WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 5 April 1922, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE NEW LOAN. .MARKET FAVOURABLE. SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. WELLINGTON, April 5. Mr Massey’s announcement at Whangairi of his intention to float a new loan for public works in the immediate future took no one hero by surprise. The few people who imagined that its economising efforts were going to save the Government from theYiecessity of going to the London money market for the next couple of years now realise that it will be as long as that before they begin to materially affect the financial position. T he. popular impression obtained from Mr Massey’s announcement is that the new loan will be for five millions, which would satisfy the pressing needs of the Treasury, but the Government, in addition to the authority it took last session to borrow this amount, has outstanding authorities to raise some fifteen millions and it is quite possible, should the market prove favourable, Mr Massey will take the opportunity to make provision for other needs than those indicated in the latest legislation. The financial authorities expect all the money required to be available at 5 V per cent at most, and at this rate the Dominion can make profitable use of a considerable sum during the next year or two. LABOUR AND CIVIL SERVICE.

The ballot of the officers of the Post and Telegraph Department on the proposal that their Association should federate with the Alliance of Labour is proceeding quietly so far as the Department itself is concerned, but it is provoking a good deal of indignant protest from outside. The idea that the Government should have stepped in and prevented the ballot being taken still prevails in many quarters, but the Prime Minister and the PostmasterGeneral recognised from the first that any repressive action of that kind would have rather aggravated than healed the discontent among the officers of the Department. The result of the ballot still is hanging in the balance, but the feeling to-day among those opposed to members of the'Public Service officially allying themselves with extreme Labour is that a full vote will save the situation. This is. the opinion of Ministers and if the Post and Telegraph Department reject the advances of Mr Holland and his friends none of the other departments will be likely to succumb to the advances of these gentlemen. It is too early yet, however, to say the crisis lias passed.

EDUCATION REFORM. The conference of experts that has been reviewing the Dominion’s education system with a view to introducing extensive reforms, is preparing rocum- , memhuioiis generally in accord with th e proposals submitted by the Minister, This, of course, is the usual procedure. The Minister centers with the expert.', promises proposals in harmony with their ideas, lays them before the experts and in due course embodies them in •regulations or in an Act of Parliament. In the present case no legislation appears to be required, the Government, as a matter of convenience, having aimed itself witli regulations which enable it to turn the education system upside down or inside out as it may please. The Minister's present proposals are in the direction of simplifying the primary course and extending the secondary course, particularly in the direction of making provision for vocational training along practical lines. The matter is not attracting a great deal of attention ere, but there is a feeding throughout the community that the present system is not producing results commensurate with its cost and any change, even of an experimental character, would be welcomed.

THE POLITICAL HORIZON. Ministers arc letting it lie understood that Parliament will meet this year at the usual time in June and that they expect the session to he a long one, probably not terminating till the middle of November, unless members refrain from superfluous talk and factious obstruction. Air Alassev may reasonably hope for the best on this occasion, since the various sections of the Opposition sire more anxious to get to the constituencies than Ministers and their followers are and may he trusted to facilitate, within reason, the progress of business. There is much talk, particularly in Auckland, just now, of electoral reform, Liberals and Labourites alike being anxious to find some escape ironi the vote splitting of which they are the victims; hut though the Prime Minister has made no definite statement on tho subject, it is safe to say there will be no legislation in this direction during the impending session. The Govern- ‘ meiit will introduce none, and it will permit none introduced from the other side of the House to become law.