WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 January 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE POLITICAL POSITION. REFORM AND LABOUR-. SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. WELL INC! TON. Jan. 19 The exchange of telegrams between the leader of tlm Labour Party and the Prime .Minister has thrown little new light upon tlte political situation. The desire of Air Holland and his colleagues in the new House “to enter the strongest possible protest against the delay in calling Parliament together’’ has not greatly impressed the public here, and Air Massey’s contention that the result of the recent general election constituted a vote of noeoiilidenee in the Socialistic Labour Party, not in the Government, is regarded as scarcely conclusive. Of course there is precedent for Lite Prime Minister retaining office till the new floti.-e lias interpreted the meaning of the recent election for itself. In Fill Sir Joseph Ward came hack from the constituencies with no assured majority at his hack and with the final decision resting with the half dozen members then < ntistii ui mg the Labour Party. He called parliament together earlier than Mr Massey proposes to do, but then there were no election petitions impending and no prospect of the relative strength of the two main parties being altered. Subsequent events suggested that Sir Joseph would have fared better had he resigned forthwith, hut they did not impugn the proprictv of the course he adopted. IN' SUSPENSE. What will be -Mr Massev’- Late in similar circumstances is the subject ol much -pci-nUtton. Then’ are numbers of his political friend- who think that as a purely tactical move the Prime Minister would have done belter had he resigned on the result ol the election being definitely ascertained, and so east it in the Liberals and the Labourites the In-k of showing their ability to carry on the affairs ol the -ouniry. Neither Mr Wilford nor Air Holland, these people me in tain. could have formed a Government that would have commanded the confidence of iiie House and in the end the Gover-nor-General would have had to turn to Ml Massey to extricate the country from it- troubles. The objection to thi- -elution of Ike diflietihv was that a mere make-shift Government. dimmed to defeat directly the House met, might have delayed the melding of Parliament, for two or three months end tl.u gravely impaired the efiieicitce of the administrative machine. !|, :i*'i #? i 1 ;Jl to Ihi- Ml MlssCV lllav have feared that 11><• I 'berals mid the Labourites being brought into close! association might have reached an arrangement that would have enabled 1 hem in present a united front to Hi' Reform Opposition. Mr Deorge Mitchell. Hie ex-member

t ( ,r Wellington South, whose temporary exclusion from Parliament seems to I,in no way lessened hi- publi activities, presented to the Central Progress League at its meeting mi

Wcdiiesdn v evening a report upon New Zealand industries which .emphasised -ti'oiiglv the need I 1 ’!' a revision ol the incidence of taxation. “The incidence id taxation, whereby ivc tax industry instead of taxing wealth.” a paragraph in his report ran, “makes it impossible for New- Zealand to compete with countries where a more jied incidence of iaxation obtains.'' Mr Mitchell look ihe ease n> Victoria for the pur-

oiis,, of illustration eli-l -bowed Hint while manufacturers in Hull Stale paid .:i!l v Is in the pound company tax to 11 -Nate and 2s S,l to the federal Government on individual profit only, lie. manufacturers in New Zcnjaml. operating oil a large seal- 1 , paid , "I in the pound even after the considerable reduction made la l year. One ol

the re.-alls of the different palmy ill the two countries wu- -ecu i'l the luet i hat. while rustmlia laid exported

1)7.2.71,000 worth of wool tops in livi years. New Zealand had been nimbi.: lo even star! the industry. TELEPHONE ( HARGES.

The l’osiinaster-tienerars invitation ; () id 1., public to evpres. an opinion upon Ills proposed new system of telephone eh a rues has not laiien upon 'imu or unheeding ears so far a - tic business men of Use city are eiiiieeniod. These genllomon are praeiieidl- umim- :■ 11 : 11 s. iii doimneriii" the .Minister s proposals ami m predictilly; that the ne'v charges wi!i produce le.-.s revenue

• al!’.e : than more. ••The (o.verninent" one of them declared tlii ■ morning, ‘•seems to he obsessed by the notion find wla'ii revenue from any -endec is

falling off the only way to restore it is io raise the charges. I; already has lost numv thousands of pounds through this delusion and apparently it is bent ,m I.>•■ il’e tlmU'-ands more. The inimitable result, as far as the cities are affected. will be the use of fewer telephones. liusiness people "ill makeshift with one or two in place of the ininikt*r tlu*y *■ ro usiiiji now, the public as well as ihe business community " ill he inconvenienced. thiis tlie liusiness view. The private r.-er has not vet mastered the details o! the .Minister’s sebeme.