WELLINGTON NOTES,

Hokitika Guardian, 12 October 1923, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES,

THE SESSION OF PARLIAMENT. PRIME MINISTER'S REVIEW. [Srixi.vr. To Tiik Ouajioiax.] WELLINGTON. October 8. Rorhaps the most impressive part of the Prime -Minister’s review of the reecru session of Parliament. lonvarded Irom Ratatonga. when the Dominion's reprcselittilive at the T ni].i-fit»l Conference was well on his way to London, is the frank aeknoivledgment in its last paragraph ot tlie handsome behaviour

of th,. Opposition in very tiyin.tr cireiinistni'.eos. ‘T ant glad to admit,” .Mr .Masseys says. ‘ that there was a genornl desire on the part of most of the menthol's to facilitate the consideration of business, and to enable the session to be brought to a ele-e in time for me to take my departure from tln> Dominion for the purpose ol topresenting New Zealand at the Imperial Conference.” The members of the Opposition not merely restrained their own inclination to prolong debates, but they actually cleared the way for Government measures they regarded with no favour. This was notably the case with the Dairy Produce Control Bill, which never would have returned to the House had its opponents blocked the

presentation of the Committee’s report. Their restraint was a piece ol chivalry -Mr Massey has done well to recognise in generous terms. The mor,.

frequent suspension of the asperities ot party politics would do much to raise the tone of Parliament. ACHIEVEMENTS OK THE SESSION.

Air M issey is entitled to congratulate himself and the country upon the quantity of work done during the recent session. The quality of much of it .still Ims to he proved, and this will ha a matter of time; but it is safe to say tlmr in two months the House, without any abnormal haste or pressure. did as much as it had been accustomed lo do in four. Hero again the Opposition can share with the Government the credit for the adoption of saner ways. Had the debate on the Ad-dress-iii-Eeply been cut out—and many people think this could he done with advantage to the country—the length of the session would have been still further reduced, or, in the alternative, the House could have dealt with some of ilm matters the Prime Minister says ho was compelled to hold over. Air Massey thinks another month could have been profitably occupied, bad time allowed, but the public will not he inclined to litid fault with the np]onranee of a somewhat attenuated Statute Book. The critics are beginning to suspect, indeed, that the business of law-making is being a little overdone and that a “go-slow” policy in this branch of Parliament’s activities would do no harm. RKDITTIOX OP TAXATION. Business men are reminded by the Prime Minister’s allusion to the reduction of taxation that they have a gtievame against, ihe Government on this score. Mr Massey stated in interviews and I'l'oin tin, pl'ui'oiia long before the production of his Budget that he expected to he able to redtlte the maximum income tax from 7s Id in the pound to ,M. This would have been | approximately a reduction of 33 jor j cent; hut. when the Budget made its ! appearance in the House it was found that the reduction was no more than lit) per cent. Tli 0 truth, of the matter is. ol course, that a huge pari of the savings in expenditure, which were to

j have made the reduction in the tax possible, had turned out to he cult paper savings and tlou the .Minister's financial advisers set their fate steadfastly against any further reduction than 20 per cent. Tile business men declare that they arc not aggiievod on their own account, since they will continue to pass the taxation on. but that they regret the continuance of an excessive impost which has proved a grievous restraint upon trade. WHEN .MIL .Mas’SKY RK’ITRNs. til his review oi' the work of the session .Mr Massey makes no allusion to parties, further than to acknowledge the courtesy of the Opposition, hut there is a persistent rumour r.float that before leaving for London he enjoined his political friends to he toady for a general election in Attgu-t or Septeml or of next year. The gossips elaborating this story say that the I’timc .Minister has admitted to his own party that it is impossible for hint in carry mi with his pressing, slender and uncertain majority. He occupies the Treasury Benches by the grace of three disgruntled Liberals, who are pledged not to support Reform. hut to oppose Labour. Added to this is the story that .Mr Massey has decided to retire from public lilt* when the present Parliament dissolves, whether at the end of its term or earlier. To this story, which was current before his departure. Air AI assay has given no definite contradiction. hut his assurance that he does not intend to accept any preferment at Hume seems to suggest that while his his health will allow, his services will he at the disposal of New Zealand. aiaterxity ho.mes. BOARD OF HEALTH REPORT. WELLINGTON. October ](). Some time go a committee consisting of the professional members of the Board of Health was appointed to report upon the equipment and administration of the private mate,! nitv homes in the Dominion. Various representations had been made to members i t the Board on the anil they were anxious to obtain firsthand knowledge of the l'ai tx. The committee's report is now available. It contains nothing that is sensational and very little that is disquieting, but it makes n number of suggestions and lorommet'idiUions which doubtless will tarry weight with the authorities. First of all the committee stnmgi.v urges that hemes receiving only one patient at a time should lo licensed and subject to inspection. Apparently there are a considerable number of homes ot this doseription. most of them in the country districts, and the

