be amended in such a manner as to empower harbour boards to employ, control and manage all labour required in the loading and unloading of ships and lor waterside work generally, whether on wharves or on vessels.” Proposals to this effect had been before the Board before and at the meeting of the Harbour Hoards’ Conference in .1918 the principle of Mr Cobbo’s motion had been affirmed by a narrow majority; bid recent happenings on the wharves hero had given point and urgency to what bad been said on former occasions. The members were not .unanimous on the question, the voting being seven to three, but the advocates ot a change in the system ot control had no dilfieulty in showing that the present conditions were intolerable. THE CASE FUR REFORM.

Mr Coblie presented a very strong ease for reform. At present, lie said, there were lour bodies concerned the shipowners, who were chielly interested in the size ol their dividends; the walersiders, who were out to get as iniicdi as they could; the harboul hoards, who represented the producers and the commercial interests, and the long-sull'ering public, who had to find the money for the other three. It was incongruous, not to say ludicrous and outrageous, that ol those lour the two least likely to be careful for the welfare of the port and the community had the great hulk of control in that t-liev might open or shut the harbour or work it just as they pleased. The shipowners’ representatives on the Hoard warmly opposed the motion, protesting that it aimed at involving the Hoard in responsibilities it never could bear, but the majority made light ol their fears and simply overwhelmed them in the division. THE ACTING PRIME MINISTER In concluding the business of the short session in the Council on luesdav Sir Francis Hell made sonic allusions to the criticism that had been directed against his appointment as \cting Prime Minister during the absence "of Mr Massey. TTe did not understand the criticism, Im said, because the Urime Minister still remained Prime Minister and he, as his locum tenons, was merely chairman of Cabinet for the time being. Ha‘| hl > Francis left it at that, the critics of Ids appointment prohalv would ha\ , had nothing more to say on the ma - ter- but he went on to argue that tin members of the Council were as truly representative of the people as wenthe memhei-B of (ho W.«. this has set l-eopla i-eesllins »1 ' • Francis and Mr Massey had to say a few Years ago about the constitution of the Council and the need for it* form. The quotations arc made good humor, but some of them ceitninlv are amusing. • repression.

The Easter holidays this year are finding the community repressed rathe, than depressed, a frame of mine!, of course entirely appropriate to the sea

son and the circumstances. That Unmost irresponsible ot people, tin; units that go to make up a sporting crowd arc beginning to recognise the gravity of the questions- discussed during the short session of Parliament, was demonstrated at tlu* Rangitikei race meeting this week, when the investments on the lot a lisa tor -dropped by £18,095 compared with the investments at the corresponding meeting last- year. That this all was money saved—economy of (he kind Mr Massey lias been preaching about is perhaps open to argument, but il at least represents a considerable amount of capital diverted into more uselnl channels. Business people report scarcely so large a falling off in legitimate trade, hut there evidently is a growing disposition to spend slowly, which the authorities on such matters declare must make for decline in prices. AN'itli this expression of financial stringency the purchasing public will find no fault.