The Guardian (And Evening star,with which is in-Corporate the west coast Times.) FRIDAY, AUGUST 24th. 1923

Hokitika Guardian, 24 August 1923, Page 2

The Guardian (And Evening star,with which is inCorporate the west coast Times.) FRIDAY, AUGUST 24th. 1923

THE POLITICAL TREND. The Prime Mi ninter in his haste to depart from those shores on Tuesday next is rushing the business of the country. Important Dills are being disposed of daily. Mr Massey is doing a good deal to redeem his promise to reduce taxation, but fresh borrowing measures are on the horizon. There i.? much comment, on the proposals to reduce taxation jin certain quarters. There has been an all-round pinch by the heavy impost put upon rbo people, much of which was nominally for war purposes, but which is being continued' plainly for ordinary revenue purposes. The general legislation is being cur-, tailed. This applies particularly toj electoral reform. It has l>oen found, necessary also to defer the reform? promised in regard to licensing legislation. The gaming legislation hae 'hi.- n brought down, but will as expected have a stormy passage. It will not be made a party measure so that the opponents are out for a stonewall to block the passing of the legislation. .Mr Massey has been promising the legislation for so long, that- he might well have had it before the House earlier. As a means of removing an inequitable position the legislation is in many cases very necessary. As regards the rush nature -of the legislation in the dying hours of the present session, the Ijyttelton Times remarks that if it were not familiar with the nature of the Government it should have been surprised at- the folly of introducing gaming legislation in the last week of a session so drastically curtailed that enormously larger matters have 1 been postponed till next session. The’ Government has decided that without Mr Massey it is incompetent to carry

on the work of legislation, and there is now a feverish haste to get through before the Tahiti carries Air Massey ' ''a., from Wellington next Tuesday, men discussion of the report of a Select Committee on the Dairy Export ontiol Bill was discouraged, the Prime ■Minister having urged that Parliament should take a vote and see where it .stands. Anything in the way of deliberation is rogntded by the Government us an offence. 'Hie House wj]; be expected to swalh w the Public Works Statement- and Estimates without a. word of comment. Snell remaining Bills as the Government is practically compelled to place on the Statute Book will be rushed through both Houses at break-neck speed—and whel> *'l is done- there will be postponed till nox'i session such' Vitally important proposals as those dealing with the electoral and licensing laws. Both of these are urgent- matters. 'Electoral reform is urgent because the existing law is archaic and because a couple of by-elections might at any moment, cre-

ate the need for a general election. Refoim of the licensing law has long • been regarded as essential, and the postponement of this is not only unfair to the people as a whole, but unjust to people engaged in a trade and industry whose future conditions arc held in suspense. But Mr Massey is master of the situation, and as lie pul is the strings so Parliament must dance. The present situation is .something more than * one man Ministry, it- is a one man Parliament. When Mr Massey is not there to load, all practical work must cease and await his return from London.