WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 March 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

I’KIOIi.U MILS’ 1! KM OHMS. YVHEHE THEY STAND. (Special to " Guardian.”) \Y MIXING TON. March 5. Philosophizing on the "ays ol Opposition and Governments Die 1 I'aciiing Post " recalls the writing: of a numiorahlc chapter in the history of the Dominion which still is piegu.tnt with interest in tile students of polities. Alter commenting upon the tendency of an Opposition to restrain its ardour when it homines a Government it looks about for an example and limls it ready to hand. " A good illustration of this process.' it says. ■■ is supplied in our own nollics hy the lat,, of three of the lour proposals by which the I’eloiiii Party justified its name when in Opposition ami on which il was returned to power. Its scheme of land reiorm was fully realised. Its ..roposa! to free the I’uhlie Service 1,-,,, lilical control was promptly .valised in part. hut on second thought that part was reduced instead ~| being extended. Of the most important uf the Reform proposals which was to free the Puhlie Works administration from political control h\ diastic deceniralisatinii ha-.-d on a reform of local ■uiverninent m the country di u-i.-t-, hardly =. word has h-cu I ' aril ,hirin’ the thirteen and a-halt years since ''the parly took Mid ... Of the I'utirt h o' these proposals much wus luMinl <! it ri mj; th< 1 t' vn >»r thivr i,\ ilu* lifSnnn re*;; in it*. link since, ami at the last General election <o far as we are aware, nut a word. The ■' Post " recalls l hese facts in in captious nuiod. hut rather with a tie -ire in a-si-i the Government in escap j,| |rom an anomalous and ridieillnii: posit ion. MA I lO.M KT'S COFFIN. |-'ur the moment the " Post is no concerning iiselt over the Itelorniers failure In make good their Oppusiti u promises to remove political contra from the puhlie service and puMi works. It is the spectacle ol I h Legislative Council Act. suspended n mid-air. like Malmmefs Collin, that j oli'ending ils sense ol propriety. I ,|„. eiisual reader ol' the Statute Ihiok.' it says i,uite truly. " to nine out <■ ten unprofessional readers who hai not the facts u! politics to guide them the l.egi-hitiv-- Council would appea to have liccii -made elective hy the A< which was passed lor that purpose i IJj 1-1. But that Aei. though still i

existence, has never eomc into operation. and the date of its operation, which was origiunllv fixed hir .lauuaiv Ist. lOl'.i. is coni ingciit upon sornrtiling other than ilie will ol the Legislature. The original postponement was incvitalile. In its origin, the measure wn.~ highly cun tom ion-. representing nothin*; less than a statutory vote ol' no-coulideiici- nasscil hy one party of llie administration on the other. It v.as accordingly a necessary term of the party truce which was dictated hy ihe war that the operation of the measure should he suspended." The l.arc facts are slated here correctly, hul the assumption that the operation of lilt- Act was suspended in ildVri-neO to the feelines oi the l.iherals is sea reel v instilled. At no -tage ol the dehate Was there a suggestion that the ni'-asiiri- was mleiidi-d as a rt-tleel ieu up Ml i '•<• admiiiistral am ol Ihe previous (iovernmem. PARTY REPRESENTATION. The l.'ihei-als as a parly never raised any ohied ion to the I .egisla Ii ve Connell Iti -I ii;. made nil--live. they had. indeed a uvmih or tv- n !»c-l*• r»■ ■ w -ir l-'iaaci- I’-'-ll in 11 "din cl in the Council 11 i- measure now held in suspense promoted a hill making huth the House ol llcpi'-scnt-'i t i vis and the I .rgisla t ive Coum il elective under the -ysleiii ol ;U - pni-t ioua I I•- p I i-.cn ta i a ill. This Hill was dcfeali d mi a purely pan* ilivi-inn li\ only ..in- vole it is fair l ’ .1 mils that -I Ini me is hi- a demon- j strati.in 111 Ini-I-I- 111. 'I riled lie piodui-.j I inn ul Mr Mn.---.C- Dill. Tin- I.i her a!~' i 1 ion to -Jii- liiil was not that! :l amounted to a vote of no-i-ontidem-e J in their administration or that il pur-! pin t ei.l to iim he ihe ('ouucil t ruly

rept eseti latt ve til tin' mass ol foe II• it- ; but tu the fart tl):it the Repute sgnport jiv already in tin- Coiini li. u batcier ihc result of tin- intervening l ice t ion,, v oul'l rout itnte in

i loin ill r■ t f till 1 ('!i! I 111 her lor -i x or seven yea 11l lull I Ill'll u ere 10 nomiiloliiiiniti'il I.■ lirrn],. In lillli llio lliilit--11::i 'ij !!rloi iM.-if in tie ( oniicil. nml M2 l„ if vvoi;|.| hi"-., been 10 nml 0 i i si.,-.-tiv<ly. ill I;;17. I 0 Hill! m iOH. I 0 nml I. ir. 1010, 1* nml li nml in 10'_’0 ! ! nml (l. This would Intro meant !l,m between 1011 mnl 10:20. a period of 'i X Mill's, no tll ins I! hit' f'lltlll Ill’s ill ijiihlii- opinion would luii'i' viiahli'd 11 if I ilifrn Is- to gel their policy men sii res through tin- revising ( hii 111 1 ii ■i' I hi' ■wits Sir Joseph Wind's leu si 111 for demanding llio suspension ul thf mi'iisiiri' during ilto party truce and Mr Massey's rciisiin lor readily granting the deil'tinil. TIIK KrTI'KK. All this of course does n..t win Icon the e.intent ion of (• " Most" that the position, u itieh is ahnu-.t if Itnlierotis as it i ; humiliating, should he cleared up at the earliest possible moment. " The root: of the null tor." the ‘ Post” say, in summing up the " Yos-Xn " policy of tin- (htverninent. "probably is that >ir l''ri'.uois Poll alone in the lirst Massey M.inistry was really enthusiastic in favor of the reform, and that, his chief, his colleagues mid Ihc party generally were not sorry when tlie war eiifnreid a postponement. Alter llio retirement of Sir Francis is there any Minister really eager to go ' the whole hog ’ and put the measure into operation unamended ?” The public will await a reply with some •nrio-'ily. The whole of the present Ministers, with, perhaps, the exception of tile lion F. ,1. I’olk'ston. who ms the useful habit of looking before he leaps, have given their support to the measure either in the House or on the lin-tiiers and unless they are prepared t i admit that it was so much eanioiillngo designed to cover tip p:he hollowness ol' their election professions tbev must give it their support now. Moth ilm Liberals and the Labourites •ire 11 lodged to the re-eonstitntioii of the Legislative Council mid to electoral reform and if the Government in its wisdom determined io abandon these passages for the ill, it was deploring wlien it took oliii c then the responsibility for its change of front must rest upon its own head.