WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 September 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

K AXFTBLY' SHIELD FINAL. AN EXPECTANT CITY. (Special to “<iuardi*ji”.) WELLINGTON, September A. Tho Ratifurly Shield match I idwee 11 I lau kes Hay and Wellington to he idayi'd here on Saturday to decide the Rugby chnmpiotiship lor tin* season is overshadowing every other topic ot discussion in the ciipittd city. Politic-.. the weather, the date ot the generti 1 election and the length or brevity ot ladies’ skirts for the time being hold no interest lor anyone that ianyone. Ncpia is more in tin- public eve than the Prime Minister himself and the two Brownlies more than all hr- colleague., nut together. The seats in the ham of a stand, from which the lucky few will watch the match, all were hooked up several days ago and hundreds oi eager applicant*, who thought themselves in good time, are h-ll lamenting. Local syicpathlc- naturally arc wit it the Wellington team, hut local judgment shaped by a close analysis of the form and achievements i f the players on both sides, inclines towards tin 1 chances of the visitors. It is agreed, however, that a close game mav he expected and. happily, Wellington football enthusiasts make up a sporting crowd that likes to see the better team win. Tin* ground still is heavy from a winter's rain, hut a couple of fine davs will improve it immensely. The 11 aw kvs Bay players arc due from Napier to-night and alter that the major part of the city will he given over to the game. THE TENTHK QI'E^TION. The appearance of the Laud lor Settlement Bill in committee in the I foil.so of Representatives on Tuesday night led to an interesting discussion in regard to a nuinher ol problems Fuat have been exercising the minds ol the politicians of the Dominion lor half a century, ns they apparently did the patriarchs of Israel through all the pages of Riblieah history. The Bill is largclv a consolidating measure and in this respect nppears to he an honest attempt lo gather together the legislation scattered over a score or two of ■Salute hooks. But in addition .to its consolidating clauses it contains a provision extending bv live years the period in which a leaseholder may convert his acres into a freehold, and another provision raiding the leaseholder s rate of rental from It to ."> per cent. I lie Labour members, who do not with Emerson regard consistency as "the hobgoblin of little minds.” divided the House on the lirst provision and were soundly defeated by the Reformers and I ihcrals in combination; lull they extracted from, the .Minister of Lands, who was in charge of the Dill, a striking' admission. “If hinders ot leases-in-perpetllity were assured there would he no iiiterlereiiee with their title..." Mr .McLeod said, "then there would l-e very few applications for the freehold." U Seems, t heivlore, that all the hubbub over tenures that has atllieted this coiiutrv for thirtv years

lias arisen from a tear that the State would repudiate its obligation, to it. tenants. WOMEN'S I N I'Ll EN( H. Ali.s Amy Kane, the president of the Women’s National ('mined, who returned from her visit to America this week and at once pnnv -di-d Hamilton, whole the annual lonl'creuce ol the Council i- living held, confirm, all the accounts concerning the progress the women of the Toiled Stale, are leaking in the eidargeiin-ni of tlo-ir sphere of national .service i hit have reached the Dominion I rum time lo time, tbi lie coneiu.iun of 1,.-; attendance at the quinquennia! conlerctioe of I lie International Council of Women in Washington, she eso..*ed to London to lie present at the meeting of ilit- British Council and tumid as cordial -i reception awaiting her there as had been accorded io In r in 1 lie Stales. All tin- generous ho.piiality extended to her Me attributes to tinlact ilmt she came from New Zealand and I<miud herself among large-licnncd people who retained a Very grateful recollection ol the Dominion’, services during lire war and ol it. consisfcnl loyalty. .Mi.s Kano realied in England. a. -he had real; ed in America, that New Zealand women are nm leading the world m lhe elua neipa t ion ol their -e\ lioin the age old traditions which a! one tina- limited lla-ir activities in every direction. Sin- found progress everywhere, and a ready recognition oi women's righl to take a part m Ihe world'- alieir. without renouncing; liny ol their obligations to the holla-. TAXATION. I’cople who were honing lo -re sonic reri.ion ot the incidence ol the income

t:ix during I In' present session of Pnrii;isiu• s l l .iic doomed to <iis: l l>{><>inl llll • nt. ’I lie oflicers of the Taxation Ocj»,irtMicut Mml tlio Treasury I'cpaitnient who Wore directed l>v ,\! i .Mas.sev, in ;o'( j o (];' nee with t lie rei oliiniendu t ions o! tiie I axilt ion Commission of two .wears ago, to ]>rc|i;ir<- certain returns lo assist .M blisters and other nielithers "I Parliament in understanding the situation, have not yet com,|)let£'il flioir task and the end ol tin.* session lerlainly is not more than live weeks away. Put even had it keen otherwise il the necessary figures were available and it Parliament were frerlo sit till the middle of Deeemher—it is plain tlie jiresent Government would

liavi' made no attempt to solve the problem hot;neafhed to it by its former eh'iel. I lie present Prime .Minister hi "’.self has said as mtieh when refer-

‘''l'fC lo his predecessor's mandate from the electors ami his own. and has been perfect !y justified in doing so. The position now i> not iust as .Mr Afassev left it at the end of last session. There is a prowin..; disposition in the country io m< opt the view of the Taxation Commission that the land tax should he abolished altogether and the necessary revenue maintained hy a broadly based income lax eunfurming to tin l principle of equality of saeriiice. This suggests no end of new problems.