WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 November 1922, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

PARLIAMENT PROROGUES. DISSOLUTION AT HAND. SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. W ELI jLMjI TON, Nov 1. The last session of tho present Parliament closed shortly before 11 o’clock last night and members of the House of Representatives who had not already hied themselves away to their constituencies forthwith set about speeding their departure. The “Evening Post” trying honestly to hold the balance fairly between the contending payties, spares little praise for either of them upon their expiring efforts. It complains that the session has been unnecessarily long and that its record I of constructive work is not in proportion to its length. “The report of the Taxation Committee,” it says, “gave members ample scope for argument, but they chose to be blind to these possibilites. If ever there were proof of the need of men of sound financial criticism that proof was given in. the j Budget debate.” The evening journal ! has little praise for either of the par- j ties and distributes the blame for a fruitless session with admirable impartiality. “If opposition members talked too much on trifles,” it sums up, “the Government failed to check the talk by producing its important measures.” And so both parties may go to the constituencies feeling they have not satisfied the critics. PRIME MINISTER’S MANIFESTO. The Pririie Minister lias stolen a ! march upon the leader of the Opposition in more ways than one. He has not only anticipated the production of | the Liberal-Labour policy, but lie rilso lias got in firs-t with every conceivable < promise a party leader can make to ; the electors. Air Massey’s manifesto is unique in this direction. It contains a profusion of promises—a 9 made, no doubt, in good faith—which puts into the shade all previous records of the kind. Air S°ddon was not in the habit of keeping the public in ignorance of bis good intentions on the eve of a general election, but he never spread before them anything like the bounteous feast Air Massey has prepared. The country, it seems, has lieen misunderstanding the Prime Alinister’s appeal for economy. There, is to lie careful and economical administration. but economy is not to le pushed to tiie point where it would prevent the building of roads or bridges or railways or deprive people of employment or prevent them enjoying all the luxuries of modern civilisation. Economy, in fact, is made j quite a pleasant experience in this new evangel: THE LIBERAL-LABOUR POLICY. The leader of the Opposition presented the belated Liberal-Labour, policy in h speech at Petone hist night, mill though it was necessarily less pi‘ofnse in promises of material, advantages than was the Prime -Minister's manifesto, it was a clear-cut definition of the party’s aspirations. Presl.mnlily t lie text of the policy has been published throughout the country and as a fitting addendum a summary of Air AVilford's peroration may be quoted here. The trouble with Parliament to-day, the Liberal leader said, was that the Government had a large and flabby majority, and that the Opposition, though strong in debate, was .too weak in numbers. There was no principle running through the legislation of Reform but the principle of keeping in office. The promises of 1911 had never been fulfilled. How hard the Reformers were to pin down was shown l»y the fact that one statement was made one day at Pukckohe and another day a contrary statement was made somewhere else. No political zigzaggns in New Zealand hud ever been more adroit, but the Prime Afiilistei was the “whole show," and the rest was atmosphere. He hoped that at the elections the Liberal axe would be laid to the root of many Reform tries. PARTY PROSPECTS. Now that tiie respective leaders have submitted their policies to the country the election acnipaigii may he expected Li proceed apace. Air Alassey starts cut with the initial advantage always enjoyed by the man in possession and to this is added a. wide-spread and welldeserved personal popularity. Air AY I I- x ford, however, has on his side youth combined with lengthy parliamentary experience, a clear slate as far as independent administration is concerned, more platform talent than is available on the other side and an abounding stock of the optimism which inevitably helps towards success. In popular language it is substantial odds cn the Reformers winning under the existing system of election, but it is unlikely they will receive a majority ol the votes cast. It is doubtful if either the Liberals or the Labourites will poll so heavilv as they did three years ago, but the transfer' of fifty thousand of their votes to Reform still would leave them with a numerical lead. ,