WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 June 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

A GREAT (.'AAIE. ADVANTAGES AND DISADVANTAGES. [Special To The Guardian.] WELLINGTON, June 20 Air J. C. Roileston, the member for AVaitomo, who moved the Address-in-Reply in the House of Representatives yesterday, has tile advantage anti the disadvantage of hearing a name which his father made great in the public life of this country many years ago. William Roileston, first as Superintendent of Canterbury in the old provincial days, and then as a progressive Alinister of Lands in successive Governments, did more for promotion and development of settlement in New Zealand than any of his predecessors ever hnd attempted- M.ore than this may ho said for hi* vision, his connive on cl his achievement. It was largely due to his creation of a robust public opinion oil this subject that John Ballance, John MaeKenzie and Richard Seddon found the constituencies so well disposed towards the revolutionary land policy they introduced some years after fits retirement from office. Nor was he a man of one idea or or one aspiration. Education, industrial enterprise, national progress and humanitarian effort interested hint scarcely less than did the productive occupation of the soil, and to the promotion of them nil he gave freely of his best, llis record is a great heritage to those that follow him and a hard one to repeat. THE E AIR ARGO. The “Evening RoM" though loth to denounce the Oovernmonf\s departures from sound economic principles is quick to detect them, it lias linen told that the potato growers are seeking similar advantages to those conO-rred upon the wheat growers and tho flour millers and it want- to know what Afr Alassey is going to do about Ihe matter. “As only was to lie expected,” it says, “the

Government, having imposed an embargo upon imports of wheat and flour in the interests of one section oi farmers. is now being called upon to impose it on potatoes in the interests of another. The Ashburton Farmers’ Union, according to a Press Association message, resolved unanimously to ask the Government to prohibit imports of po totoes front Australia or elsewhere, until the local price is ill) to CIO per ion.” The “Post” recognises the saving grace of humour in this request to the Government to raise the cost of living in the interests of the holders oi potatoes, hut it is obviously uneasy lost Hu' Prime .Minister in his concern for the welfare of the eollsi il uents of his colleague the Minister of Agriculture should accede to this cool demand. AD Massey, however, must recognise Ihe necessity of drawing tin** line somewhere and in that ease will not shape li to in, lull" potatoes. THE AGRICULTURAL RANK. The local newspapers are being Mondial ittsL now villi appeals oil behalf of the ngrieultnr.il hank school", ihe intention of their authors, no doubt, being to obtain the sympathy of the members of Parliament who toe expect ed to have ihe fate of the scheme in their keeping shortly. There was a rumour about town during the week to the olicit that. Mr Massey had -o far advanced towards Mr Poison's way ol thinking as to proini-e to a private deputation that he would introduce a Bib on the subject during the present session. There has been no olhrtnl contradiction of this story, but it is behoved in usually wall informed circles that all tlm Prime Minister I,as undertaken to do is to collect information on the subject from the countries that artsaid to have agricultural hanks nf the kind indicated hv Air Poison in successful operation. This sounds a much more probable story and is in no way inconsistent with what Mr Aiassev already has salt! on the subject. Meanwhile the estaliji -lied hanks profess no fear oT being driven cut of business They declare, indeed, thill if the agricultural hunk found it' own capital without leaning on the Government, and paid its fair share of t ixation they would have no objection to its appearance in Ihe field. A PPOIXTM F.XTB.

At the time of writing no official announcement has been made in regard to the appointment of a new Minister and a chairman of committees: lint, it is stated confident Iv about the lobbies that Air Bollard is to sit at the Cabinet tabic and ilia! Mr Dili L to sten into the sitoes left vacant by Air Malcolm. Air Bullard is personally popular ill the 1 louse, as he i!eser,ves to he, and he i' well informed and assiduous in the discharge of hi- duties; but hitherto no one looking down from the galleries has

suspected him of aspiring to the high office to which rumour Ims appointed him. He probably will make as goal a .Minister of the Crown as any of the ot hors from whom Air Alassey might have chosen would have done. If Air 1 si l l It aly is placed in the chair tile political world will t.iarv-d lot' a day m two and then the incident will he forgotten. Easily the besr speaker in tip. House. Air lxitt has contributed much to tile lone and dignity of its proceedings during Die years lie inis contributed to its debates, but whether or not he has the necessary qualities to cniitrcl and direct a sometimes turbulent assemble is a question siiii to he decided.