WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 22 February 1924, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

i’C'LITJCAL J'AKTLES AT HOME. A A'JSITOR’S VIEW. [Special To The Guardian.] WELLINGTON. February 20. Speaking at the Rotary Club’s weekly luncheon yesterday. Sir Edwin Cornwell. a passing visitor with a wide knowledge of Home polities and Home politicians, threw some interesting sidelights upon the parliamentary position in the Old Country. Ho believed, he said, that the right tiling had been done in giving the Labour Party a chance on the Treasury .Benches, though ■r had not a niajoiicy in the House of Commons and could remain in office only so long as it kept within the hounds prescribed by the other parties. Labour in office would satisfy Labour in the country that all the wrongs of Immunity could not he righted by the wave of the Socialist’s hand, and would also reassure I lmse timid people who u.-ul expected revolution, disaster and chaos to fellow upon tile accession of Mr Ramsay MacDonald and his eolleagia s to power. lie always had been convinced that, the Labour Party was just as leva I to the Empire as were the inker parties, and it was well this fact should he demonstrated to the whole world, lie did not expect another general election to coin;' soon. The next de’. "hi', nu-nt, he thought, would he a coalition in which all the parties might h ■ repre-onled. COST OF EDUCATION.

Though the lion. J. Parr is goinjy about the business with more candour 1 1 an tact, his determination to cut di in- superfluous expenditure in the Ft 1 1 cat ion Department is earning him a good, deal of kudos among the ardent ecoiiomisls. Folk who have been keeping a close eye upon the cost of admin Miration during the last year or two point to Education as one of the dej art menu; that have added to their ex-

penditure at a late altogether out o pi. portion to their increased etiicien

e- . They dee!,in- that C 100,000, in addition to any economies for which Mm Prime Minister alieady has taken ei edit. could he cut oil" without impairing the thoroughness of the education system in the slightest degree. The employment of private architects for the deigning of school buildings and the employment of whole time areliileels hv the rations hoards of education have liven, roundly condemned again aid again by high authorities, and the Minister now is only giving expressail’ to the opinions I meed on wide experience and observation. If flic stories I'..- told in Auckland the other day of s.-honl buildings falling to pieces for lack of adequate supervision during i heir erection, are well founded, then the waste of money has been even greater than oilier critics have implied. LETTERS .FROM. HOME. The lor a I papers are waxing eloquent i.\ e- the Prime Minister’s promise that Mie English mail time shall be shorten-

ed h.v three days. “The .subject is of more than jtissing interest,"’ says the

•Tost". ’’lni means o| i.-oni.miiiiiiiition are of the greatest inifioi lance in keeping this count i.v firmly and sympathetically British. Friends, and even member;. of (In- same family, separated by i,real distances, lose touch with each oil ei unless they can exchange visits aid (letters. They grow dd apart, ami have fewer cuncnl. interests in common. Britain and New Zealand c"c both changing slowly with time, but :( they can communicate fully, fiequentI;, . and cheaply with each other chance v ill nut mean estrangement." All this of course, is very picturesque and appealing; hut in the .same issue of the

iMiiiin: journal in which it appears i fieri is a report of an interview between the Secretary of the Post and 'iciogr:iph Department and the vopreM'liiative.s of some of the suburban nr. ns. The Secretary told the deputation th.-u if there wen; to he a substantial .saving to he made liv the leduelion of mail th’liverie.s to one a if.v it would have to lie seriously considered. Country people had only one or two deliveries a week. And yet to expedite the English mail hy three days many thousands a year will he paid. SHORTAGE OF MONEY.

Mr Ala ssey’.s admission at KnTnpoi vcsU'islav that mouev was scarce and

; «ry difficult to obtain has set at r>‘s.t a controversy that lies been going on lane for some time past. When the I'mile Minister returned Irom England I;;.- 1 mouth, he told seveial ol his welcon.iug meetings, quite truly, that New Zealand's credit at Home was exccj - tioimllv mind, hilt that the Dominion

did not want money at tin,* moment and eoidd carry on from its own re.soitncs for quite a time. Alaity peo]vle took this to mean that money really

was plentiful and that the hanks were lust justified in taking a different view ol the situation. But Air Massey s later statement. Ins dissipated the intei pretalion placed on his former words and. tin' public luis to realist' the laid that the country lia.s to go slow ior a ■ kile, and to practice a certain mcasit;-,. ~f economy. The truth has keen revealed none ton casiy. Both private ;m,J public ex] endituie have been ) roveeding merrily during the financial voir now drawing to a close, and Air Massey’s words of warning should have ~ salutary effect all round, with the Government, itsell as well as with pi't\atc- individuals and local bodies.