WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 16 July 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES

THE FINANCIAL DEBATE. LITTLE ANIMATION. [Special To The G carman.] WELLINGTON, July 13 So far the rather tedious debate on the Financial Statement lias heen relieved by few bright patches since Mr Wilford’s promising opening ou Tuesday. Perhaps it followed too closely upon the Address-in-Reply debate to he maintained with much animation. The leader of the Opposition, while speaking exceptionally well, left the Government side of the House with plenty of opportunities for effective retort, but -o far few of them have iicen t iirnc.l to account. Among Mr Wilfnrd’-' friends Mr Sidcy on Wednesday and Mr Masters la-r night both made useful lighting speeches, covering a lot ol ground without any superfluous talking. The lion AY . Noswortl.y, the Minister of Agriculture, made his contribution to the debate last night, and confining himself msiinK- to subjects within the sphere of Ids own depa rl .motif he acquitted himsell verv creditably. The l.ahour memhers have not yet taken any prominent purl in the speech-making, but Mr Holland is to speak his piece this evening aim possibly the end of the debate will he readied before the adjournment. There is a feeling abroad aiming members that it will he "sporting-like” to facilitate the Prime Minister’s departure for the Imperial Conference and this feeling is likely to restrain any ebullition of loquaeitv. MARKET RIGGING.

Though the Minister of Agriculture has not yet made any definite statement in regard to the demand of the Canterbury farmers that the price ol wheat for next year shall be fixed at flu per bushel. and is not likely to do so till the threatened deputation lias wailed upon him, the general opinion in the lobbies is that he will not countenance any advance upon this year’s price. A year ago Mr Xosworthy expressed himsell as delighted that the need for subsidising products of any kind hud ceased and though he subsequently participated in a price fixing arrangement which Imre a certain resemblance In a subsidy, and imposed an embargo upon imports to protect the wheal-growers from outside competition, lie has nut committed himself to an indefinite emitiimanee of the spoon-feeding policy. The wheatgrowers have not strengthened their case with the North Maud consumer-, by associating themselves with the demand of the potato-growers that an embargo shall he placed upon the importation of potatoes while the local price remains below L'lO per lon. ft is felt that ihi- amounts in a conspiracy between the two sets of farmers to extract higher prices from the consumers than would lie justified either by the cost of production or hy the scarcity of (lie commodities. STAND AND DELIVER.

Commenting upon the demand of the Canterbury farmers for the assistance of the Government in obtaining better pi ices for their products, the "Rost” cheerfully acknowledges the candour of the wheat-growers, "There is nothing undecided about the methods adopted by Canterbury wheat farmers to get more for their wheat.” it says. “ATI is open and above hoard, for they plainly told the Government, by resolution passed at Christchurch yesterday, that they wanted tis per bushel or they will not grow wheat.” But the local imtrnal can find no reason for the limners’ demand, or. indeed for ilioir threat. The priee in London, it points out, is (is to (is (id a bushel with freight, insurance, commissions, handling and other charges paid. The la I est quotation' received from South Australia are Is Oil per bushel on trucks at Boil Adelaide and os pet bushel 1.0. h. tor shipment. But the important point made by the ‘'Post” is tlmt the subsidy, the duty, and the embargo have not assured lhe lhe

minion a regular supply of wheal, year by year, from its own producers. The I w o-poiin<l loaf i- now as dear in New Zealand as il is in England and '2~i per cent dearer than it is in Australia. Willi the demand of the Canterbury farmers conceded il would soul still higher. NAVAI, 15 AS K. Air W. J. Girling, the new member for AVairatl. who ha- quickly accommodated himself to the parliament nry roitliiK l and made himself heard in tho I louse, is keeping an e.vi- on the aspirations of his constimoney us well as upon the needs of the Empire, and upon all that lies between, lie has a question on the Order Paper reminding the Prime Minister of the suitability of Pieton as a base for such portion of the Imperial Navy as may he entrusted with the defence u! the Dominion. This is a subject on which Mr Online talks eloquently and |htsuasivelv and with all the assurance of confident youth. He readily recognises the claims of Singapore as thV’key to (he Pacific, and he does not quarrel with tho Prime Minister’s proposal to erect an oil-fuel tank at Devonporl in Auckland harbour: hut he insist- that as a base for the New Zealand squadron no other port can oiler such conveniences as does Pieton. He is lortunate in having the testimony of a high naval authority to this elTcel. and with 'Wellington and the whole of the South Island to hack up his view lie will he hound to obtain a hearing when the matter comes up for serious discussion. It clearly is a question that should he decided by tho naval experts and not by the politicians.