WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 September 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE opening of parliament, j GOVERNOR-GENERAL'S SPEEt 11. ' (Our Special Correspondent). j WELLINGTON. Sept. 23 : The opening of the session yesterdax j was a rather dull proceeding and noth-: ing of ii speetoele. The personal pupil- j larity of the Governor-General miner than any appreciation of l !;•■ impuri- [ mire of the occasion drew such crowds' as gathered to see what could l.r seen ' from outside Parliament Buildings. I The Speech put into the nannh of His' Excellency by his responsible advisers was reasonably brief and studiously I lum-coiiimittal. Obviously the policy of tlie Government is to be disclosed later on and developed as :he session moves along. This was inevitable in tlie absolve of Mr Massey. But lie’ Prime Minister's rolleagues indicated, plainly enough that matters of very grave consequence were awaiting the atteillion of both Houses anil that 11 if , session would fie an arduous as welt as a long one. Tlie qile.-tion will: members now is not whether they will j away before Christmas, but whether' they will he released by the beginning of February. To-day they are engaged with purely formal matters, including the payment of tributes to former members who passed away during the recess and they will not get down to serious business before Tuesday. > THE NEW PARTY. Whatever else may he said of Mr (’. E. Statliain’s schemes for reforming the whole political fabric of the country, it must he admitted that the leader of the Progressive Liberal and Moderate Labour Party since lie took the plat- I form a few weeks ago has. done much to revive public interest in questions of vast importance to the Dominion. Strong men of the type of Mr Massey, severely materialistic and not at al! imaginative, live so tensely in the present they are apt to overlook the possibilities and even the needs ol the future. Mr Soddon, the strongest- of New Zealand's politicians, always was ready to admit that he owed the concept ion of many of his big achievements to the inspiration of the reforming zoalists of his day. The 'Left Wing” of the Liberal Party, which he crushed almost at its birth, assisted in this fashion ill moulding much of his subsequent legislation. In the same way Mr Siathnin and his party, if they do nothing more, may manage to persuade Mr Massey that the country iready for the progressive and im measures tlicv are advocating. THE liquor PROBLEM. Among the Prime Minister's promises for tbi- session is an undertaking to m*i u|> :i <*oiiinii>si(iii lo iiujuiiv ini*-* tin' liquor problem with a view to reporting to Parliament a .'ear henre. on the eve of the next licensing poll. Just how miieli eonsidei at ion Mr Massey gave to the mutter before committing. himself to this obligation !i:r nog been disclosed, but til l- appears to lie a preliy geneial feeling among

Hv me,libel's of I lie House that :’■■ commission would cost a great deal more money than im report would be . worth. Moderates and I’roliibiiinnisiaiy ptaetirally agiced on tin-; pnii't. Tlicv contend that the liquor 'piesiion lias been discussed and rodi-i listed in all its aspects till there is not a lie.'.’ word to he said about it from either . side, and that at the present time the country can ill nlford to pay even !.!UK) or 111.000 for the reiteration o'’ ‘ statements with which it already is familiar. There will lie no serious reproaches from the 1 louse, at any j rate, if the Government elects to tackle the question without assistance from a eommissioii. i RAILWAYS AND ECONOMY. Il was very natuial, of course, that the Maslerimi Chamber of (oiiunei ce should have hesitated to endorse the resolution of the Wellington ('lininlior depreciating political and private interference with the efforts of the Railway Department to effect savings in ils expenditure. The railway seivice ill tlie Wairarapa district is soiiotorinjisly inadequate, largely owing to the dillicullics of the Rinmtaka climb, that local opinion inevitably inclines towards the view that economy which makes for inellieieney is no economy at all. Hut the Wellington Chamber has the satisfaction of knowing Iha i its general appeal for a redncl ion ol expenditure in the public service was cordially supported by its Mnsterton contemporary and its activities towards this end warmly a],proved. The, business ii;*.'ii of the city feel that the

siieee-s ol theii campaign must depend I:i !••'•. ‘I x’ upon the goodwill and cooperation of tlie producers, who would gain at least as much as would any other section of the coiiiiuiioily fiwin insistence upon full value in tangible service being received lor every penny of pililic money expended.