WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 December 1925, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE WHEAT QUESTION AGAIN. PUBLIC CURIOSITY. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, December 1. A great deal of curiosity lias been aroused here by the report of another private meeting between the Minister of Agriculture and the Hour millers for the discussion of the wheat, question. People are recalling the fact that a year or so ago Mr Nostvorthy, having succeeded in raising the duty on wheat to 2s a cental and the duty on flour to L'.'f a ton, at the holiest of the flourmillers, thanked his stars that at last he had made an end of the meddling with tile law of supply and demand, and again could look his convictions in the face. Ilis immunity from the importunity of the farmers and the millers was short-lived, lie lb re the next

harvest came around his old proteges again were clamouring at his door and igain gaining admission. They luul se-

cured what had seemed prohibitive duties on wheat ami flour, hut now. to make what seemed doubly sure, they wanted a positive embargo placed upon importations. And they goi what they wanted. “ What next?” is the inquiry

of the local public. With the price of bread 75 per cent higher in Wellington than it is in London, the local desire for information does not seem unnatural. The Government has failed absolutely to induce the spoon-fed farmers to grow enough wheat to satisfy the requirements of the Dominion. Then, the critics ask again, why not relieve the Dominion of the duties and allow it to obtain its supplies clswhcrc? THE NEW CHIEF JUSTICE. It is not altogether surprising that Mr 11. E. Holland, the leader of the Parliamentary Labour Party, is protesting against the appoinineiit of Mr 0. P. Skcrrett as Chief Justice in succession to Sir Robert Stout. Mr Skerlett as chairman of the Welfare League must share the responsibility for Hie 1 re] lea ted 1 attacks made by that somewhat garrulous body upon the Labour Party, and in his public acl-

rcsses and professional activities he as taken no pains to spare the feel-

ings of Mr Holland and his friends. Ilut even so distinguished a lawyer as the Chief Justice elect could not he expected to bridle his longue as never to utter a word that could he quoted against him when he assumed the presidency of the bench! As a matter of fact it has been flic practice in Now Zealand, as it has been in other parts of the Empire, to confer upon lawyers of distinction who have taken some, part in public life the uppermost positions in their profession, fsir Robert Stout, the retiring Chief Justice, was more of a politician than he was of a lawyer when Mr Setkhni deemed it expedient, to relieve him from the distractions of public life, and before Sir Robert Stout (here was Sir James Preinlergast and Sir George Arney. Chief Justices, by the wax. have acquired the habit of reigning long, Sir George Arney having held office for seventeen years, and Sir James I’rendergast for twenty-four years, while Sir Robert Stout- is now in his twentyseventh year. Here are examples for Mr Skorrett to emulate. SIR. ROBERT IN PARLIAMENT. It is to he hoped ilinfc Sir Robert, Stout in the many years of ease the community is wishing him will find l ime 111 plan on perina non I reoonl some of the im-idents and experiences of iiis political life which was spent in close eonlaet. with many of the big men of the Dominion. As an indication ot the wide field lie could cover an " interview " with film published in lhe 'Dominion" this morning will give some idea of the value of his rom-iui-eeiices. ” Party polities in my Lime," he is reported as saving. “ were quite as strong then as now. In the past Now Zealand had always had a ligh class of man in Parliament. A great number of them were graduates >f Home universities. 1 might rnenion that there is not a single member if the Upper or Lower Houses of P-Ko dive to-day hut myself. There are inly two alive who were members of lie HTli Ministry, Mr dc l.autour and nvself. I am also the oldest member

if tin- Kxecui ive. There is no one else alive who u:is a member ol’ the Kxeciilive Council o|' 1597.” When Sir Holiert Stout entered Parliament ls<ivas only 27 years of ago. Mvon tluis ■arly ho was a strong ndvocato of limiting iho hours of labour for young people mill women. lit* ivns nil advo;■:«to also of women's suffrage. Ho also manifested at the- same time a keen interest in the liquor question, writing in urtiele in 1575 for a New Zealand magazine in which lie propounded the idea of local option and paved the way for Ids subsequent neitvities in that Hi reel ion. Till-: LT CENSING POLL. Xow that the licensing poll is definitelv decided, as the law stands, the Prohibit iojiists are demonstrating quite plainly that as between Continuance and Xo License the majority is with the latter. The official figures are as follows : Xo License Slfl.JoO Continuance 209,581 State Purchase 515.0-1.1 Total 075.077 These figures show that Xn License had a majority of 19.800 over Continaiuice and a majority of 203.407 over State Control, and from this basis the Prohibitionists are arguing that 75.009 votes were cast against the present system. Cp to a certain point this contention is sound enough ; hut it ignores the fact ilmt the preferences as between Continuance and Xo License of the 50.013 electors who voted for State Control are not known. The prohnbiliv is that a substantial majority of these electors, if they could not have c-tnte Control would prefer Continuance to Xo License. They include the large mid increasing number of people whose objection is to the indiscriminate manner in which liquor is sold and not to the liquor itself. But. of course, the only wav in which the three issue ballot paper could he fairly and effectively handled would be by the institution of preferential voting which would give everr elector an opportunity to indicate which issue he would prefer in the event of his first choice being defeated. Tf the contending parties would accept this absolutely equitable system of decision tbe necessary legislation could be put through Parliament without the slightest difficulty and the majority of the electors would get what they wanted.