committee thinks it highly desirable they should be brought under effective supervision. Then it suggests that the standard of qualification required of maternity nurses should bo raised, that Private midwifery wards .should b 0 established for paying patients in suitable institutions and that the adequate furnishing and staffing of all maternity homes should lie insisted upon. The officers of the Health Department are now giving consideration to the recommendations. DAYLIGHT TRAINS. During the recent session of Parliament, ATr F. Langstonc, urged upon the Alinister of Railways that in order in minimse the risk of accidents a daylight train service should be instituted between Wellington and Auckland. I’ite Hon. .T. G. Coates, has now replied to the member for AA'nimarino by reciting a few of the facts which make such a service impracticable. Iu timing the through express trains, the Minister explains, it is necessary to take into account the connections with interisland and overseas steamers, the convenience of a large number ol people who prefer travelling by night, the speedy delivery of mails, the running of the branch lines and a score of other details that cannot ho ignored. Bait of the journey between AYelliiigton and Auckland necessarily would he made in the dark in any ease, and experiem e had shown that rail travelling at night was no more perilous than travelling by day. Night running is much more costlv than day running and on this account alon,. the Department would be glad to discontinue night trains if it could do so without inflicting inconvenience and even hardship on many people. But on such a journey as Unit between AVellington and Auckland it canm ( Wellington and Auckland it cannot and therefore the present arrangement will have to continue. .MINISTER AND ASSOCIATIONThe Alinister of .Education, with all his good intentions, has an unhappy knack of brushing tip the wrong way some ot ihe voluntary workers in the public interests. An instance of this was provided at the meeting ol the AVellington School Committee's Association on Monday evening. A letter.was read from the Alinister stating that he was not prepared to hear the. Association on some matter in dispute. Th,. (uni man of the Association took Air Pan to task severely. According to t 1 • newspaper reports this gentleman do dared, the Minister had said that he was willing to hear the views of the

school committees, yet at the same time a letter was in Ihe post saying he did not desire to hear their opinions again. Before to-day the Alinister had had to how to public opinion, and grant requirements which may not have been palatable to himself, ft was a rathe!' dogmatic attitude to take up to say he did not wish to hear their opinion again, and that AVollingtr.n only represented one section. That was pure bluff. What affected them affected other sections, and, although the Alinister would not receive a deputation from the association. he had to give in to things which they had been hammering for for a- considerable time, one of which was with regard to subsidies. He could not block public opinion the whole time. The Alinister's letter was ‘received’ in cold silence. THE CONTRACT SYSTEM.

Belated replies to question put to the Minister during the recent session i f Parliament continue to com,, to light. Due of the latest to appear deals with Air W. 11. Fields' inquiry a* to whether, seeing the pressing need for railway .subways and overhead bridges, the Alinister won II have I live works !,-( by contract. The Hon. .1. (.'. Coates Inis now replied as follows : “The | revision of subways and overhead hi idges necessarily involves passing under or over the railway. The construction of Mich works is hound up with the alliinpoi'tant question of public safely, the responsibility for which rests entirely on the Railway Department, whirh must see that adequate prorbion is made for the protoi lion of trains and the carrying out of th,, corks to lio undertaken in a manner that will not obstruct or in any way interfere with the safe working of the traffic. Subject to the ie:-(fictions necessary to safeguard these responsibilities. T will he plcii't'il to take the honourable gentleman's question into m careful cotisiderriion.” The opponents of the contrail system sc,, in iiii' ■statement an admission of iis weak-