WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 April 1925, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS

MIGRATION. POPULATION AND DEVELOPMENT. (Special to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON, April 13. 'Flic migration arrangement just concluded between the Imperial Government and the Commonwealth Government, by which the Mother Country will advance at a very low rate of interest some twenty or thirty millions to the Australian States for development works, with the proviso that the States will open wide their doors to English immigrants, is being variously canvassed here. It is generally agreed that New Zealand stands sorely in need of more population—of more hands to bring into profitable occupation its waste places and more broad shoulders to assist in bearing its huge burden of debt—but there are wide differences of opinion as to whether it would he wise for the Dominion to join in a scheme which inevitably would deprive it of some of the safeguards it has provided for itself against the admission of unfit and undesirable people. It is argued at one extreme that the British authorities would exercise at least as much care in this respect as the Dominion authorities are exercising at the present time, and at the other that the Home Country is anxious to get rid only of such people as cannot 1,0 turned to good account within its own borders. Probably the truth lies somewhere between these two assertions. but promiscuous immigration is not a popular proposition in New Zealand iust now and the politicians are not likely to bo far ahead of public opinion. AVitli a general election in sight they arc playing for safety with even more circumspection than they nsuallv do.

THE FINANCIAL ADVISER. The appointment of Colonel J. J. E s_ son, the retiring Secretary of the 1 rensurv, to the newly created position ol Financial Adviser to the Government, while regarded as a high and -well-de-served compliment to the Colonel himself, is taken as a frank admission on the part of the Government that the supervision of public accounts has become too big a job for the layman who finds himself by a turn of the political wheel saddled with the portfolio of Finance. The magnitude of the task has enormously increased during the last decade, and both Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward would admit that during that period, in the capacity of Minister of Finance, they were deeply indebted to Colonel Esson for information, suggestions and guidance. The Colonel, though comparatively only a voting man as veterans in the public service go, has been anxious to retire for some time past, having found his responsibilities too "heavy to he borne indefinitely, but his successor could not be expected to take up the burden where lie laid it down, and his elevation to the office of adviser was the compromise between his own wishes and the necessities of the Government. The office must he a permanent one and the public must accept the fact that the finances of the country are largely controlled by an expert outside of Parliament. Sir Joseph Ward and Mr Massey may have managed to keep a hold of details themselves, but the average layman could not be expected to do so. TOTALISATOR LICENSES. Where racing men have congregated during ihe holidays there have been many comimml-s upon the determiiin tion ~| the Minister of Internal Adairs to over-ride the authority ol the Racing Conference by “loaning’ the totalizator licenses not, required this season bv the Waipapaknuri. Waiapu, Wainmrino and Motueka Clubs, to which they had been allotted by the Minister himself, to the Wavorley Levin, Taiiinarunui and Waipa lJu >s. The nimulnr sentiment, for what it is worth, "probably is with the Minister, but racing me,, and regular followers of the snort realise that Mr Bollard ,s takim- a grave responsibility upon himself in superseding the Racing Conference and the Rules of Racing m this matter The Conference has done a. vast amount of I work in the interests of the public, as well as ,n the interests of the sport, by purging racing of many of Urn evils by wh.cl. it was beset before mis controlling bml> came into existence. When the s,ior was solely under political coiitiol- . " Unit is what the conditions amounted to at. that time -all sorts of abuses were ran,mint and racing was on tm wav to acquiring an evil reputation throughout the country. Kierione knows that the Minister does not wish to revive that undesirable state ol M fairs; but people bettor ae<|Uain than he is with the lnels lent thjt this Hunting of the authority oi Conference may be attendee by vo>> deplorable consequences. It this i. settled policy of the Government, Un Conference may think it ' review its own position m “'gaid the sport.