WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 11 September 1922, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

STILL GOING SLOW. A FRUITLESS WEEK. SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. WELLINGTON, Sep. 8. It was expected that this week the House of representatives, having disposed of the Address-in-Replv and the Budget debate, would set about the serious business of- the session in earnest. But as a matter of fact it has scarcely accelerated its rate of progress at all. Ministers besides talking a great deal more than seemed necessary themselves have encouraged private members to talk upon every trivial subject; tliftt lifts cropped up from day to day. Mr Holland, the leader of the Labour Party, has been practically invited to join in little controversies leoiuwrning ' loyalty and sedition. Mr McCallum, tho member for Wairau, has been allowed to occupy the host part of a sitting with a discussion on a Licensing Bill, which everyone knew to he a appropriation measure, and therefore incapable of being carried through hy a private member, and Mr Lysnnr and the rest of the loquacious honourable gentlemen in the Chamber have been left to spread themselves over the pages of Hansard to their heart’s content. Of course this sort of thing has occurred ill the House before on the eve of a general election, hut never to the extent it is occurring now. MR McCALLUM’S LITTLE BILL. Mr McCallum’s little Bill, entitled State Control of Licenses Act, was never intended to he taken seriously ns a prospective piece of legislation. Its obvious purpose was to give its author and other zealous opponents of Prohibition in the House an opportunity to air their views on the licensing question before the public. This they did in a most delightfully irresponsible fashion, .quoting thousands in round figures that made them millions, and depicting in lurid colours the desolation that would fall upon the land if Mr Tsitt and his allies had their way. The House displayed little interest in the discussion, which mainly was dull and uninspiring, and gladly gave the Bill its second reading to get it out of the way. But it had some right to complain that the head of the Government should have permitted such n tax upon its forbearance. Mr Massey is a very fine disciplinarian when he cares to exercise his powers, hut so far this session lie lias not seemed anxious to take the House in hand. Mr Speaker, too, lias been exceptionally indulgent. and some members have been over ready to presume upon his patient courtesy. “A FALSEHOOD.”

The Prime Minister appeared in something like Lis old fighting form in the House yesterday when he denounced as a falsehood a statement made bv Air It. Cobbe. the selected Liberal candidate for the Oroun seat, to the effect that lie had instructed the Board of Trade to issue an order that bread must not he sold under the price fixed hy the Board. “ I would like to express my feelings in regard to that gentleman in good terse AngloSaxon,” Air .Massey said, “ but. I know I should he offending against the Standing Orders of the House, and I am not going to do It. I say that the statement was a falsehood. 1 cannot express it in stronger terms than that.” It seems that Mr Forbes —the member for Hurunui— and Air Alasters—the member for Stratford—were on the platform with Air Cobbe when the aspirant for the Oroun sent attributed tiiis mandatory order to Mr .Massey, and they, as a matter of course, came in for n share of the Minister's denunciation. lie would repeat his denial, lie said, from every platform from which they might speak and see that the public knew the truth. The subsequent discussion did not make the truth quite plain, and ultimately closed with a promise hy the Minister in charge of the Board of Trade to inquire into the allegations. TRADE OUTLOOK. Mr R. AY. Dalton, the British Trade Commissioner, who is about to lie transferred from his present office, was the guest: of honour at the New Zealand Club’s luncheon yesterday, and in a happy vein spoke words of good cheer to the people of the Dominion. “My own opinion, for wlint it is worth,” he said, “is that a very definite improvement has been seen in New Zealand ,and that it is not unlikely that a further period of considerable prosperity is not far ahead.” Mr Dalton, whose business it lias boon to study such matters very closely, sees ill the wool position and the dairy produce position every reason for optimism on the part of producers. ' Wool, lie contends, must advance ill value and must remain on a stable basis for many years. London, he said, believes in New Zealand, and New Zealand must believe in itsell. not only that it may embrace the good fortune that is knocking at its doors, hut also Unit it may fortify the faith and confidence of its friends at the other end of the world. Air Dalton will leave Hie Dominion with tho goodwill of a multitude of business and personal friends, to all of whom lie has given freely of his knowledge and experience.