WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 12 February 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

PE IV ATE ENTERPRISE. PROHIBITED BY REGULATION. (Special to " Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, February 9. The Wellington Executive of the New Zealand Employers’ Federation has assumed the leadership of the opposition to the proposed motor omnibu regulations, which appear to have been designed for the purpose of safe-guard-ing the municipal transport services against the invasion of private enterprise. represented at the moment by a number of admirably equipped “buses” running between the City and the suburbs. The regulations have been drafted bv the Crown law officers, but it does not necessarily follow that they have tint considered approval of the Government. Briefly, they impose upon private enterprise conditions which would make it impossible for the bus proprietor to continue in business. The licensing authority, which presumably would be the local body immediately concerned, would have the final determination of tiie following all importan questions; (1) Whether or not a license should he issued ; (2) the places to oi between which the motor omnibus i‘ licensed should run; (ft) the routes to be followed, the. fares to be charged and the time-tables to be kept, and ( I ■ the other conditions (if any) subject twhich the license should be granted. On the top of all ibis the Ims pro prietor would be required to keep in inct an accident insurance policy equn’ to £“>(10 for each of the passengers ca rried. VIGOROUS PROTESTS.

Ministers, of course, are deelinin in express any opinion on the subject till it has been considered by Cabinet: hut many influential members of the!' own party are joining in the protest against the proposal to drive the huso; off the roads. Vigorous action would have been taken long ago had not the groat bulk of the community assume’ that such drasl.c regulations as these now proposed would have to be submitted to Parliament before they could be given the force of law. Rut the public at last lias awakened to the -o-t that the Board of Trade Act, a far-reaching war measure which practically over-ride.'. Magna Charta and other buttress of the popular rightand privileges, still lingers on the New Zealand Statute Book, and leaves tho Government free to impose utterly un constitutional restrictions upon any private enterprise. It seems almost incredible that such a tiling could hap pen at this time of day. hut the shadow of a catastrophe of the kind accompanies the regulations and organ isrd opposition is in the field none too soon. One outcome of the agitation whatever its ultimate fate, will be r strong demand for the removal of the war clauses from tlie Board of Tridr Act and the Dominion’s resumption <>l the constitutional methods to which other parts of the Empire long since returned. “THE HUMAN ELEMENT.”

A rut’ll was said about the “ human element ” while the ease of the fraud upon the Post Office Savings Bank was before the Supreme Court here last week. The human element was held responsible for officers of the Bank not strictly enforcing rules with which the--were familiar and for the authors o r the fraud very nearly achieving suc-

cess. But a more admirable application of the human element was displayed when Mr Justice .-Vipers in passing sentence upon the prisoners ollVued dignified encouragement to ihe mere lad who had thrown away his opportunities and degraded his talents t" leave the box with a determination to make good. “ You are for the time stranded and on the rocks.” TI is Honor said. “Aon can retrieve it. To the

rnau who has paid the penalty we say: ' Y'ou can wipe the slate.’ You are barred from the profession in which you might have gained distinction; but there are other professions and there is no reason whv you cannot become a trusted and honoured citizen. I ad vise you before you leave Wellington to make a (rank confession to your friends. Upon your own conduct will depend the termination of vour sentence.” Such words are too rarely heard from the Supreme Court bench. It is no betrayal of confidence to say that in this instance they already have

borne fruit. A MYSTERIOUS MESSAGE

Tile Press Association which prides itself, with some justification, upon maintaining strict impartiality towards politicians and disputants of all descriptions, has been drawn to the very verge of the butter control controversy in a rather curious fashion. Nino or ten days ago a representative meeting of dairymen was held at flawera at which the “pros and eons” of control were discussed at very considerable length in the presence of tile members of the Dairy Board and members of the Free Marketing League. Towards the conclusion of the meeting a resolution and an amendment were duly submitted to the audience and both it seemed from the Press Association’s report of

the proceedings, were rejected. But apart from the messages sent out to the newspapers by the Association in the ordinary course a message, purporting to come from the Association, was dispatched to a number of North Island newspapers. This message proved offensive to the members of the Free Marketing League and one of them wrote to the Association demanding a retraction and an apology. This brought a reply to the effect that neither the Association nor its agent in llaworn knew anything about the message. Now the original message, which is said to he signed merely “ Association,” lias been impounded b.v the Post and Telegraph authorities and interesting developments are expected.