WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 November 1922, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

The last days. ACTION ANii I^ClbfeNt. SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. WELLINGTON, Oct, 30. The closing days of a session of Parliament always are full of action and incident, ns the dramatic critics say of a popular play, and the closing days of the last session of the present Parliament are proving no exception to the rule. Mr Massey, following the example of his predecessors in office, has reserved some of his most important legislation for the time when members are itching to get track tb their ii'Vti homes and their constituencies, and are disinclined to offer any fatuous opposition to ministerial proposals. But a rumour piit about at the end of last week to the effect that the Government would introduce in the expiring hours of the session a Bill providing for substantial .inonetarv assistance being given to the embarrassed co-oper-ative concerns has stirred the financial and business people into loud protest, and it looks at the moment as if Parliament this year will .be. mu.eh more critical .of tho. belated .legislation thaii it would have been without this demonstration. “WITHOUT FOUNDATION,”

The rumour that the Prime Minister intended to bring down legislation authorising the Government to give financial assistance to the embarrassed co-operative associations was mentioned by Mr 1?. A. Wright immediately the House met on Saturday. The member, for Wellington Suburbs wanted to know if the Prime Minister was aware that a storin Of indignation Was brew* j n ,r in tile large centres as a result of the rumour. Mr Massey replied pr tnptlv, ami with considerable emphasis that the statements which were being circulated were.. without the slightest foundation. There was fio suggestion of equivocation .in the Minister’s words, and they evidently were intended to settle the matter out. of hand. But the financial and . business communities are not vet wholly satisfied. Individuals declare that their information came from a . perfectly reliable source, and they still fear that if the assistaiice is not- giveh in one way it will be given in another. They fire To king with some suspicion upon Mr Massey’s proposal to extend the operations of the Advances to Settlers Act, hut whatever Parliament does in the matter now it will do with its eyes open.

• [The statement here mentioned deepens the mystery. There must have been a good smoke cloud to arrest the public attention the report did originallv in Wellington. It is interesting to record also that a gentleman who returned to Hokitika from Wellington on Saturday night indicated that the re )>o rt current, and communicated by our correspondent, wils a fact, ns the local informant had conversed.with a minister of the Crown in Wellington, who confirmed the general statement. Evidently the news got out prematurely, and the resultant criticism from commercial and business men caused Mr Massey to review or even recall tlie proposals, which first excited adversely (he public interest. —Ed. G.'J FARMERS’ BANKS. Th • Rural Credit Association Bill, the measure designed to create the Agricultural Banks demanded by the Dominion Executive of the Farmers Union, was up for its second reading oil Saturday night, and afiorded the humourists of the House many opportunities lor flippant comments. Mr Massey enumerated many advantages to he obtained by the farmers from the passage of tl e Bill, ami had no difficulty in carrying it through all its remaining stages in the House. The leader of the Opposition, while favouring all possible assistance being given to farmers, could not see or.O single benefit they would obtain from the measure. To this the Prime Minister made a significant reply. “Within a fortnight.” lie said, “we shall he lending money lo small farmers in sums not exceeding £509. The arrangements are made and the money is there. Whether the money is to come from the Advances to Settlers’ Department or from some other source was not mentioned. It is very unlikely to come from the Rural Credit Associations. THE THUNDERING PRESS. The local morning papers have only passing allusions to the political happenings of the week-end. “Cheaper 'money, as foreshadowed by the Prime Minister on Saturday will be,” the “Dominion” says, “welcome news in many quarters. Mr Massey anticipates flint New Zealand's next loan will he raised on even liettor -terms than the hist 5 per cent loan. It sounds rather optimistic at the moment to look forward to raising the money at H per cent-- but presumably the Finance Minister is not speaking without knowledge of the prospects. At the moment money is plentiful in Condon, and no doubt the hanks would he glad to see some of it transferred to New Zealand. The estimation that the hank overdraft rate in the Dominion is to he reduced by one-half per cent as from the beginning of the coming New \ear, is a hopeful sign of easier conditions ahead.” The “Times” in its editorial columns ignores the politicians and their doings altogether.