WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 October 1922, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

CHANGING SIDES. LEST A TORE THINGS HAPPEN. SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. WELLINGTON, Oct 18. Air Vigor Brown did not wait foi fho end of t-hfi session, nor even for tlio dissolution of tbe present Parliament, to give effect to his determination to change sides in the party game. Yesterday lie crossed the floor of the House and definitely allied himstlf with the* Reformers. The usual proceeding in such eases, is, of course, for the member withdrawing his allegiance from one party and transferring it to another, either to resign his seat and seek re-election, or to fulfill his term of office. But Air Brown’s precipitation seems to Have been due to the. fact that another Reform candidate was offering for the Napier scat and the sitting member bad to give some tangible evidence of his fidelity to his new love to secure the Government’s endorsement. To do Mr Brown justice it must be said that his party predilections always have been personal rather than political anil that in the absence of Sir Joseph Ward there Inis been nothing to attach him to the Liberal side of the House. THE REFORAIEBS’ AJAf.

Afr Brown’s renunciation of his allegations to the Liberal Party is not the only indication, of the Reformers’ desire to administer the coup dc grace to their old opponents at the n]>proaching general election. Air Brown liad to choose* between changing sides and faring the opposition of a Reform candidate with the certainty of the Labour aspirant to the seat succeeding. Ho by no means lias made his own election sure by the step lie has taken, but he has materially improved his chances in the contest. Air Leonard Isitt has sought refuge from the impending storm in a less ingenious arrangement. He is to remain on the Liberal side of tlio House, but on a “no-confulenee” vote be is to stand by tbe Reform Government, unless he is satisfied the Liberals have a sufficient majority in the

.new Parliament to be entirely independent of Labour support. The Liberals’ complete independence of Labour is one of the highly improbable results of the election, and Air Isitt’s compact with Air Afassey simply means that the vote of the memlier for Christchurch North will lie his own only when it is not wanted by the Government. THE TAXATION BILL.

The Land and Income Tax Bill passed through its final stages in the House on Alondny night without amendment. Air George Mitchell, the memlier for Wellington South, who is able to present a case for tin* financial and commercial communities with tlio same .understanding and facility as lie presents a ease for the unemployed and the poorly housed worker, made a strong appeal for the reduction of the company maximum income ta.x to 5s in tlio pound, but Air Alassey, while admitting that excessive ‘taxation was retarding enterprise, crippling industry and aggravating the financial stringency, said lie could not in the meantime give the companies the relief to which they clearly were entitled. If the reduction suggested by Air AfitclieU were made, the Prime Minister said, the taxation of people with incomes between £3OO and £2,(MX) a year would have to be doubled. Dr Newman, who is retiring from polities this year, seemed to have a hotter grasp of the technicalities of the subject than had most of the

I other speakers, but the overwhelming majority behind the ' Government easily gave Mr Alassev his own >vtty. PUBLIC WORKS 'STATEMENT. The Public Works Statement and Estimates preffnted in the House hut night are judged mainly according to the party leanings of the critics. The estimated expenditure for the year is £4,967,223, some £BOO.OOO less (than the Amount "expended lilst year, and it is generally admitted that the money has been distributed in a fashion that will do no harm to the Government’s election prospects. Thei “Dominion” this morning regrets that the Minister has not seen his way to push on the Hiley policy, which included the provision of adequate railway station accommodation at Wellington, and does not hold the Government blameless in he matter. “The war, of course, was responsible for inevitable delay,” it says, referring to this and other pressing needs, “but it stems to be beyond excuse that these works should still bo proceeding at a snail’s pace. The effect is to lower the efficiency of the railways in existing conditions, and to make it impossible that they should deal economically with the increased volume of traffic which will offer as times improve.” The morning journal speaks with the candour which belongs to the big battalions.