WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 July 1922, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE RAILWAYS. MOTOR COMPETITION. SPECIAL 10 GUARDIAN. WELLINGTON, July 28 The introduction of rttl Imprest Supply Bill in tile House of Representatives on Wednesday opened the flood gates to another torrent of talk, a little more animated, but no less futile than the long-drawn out debate on the Address-in-Reply. The lender of the Opposition, who by virtue of his office led off, took the hiilways as his text and covered the familiar ground with Ullnbnted vigour and considerable effect. He drew pointed attention to tbe fact that during the debate on the Address Mr Veitch, the member for Wanganui, had made grave charges against the management of the Department, and that neither of the two Ministers who followed him had attempted to refute his allegations. Mr Wilford wanted to know what wits the daily loss on the rrtilWnys, what had become of the inspecting Engineer, what would he the value of an Advisor Board while the General Manager had supreme control and what the Government was going to do next. To all this the Minister’s answerwas not convincing. He advised Mr Wilford to wait and see the drastic regulations by which he was going to suppress motor competition. PUBLIC SERVICE CONTROL.

The Hon T. J. Hanan turned the opportunities of the occasion to another use. He had heard of certain happenings that would tend to shake public confidence in the integrity of the Civil Service and he wanted the Prime Minister to take the House into his confidence and tell it .'ill about them. Tlie Minister smiled indulgently. Then the member for Invercargill turned to the method of control._ He did not believe tlie Government itself was pleased with the creation of its olectioneeering fancy. The Commissioner, who was retiring other men, was long over the retiring age himself, and he had as an assistant a gentleman who had been too busy during the war to go to the front. None of this was particularly relevant to tlie business in hand and none of it greatly interested tlie House. Members had just suffered three weeks of part\ bickerings and their appetite for that sort of fare was blunted for the time being. The House is not a fighting one. The suspension of active hostilities during the war is still having its effect am! perhaps the old asperities have gone for ever. ELECTORAL BEEOHM. The H|>|H*araiH'c of two Proportional llepresentatioii Bills in the House vestenia.\\ one .the ehild of Mr \ eiteli and the other the infant of Mr McCombs, gave members an opportunity to talk of electoral reform, but few of them felt sufficiently confident of their acquaintance with the subject to plunge deeplv into its details. The member for Wanganui reminded the House that if the majority had prevailed at the British elections of ISSfi. as it would have done under the system of proportional representation, Ireland would have had the measure of Home Rule for which she craved and the present tragedy would have been averted. It was a legitimate point, hut did not appear tr> impress the House. In the absence of its author Mr D. G. Sullivan the Labour member for Avon, introduced Mr MeComb’s Bill and was suppoked bv Dr Thncker, both members speaking" highly of the satisfactory operation of proportional representation in the municipal elections in Christchurch. Mr McCombs is making an attempt to preserve the “Country quota,” but it is scarcely likely to save his measure from the fate of its predecessors. LICENSING. The report of the Special Licensing Committee set up last session was presented to the House yesterday and made it easv to understand wily the prohibitionists on the Committee were anxious to present a minority report. Tlie proposal to postpone the enforcement of prohibition for four years, in tile event of it being carried at the polls, provided them with some fairly solid ground for protesting, since an arrangement of this sort would inevitably result in the suceeding Purlinmsntary election being fought solely on the licensing question. However the report will not be shaped into legislation during the present session, and there seems to he no very useful purpose it can serve in the near future. However the appointment of the Committee saved the Government from a rather awkward dilemma in relieving it from the necessity of propounding a licensing policy of its own, and for this service Mr 'Massey and his colleagues, doubtless, arc duly grateful. Licensing lias been the bane of every Government since tlie day it first was elevated to the dignity of a political question and became capable of deciding the fate of parties.