WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 June 1922, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE GOVERNMENT’S STRONG

CARD

SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. WELLINGTON, June 14

It is fairly obvious that the Govern--111 on’s strong (jird at the approaching , general election will he “safety”; sale- ! ty, that is, from the threatening ascendancy of extreme 1 abour Mr Massey has been proclaiming front various platforms during the last few weeks that-out r.nd out Sicinlism, represented by the Alliance of Labour, is the only alternative to Reform, and his colleagues have been reiterating their chief’s assertion whenever an opportunity has offered. The latest echo comes from Air Downie Stewart in Dunedin. The conditions, it must lie admitted, arc particularly favourable for the propagation of this idea The Progressive Liberal and Moderate Labour Party, heed less of the scriptural injunction to the contrary, is persistently hiding its light under a bushel, while the Social Democrats, to give Air Holland’s followers their official designation, are denouncing the two older parties with unabated veliemeilee, and with delightful impartiality. Faced by an Opposition composed of these conflicting elements ,aiid helped rather than hindered by a large body of “independents” Air Massey- ailci his colleagues, cne woni(j think, ought to he Able to .contemplate the situation with equanimity; but they are leaving nothing hi chance in the preparations they tire’ making for the next trial of strength in the constituencies.

SWING OF THE PENDLTLUAI. •There are people, too, even among All- MassCv’s political supporters, who expect the parties in the new House of Representatives to he much more closely balanced than they are in the expiring one, in the lirst place there is, they point out, the popular disposition towards change—“T lie swing of the pendulum”—which Mr Seddoit arrested for so long arid which Air Massey now hits held up over two elections, They do hot thiilk that this disposition has been extinguished blit that it has been merely lying dormant under exceptional circumstances. Then there are the accumulated grievances of a large number of people who blame the Government for largely increased taxation, for declining revenue, for unsatisfactory railway services, lor the hard lot of many of the soldiers cn the land, and for everything else that lias gone wrong ill the public affairs of the country. Those accumulated grievances, the gloomy prophets of Reform predict will cause a, substantial tuln over of votes frhni the Government to the Opposition, chiefly to I.ahoui'. The Uppercuts of the Government, of course arc UMiHfff! mi'cli more out of those factors. ST ITF, AND ATUNTCjPAL TRADING. Though the members of the Taxation. A- (h Rciy Cc.-n lrjttce have given no indication of their attitude towards, the proposal for the taxation of State and Municipal trading concerns there is a prettv !'•■(< 11 oral feeling in political and business circles here that the Committee’s report; will recommend si radical change in the existing, law on the subject . Private enterprise presented its case very strongly and ably to the Com: mittee showing not only that State and ATunicipal concerns were given unfair advantages over their rivals hut also that the country was losing a 'urge amount of revenue, estimated, as al“ readv stated at half a million, through these concerns being exempt from the attention of the tax-gatherer. The bodies responsible for the conduct of municipal trading concerns were run piirelv in the interests of the citizens it would he inadvisable to burden them w itli taxes. One of the obvious arguments of the private enterprise people, however, Is that the exemption of certain Sections of the community from taxation, places additional burdens upon every other section. THE LOCAL APPLICATION. . Tlie “Dominion,” which in these days is aspiring to the broader application of the first principles of economies makes this point rather neatly. “For instance,” it says “if Wellington City does not pay taxation on its electrio lighting profits, the amount thus saved l,y Wellington City has to he made up from somewhere. Who then pays? Clearly it is the people generally— Olitt is to save the people resident in Upper Hutt, Featherston, Greytown, and so on throughout the whole country are taxed more than they should he. Wellington or Ancklnci or nnv place where there are municipal trading concerns therefore, secure a benefit at the expense of those who live in localities where there are no municipal trading concerns. It may be a small thing financially but the principle at stake is not a small matter; it is had, and should not be permitted to continue in force.” The discussion of the subject has elicited a. great deal of information in regard to the respective results obtained bv municipal and pnvn/te enterprise, aiud, to put it mildly, this has not reflected always to the advantage of the former.