WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 January 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE POLITICAL PARTIES. SOME SPECULATIONS. SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. AA'ET, LING TON, Jan 5. Tho Prime Minister returned from Auckland on AVcdnesdav, looking all tho lietter for fluoh rest as he had been able to obtain during his brief holiday, and with a cheery, non-committal word for the Press representatives who would have plied him with questions concerning the political situation. 15ut beyond the clieorv word the reporters got very little indeed from the busy , loader. Left to their own resources they framed more or less picturesque j accounts of what was going to happen. 1 colouring thorn ncoording to the party predilections of their papers. “The most obvious fact about the position,” . the “Dominion” man told his readers, i “is that while the present Government | has a respectable chance of obtaining, | sufficient support to maintain itself 011 ! the Treasury Benches without any j coalition, neither of the other parties j bv itself is strong enough to relieve ( it of the cares of olfieo.” The “Post” : man. serving a paper less euthiisiasti- j (•ally Reform, is more cautions. “As yet,” ho says, “there are no definite j indications that the Government will j he able to carry oil.” ibis gentleman is plavirig for safety and so far seems to have achieved his end. THE LIBERAL OPPOSITION.

Mr T. M. Wilfonl still is in the North holiday-making and improving the shining hour by receiving deputations and making neat little speeches for the edification of .the ( lectors at large. Many old hands Here think the l.ilieral lender lias an opportunity to play a very important -part in unravelling the party tangle. Even if Air Massey is aide to convert his minority of four into a majority o£ lour l>\ inducing four members to come across to him from thu other side of the House, lie still, they say .will be in an extremely uncomfortable position. One of his supporters may l>o in the chaii ami two of Ins three Maori votes may not he entirely reliable. In any case a majority o: only three or four, gained by a certain amount of proselytising tv mild give no Government the men--ine of -lability required at the present time. Therefore, these old bands maintain, thu Liberals are in a very favourable position to bargain with the Reformers and to obtain Horn teem concessions for which all sections of the Opposition are contending. A CONSTL PROTEST*!. The Consul for the Republic of China. Al: I, 'Kwang Hong. "'rote, to the “Posi.” lasi, night protesting, as well lie might .against the insults constantly heaped upon Chinese when going about (heir business in the capital city. “Only the day before yesterday.” lie said, alter reciting many i other causes for complaint. “I was mil at Island Bay with my wifi and family. hen three people railed out in i my hearing the most filthy language, j Soi;:m of the milder terms used by those people when addressing the! ' in esc are Chow. Yellow blly. Yellow

guts. Chinkf'o. Cliing Chow. Chow Chow. etc. I myself have had words thrown itt me. and when I have my gate ill the performance of my duties a.s Consul for China. 1 do -o in fear and dread of thr insults whi-li may ho cast at mo before 1 return to my home.” This evil has been growing ever since the beginning: of the war. and the casual observer easily might assume that the police are largely responsible for it s continuance. They appear to make no attempt al all to put a stop to this deplorable developing!! of street blackguardism. THE CHANGING SPIRIT.

The move incuts in South Africa and Australia .for a modification of the policies of the extreme Labour Parties are attracting a good deal of interested ;itteiition here, ’['here has been a growing feeling in local Labour circles for a con-iderahle time past that, the impracticable doctrines put forth by Mr 11. F. Holland and Mr Peter Fraser are seriously retarding, the progress of the party with which these firebrands are associated and that a. change of leadership is its crying need. Both Mr Holland and Mr Fraser have striven to make capital out of the increased representation obtained by Labour in the mv Parliament, but as a matter of fact Labour made practically no progress in the constituencies between the ('lection of 191!) and the election of 1922. At the recent polling its voting strength, in comparison with the other parties, stood just, about, where it was three year s ago. and the increase in the number of seats it secured was due to the less inequitable operation of the present haphazard system of voting. Sooner or later Labour will regain its sober senses, and then it will play its proper part in the management of the aliair.s of the country.