WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 14 November 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

■l'll i; p,l IHlh.'i DI DVI I'A TAM Ii OI’ENINC. SUKCI.XI. It) lil-.UtnI.XN. W'll.l I N't :Tt)N. November 11. The iipettnig of the Budg'd tlehate oil Wednesday night xvas a ratmr 1a1,, v exhibition, considering ail tlm "intern', there was for attack and all the necessity for defence. Mr Wilf.ud, the leader of the Opposition, adopt tug the tactics employed b.T Sir doseph Waul in 1011. in somewhat similar chenmstaiices, prefaced his speech uit h all announcement of his intention to nun' what amounted to a vote ol no unio. cnee in the (lovernmetit. ami then proceeded to a comprehensive recital of its sins of commission ami omission. It was a long list, hut an unfamiliar one and it lost, rather than gained lon by iteration and reiteration. Mr '' ford’s points, him ever, were ""'1 made, and though he did not handle figutewith tile facility sir .luseph "a";' was until to do. he made them CII 1 ;, ' ir tale. Challenging the Government on its own gniutid lie asked Mi M.i s> > and his eiilh'iip lll S wind they had done . for the fa run is and made it an] ear I" Ids own sat isfai-tinii and to the s.,ti-.-t'aetioii of his own side of the House . that they had done m,thin.: 't all. , But his strung note xvas the pi intuition of etlieieney which, he declared would obviate the need for seriously lowering

; want's. I MI.VISTF.IUAI. 1! I'-IM.Y , Tt„. H,m. ('. .1. Parr. Hi" M mister | Kdueat ion. was put up to demolish | the leader of the- Opfrnsition. hot even , liis fiiends in tin' lion?" mo admitting f lie did not mvompiish the task very . . 111! t-nally. Mr Wilfonl had b'cn of- . tyn unconvincing. Imt Mr l’tirr was novor impressive. 110 niado the initial mistake of adopting tlio apologeti r tone . and oil'cring excuses. 11" :nlmitt <-d | there had hoon an orgy ot spending. Pul pleaded tile pood resolutions of the | (tovernnient for the future. '1 lie t.nvernnient. he said, saw its wav to a saving of four millions and a half in departmental expenditure and was going to effort this saving as soon' as posI silde. Mr Wilful(l’s charges of extravagance were met hy the futile retort that "such extravagances had obtained for many years." The cost of administration. he admitted, had mounted up between 1911-lb, and 1921-22 from eight millions to sixteen millions, but most of tile money, lie pleaded, had gone in wages and bonuses. To do Mr I’aiT justice it must he said he was 1 perfectly frank in his admission. TIIK I'.VRTIRS. Of course nothing that can he said in the House during the Budget debate wil| shill a. single vote in .lie ultimate division, and Mr Wilford’s second noconfidence motion is foredoomed to the same fate as liefel 1 1 is first, lint, there is a growing feeling among the three or four Oppositions that their sadly diminished star is in tile ascendant. They realise that Mr Hussey's personal hold upon the country is as strong as ever it was; hut they are taking heart of grace from the unimpressiveness of some of his colleagues and from the simmering revolt against government: h v tln-. Civil Service. The latter is ‘lie subject of many a protest hy Mr Massey’s own political friends. They declare that the General Manage, of Railways and the Commissioner of Taxes exercise far more authority then do any of the Crime Minister's colleagues, and that the fiscal policy of the country is shaped hy high State officials in consultation with prominent hankers. This lias been a complaint for years past and probably has ’itlle more foundation now than it had a decade ago.

K AIJAVA V MANAG EM ENT. ; The deplorable condition of the railway sorrice ju&t now, which touches a depth far beyond anything dreamed of during the trying times of the w.ir. has drawn very pointed attention to N the need for a thormfgh overhaul of the system of managing the lines, it is felt among interested people here tha* j there will he little prrsp'v-t °f ; n . v ( material improvement in the r turns from the railways till the Government ealls in the assistance of capable and experienced business men ! o take a hand in the management. The matter is to he considered irt the annual conference of the Chambers of Commerce to he held in Christchurch a week «u so hence, and it is expected *he local delegates will he instructed to support a motion by the Canterbury Chamber, that the management of the lines he entrusted to a hoard consisting of the \ Minisli rof llnilwnys. a Governm uit appointee, ‘two members nominated hy Parliament and fntir others ■ epre.sen* .1Nve respect i velv of iiiiiimor-r. urinary j induction. labour ami railway employes. Many members, of I’nrliaau st ! arc in favour of this idea, urging .hat scarcely any other system could pro(luce worse results than the present one does.