WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 October 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

JpND OK SESSION

UI'SH KOI? COXSTHTENCIKS. (.Special lo " Guardian.") WKEUXOTOX, Oeioher j. Parliament "closed down ' -as Lii*:• meid'cnt lobbyists put i! to-day ;! {ll-c olio of tlio wildest, whirls ol legislation that have been witnessed since the Dominion was granted constitutional government. Dunne the present week Iblls have been passed through the house at a rate never known before, and though the Legislative ( oiin,il has exercised a little more deliberation, under tile tactful guidance of its \ci v capable leader, it lias placed its imprimaietir upon the hasty productions of tile Other place with unusual promptitude. In the circumstances, and remembering that lie assumed the Prime Ministership and the consentient leadership of the I louse upon the very eve of a last session rush, the lion. •!. (.. ( nates must be accounted to have i|i,ii,. |,.markable will ill become the lc;;i'laI ive machine running smoothly under exceptional ilidietilt ies. lie had devoted himself so c losely to the needs of lies own departments during I,is prevail!. six veers el oilin', that be really knew le-s of what may be called the teeiiniipie ol political leadership than did several others o; Mr 'Massey’s eol--1,-agues. Km hi- cheery personality, bis refreshing candour and. in a measure, his comparative youth made theit appeal to the parly caucus and respon.ll,ilit v na- tlints! upon him rather ! ban sought. bOVKIIN'.MKNT liV P.I.I'KK. The tairt v caucus lias coed reason to l,e well salislied with its cb.oiee. the vices of the lion. \Y. Downie Slewart not being available, and none ol the other members ol the party siding in

the House Inn ing the -ame qualities of leadership a- the present Prime Milli - ter possesses. Hut Mr l nates sidl has to acquire the genius ol a Seildon or a Massev. and even il lie comes back from the eonsl it tteiieies with his dilbj cult ies lessened by the possession of a detinite majority lie si til will need in inquire some of the force and decision of the great disciplinarian* that preceded him before be <an emulate them In enterprise and nehievemeni. A day or two ago it pot about that be bad made tip Ins mind to put an end to the wrangling between the dairy people over the method ot electing the Ittemhot's of tin' Dairy Produce Control Hoard by legislating deiinitcly lot' the " Ward system '' which would have eivett every dairy district its proper share ot representation. Hut a slmal o| telegrams dispatched to him yesterday by people who held a ilill'erent view ot the question induced bun (u leave the decision to the Parliament about lo be elected and to insert a clause in the Appropriation Mill to that effect. This is government by bluff. phut: ok m TTK.ii. Consumers are ealliup out loudly apnitist tlie recent rise in the price ol butter, and no one seems able to explain to them why the congestion ol butler in the Dominion, owing in the shipping trouble, should increase the cost to them. The " Kvening Post expresses mild sympathy with the complainants. " A fair or even a liberal return to prodiners above cost ot pro duction the public can understand ami will concede." it .-ays. " but it necdenliphteme.'iit on the causes ol tlii-fa-t. advance in the price ol butter. The Dairy Control Hoard deals -ob-ly with the export aspect of I lie industry, and the (love rumen t, it seems, can de net hi up t;i tbemu I ter at pre nit. Hul i; il knew ibis advance was pending it might have counselled determent until export i- resinned. If the new seacon'- liiitter v.el'e ill Loudon to-day. il would be worlh all the local equivalent oi : but it i- -t ill here. ('oie-uniei - ! allied understand. and there -eemnobody in authority to inform them, what i- it- true expert value." Tin I utiet ions of tbe Hoard of Trade, wliieli in wanin'** and for some years altei the war. was supposed to regain G oriees of commodities in counnon use. have l.ceu bambd ov.r to lie- Department of Industries and Commerce, but apparently the new custodian of llie nawiuier.i' inicrests o too deeply on-

grossed iu-l now with the affairs nl the producers to give much attention In ii"- plight nf the protesting housewife-. FUSION*. Must (it file departin', members ol the I lull .(• expect In lieu r lit! le of the fusion proposals during the election campaign. They predict the faliipaign wili follow much the -same course at ether contest s nf the kind at am time during the la -1 thirty years, each party criticising the other two parties and making out as gum I a case as it can fur itself. Well inl ll (Till'd people, who have iu'ovc, 1 successful " tipsters " in tile nn-!, however, anticipate that the pal lies ill the new House will be niucli uf the same relative strength a- they bate been ill life old. and ’that wiiiilicver e] the two older "lies has the greater n tueei’ica I strength will have to make sonic working arrangunnnt with the other. There is a feeling abroad, though without any sort of countenance from the I’rime Minister himself, that whatever the result of the election. even the return ol the BefornJ'rs with a clear majority, there will he material changes in the constitution of the Cabinet. Names are mentioned freely, but as these are dictated rather bv personal feeling than by anything else such details need not be taken very seriously. It is fairly obvious, however, to any unbiased observer tlnii a stronger Cabinet than the present one could be provided without seeking further afield than the ranks of the pariv that lias dominated the House during the last three years.