WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 18 June 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

SPEECH KROM THE THRONE. LONG AXD CONTROVERSIAL. [SrtxiAL To The Guardian.] WELLINGTON, June 15 The "Speech from the Throne” put into the mouth of the Governor-Gen-eral hv His Excellency’s advisers at the opening of Parliament yesterday bears no indication of its authors’ desire to facilitate Mr -Massey's departure for the Imperial Conference. Instead of being brief and concise, as it was expected to bo, it is long and discursive and, in places, suggestive of highly controversial .subjects. It explores the whole field of politics and bints al exploiting a large part of it. There is scarcely a sphere of legislation or a department of administration that is not. mentioned. Rut probably, as was mentioned in the lobbies after the brief sitting yesterday, the purpose of the Government iu presenting such a formidable array of business is to satisfy the country that nothing has been forgotten and so damp much of the Opposition's ammunition. The Prime Minister cannot think of proceeding this session with all the legislation he has catalogued. That would bo a formidable task even if he had three or four months before him for its completion. But next week he doubtless will give the House an idea of what progress he will insist upon making and then it will be' possible to estimate his chances of getting away to London. A NO-CONK I DENCE MOTION.

In the circumstances it was a. little surprising that Mr Willord elected to give notice of his no-emifideneo motion so early in the. session. Of course the motion was discussed tit the Liberal-Labour caucus on the previous day. and it may be supposed that tile caucus having made up its mind the Liberal leader bad no option in the maLter. Viewed from the outside, however, it looks as ii it would have been better tactics, even from the purely jxtfty point ol view, to have awtiited the production of some ol the Government’s controversial measures before moving the opposing forces into action. However this is a matter up on which Mr Willord and his colleagues n lll -1 be the judges and whether or imt they are the best judges ia quest ion scarcely worth di-cussing It is being assumed that Colonel 8011. Mr Isitt, and Mr Witty stand where they did during the short session in regard to their pledges to Mr Massey aml that in a straight-out no-confi-dence motion they will vote with the Government. Put they remain professing Liberals and presumably oil a question involving I..octal ] rinciplcs ihev would not be found subservient followers of the Prime Minister. THE RIVAL LEADERS;.

The "Dominion" this morning makes merry over the eagerness of Mr Willard to get iii before Mr Holland with a no-confidence motion. "Ihe diverting competition between 1 lie leaders of the rival Opposition parties to sc,'ll re first, fling at the Government on this occasion,” it says, "has opened in favour of Mr Willord,” v. ho, it will he recalled, was outwitted last session by Mr Holland. It is somewhat unfortunate that in hi- desire to catch Mr Speaker's eve at the earliest possible moment. Air AA ilTord appears to have drafted the terms of his amendment before he had heard Ihe Speech of His Excellency the Governor-General, of which it is an acknowledgment. Id is perhaps a detail, however, that Afi Wilford's censure ol the Government is based in part oil the assumption that Ministers would fail to make provision for certain legislation which it sn happened had already been recorded in the Governor-General's Speech as being included in the session s programme.” The gibe is a perfectly legitimate one, though the "Dominion" is not quite correct in its recollection of what happened last session. The significant thing about yestoday’s proceedings was the absence of any signs of derision lroin the Government benches when Mr Willord gave notice of his motion. NON-COM MITT A L.

The "New Zealand Times” in these davs is strictly neii-eomm it ial in its expressions of political views and pnrtv predilections, tints filling the role of "Independenee" with becoming dignity. “The Governor General’s Speech,” it says this morning, "is a - remarkable for length as its predecessor earlier in the year was for brevity. But length is not the prominent feature of the Speech. This Speech will be known in history as the first in which the chief prominence was given in (he question of consolidating the Empire on which the situ never sets.” Touching upon Mr Wilford’s motion the “Times” displays the same nice regard for the proprieties. ‘'The leader of the Opposition.” it remarks, ■■has added his contribution to the agenda of the session, in the shape of a direct motion of want of confidence, declaring the need for certain measures of policy not in the GovernorGeneral’s .Speech, and demanding it review of all questions likely to come before ihe Imperial Conference, about which the Speech is silent.” There the local expressions of public opinion end for tbo present, and it must be confessed thov are not very tlliiiuinat-