WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 June 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE NEW MINISTER. MR BOLLARD. [Special To The Guardian.] WELLINGTON, June 22 Tlie usually well-informed authorities were right in their prediction and on Wednesday il was duly announced that Mr R. Bollard, the member for Raglan, had been selected to fill the vacancy in the Cabinet occasioned by Mr Lee’s loss of his seat at the general election. Mr Bollard lias been senior Reform Whip for some years, discharging the duties of the office with rare courtesy and judgment, and he has assumed office with a good working knowledge of tactics and ot men. As a speaker he has not occupied niiieli of the time of the House, indeed there are fairly regular visitors to the galleries who never have heard him litter a word, but when he has anything to say he says it concisely tnd impressively. His ability as an adliitlist rat or as well as Dis ability ns a lebater, remains to he revealed. Tint ie has had mueli experience on local Killies ami oil committees of the House, vliere his shrewd common-sense has

won the warm appreciation ol his eol leagues. Dor the rest, he has (ho dig tinction of having sat in the lloltst with his own father and lie enjoys ; wide personal popularity quite irrespec live of party. PURI DYING POLITICS. The Hon J. A. Hamm is suspected of making a jest of a very serious business. He has obtained leave to introduce a Hill, styled the Election of Ministers and Party Reform Hill, which in addition to providing for an Elective Executive seeks in prevent .Ministers of the Crown, between I lie issue of a writ for an election and the election itself, making any offer nr promise to procure public money, loan, subsidy or grant, for any public work in order to induce any elector to vote for tho return of a modulate. The proposal, of course, has been suggested by the allegations of lavish promises distributed by .Mr Massey and and other Ministers during the Tauraiiga and Oaniaru by-elerl imi campaigns, but whether or not Mr 11 ilium wishes to be taken seriously is not quite so plain. From time immemorial Ministers have been in the habit of telling Hie constituencies what tlic,\ will do for them if they are maintained in ofliee and politicians on the other side have bid for support in much the same fashion. Hut Mr Massey certainly did seem to rather overdo this sort of tiling in the recent campaigns and a legislative enactment on the subject might help the way to reform all room]. FARM HR si’ FINANCE. Whatever may be the ultimate fate of Mr W. J. Poison’s agricultural bank mvpus-d. it- mil her and Us allies of the Danners' Union will be able to take considerable credit to themselves for having forced the Prime .Minister’s

band in extending the operations of the Advances to Settlers’ Department. It would lie irrelevant and a little ungenerous at this time of day to recall Mr Mas-v's vigorous opposition to Sir Joseph Ward’s “cheap money’’ scheme of twenty-five years ago troni which Hie Depart m uii lias grown to its present huge dimensions: hut. it is fair to snv that since Mr Poison commenced his persistent agitation the Minister’s interest in farmers’ finance has very innierialU quickened. This being the ease •i is for Mr Poison and hi- friends i r > i (insider whether they would not lie better advi-' d in urging the Government add to the Alliances Department an auric i! 11 are 1 bank rather than in pre-.s----:i: ■: the demand h,r ail institution of their own with a Stale guarantee, s'evernl leading bankers have expressed themselves ns favourable to sicdi an arrangement, which would bear a much closer resemblance to the American nud European systems .Mr Pol-on has been quoting with approval than would the bank lie lias proposed himself. ADDRESS IN REPLY. The debate on the Addross-in-Tloply is proceeding by such easy stage- that one might easily assume Mr .Massey is m no hurry to get away to the Imperial Conference, lie eerininly is keeping his word no! to drive the Flou-c. Mr .J. 0. liollestioi. the member for Wniiomo, and a son of the lion William Rolleslon, one of the big figures oi New Zealand's parliamentary history, opened tin- debate with a very admirable little speech, lie lias not the presence of his distinguished father nor, of course, liis experience ; but lie speaks much more fliiemiv and the House always will lie glad to bear him. Mr MacMillan, the new inemher for Tauraiiga. also did well iii seconding the formal motion. He makes no pretension to being an orator, hut he is an authority on rural topics and does not venture beyond his limitations. Mr Wilford was in quite his Lest form, and, though he attempted to cover ratlfer too milch ground, lie made most of his points well. The lion C. J. Parr, the Minister of Education, who was deputed to reply to the leader of the Opposition, did not score heavily, but Mr IL E. Holland, the leader of the Labour Party, striking a rather lighter note than usual, kept the Government side of the House awake the whole of the time lie was on his feet. The end of the debate is not yet in sight.