WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

TTIK FINANCIAL YEAR. PROBABLE SURPLUS. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLING TON. April 13. Surpluses in these days are n'ot. always counted to the credit of the .Minister of Finance, and the announcement made this morning to the effect that the public, revenue during the financial year ended on March fil exceeded the public expenditure b,v something between a million and. a-quarter and a million and a-lialt does not uecessarilv mean that the Hon \\ . Nosworthy will retire from the Treasury with the halo of a. great financial achievement, .swathing his worried brow. There is a growing feeling here that -urplu-.es represent the measure ot a Ei nance Minister’s miscalculations or of ids readiness to prostitute the public interests to his own official glamour. The surpluses laid up by the National Government during the Great War of course stood upon a diflereut looting. Heavy taxes were levied not only to meet the enormous expenditure entail- : ed by the Dominion’s areeptnneo of I unlimited Imperial responsibility, hut ( ilso to make provision lor the ation of its fighting forces and for the ( re-arrangement ol its domestic affairs. Rut the need for exactions of that | character disappeared live or -i\ years ago. and the Minister who collects j from the taxpayer in time of peace a million and a-lialt more than lie re- ( quires cannot expoei lhe community to hail him as a heaven-born financier. •• TACIT CONSIMR.U Y " ■ There may be more than a little j foundation for .Mi P. 1. O Regan’s story, telegraphed by the Pis s- Association from Christchurch, to the effect that certain political forces arc work- | ing in the direction of abolishing triennial Parliaments in (his country amU substituting a four or five years lerm.'i The Prime Minister himself staled hi the eour.-c o! one ot hi- elect loiieeri ng speeches in t (Te Auckland dsilriet that, he was in favour of extending 1 lie life of Parlianieu! from three years (a , four, and mu adverse to considering a proposal to take (lie licensing poll every eighth year. The same view, regarding the life of Parliament, unexpressed by quite a number of candidates audit is known that the ’‘Trade” vote, for what it is worth, went almost unanimously to Reform candidates. A curious development of this arrangement urns the spectacle of a life-long prohibitionist standing in the interests of the Government receiving very strenuous support from the "Trade” to the surprised discomfiture of an ardent supporter of Continuance. Whether or not Mr O’Regan is justified in talking of a " tacit conspiracy ” between the Government and powerful political forces for the overthrow ol triennial Parliaments must remain a question for speculation: ln.it it is certain that the Prime Minister and a large proportion of his supporters in the new House are unpledged to support the legislation in this respect passed forty-eight years ago. THE AGRICULTURAL COLLEDK. The districts between Auckland an I Wellington which arc to provide the site for the promised agricultural college have now entered upon wlmt appears to he a new phase of ti struggle for the distinction. Marlon ami Palmerston Niiri.li. which have been displaying of their best to professors ami Ministers of the Clou n lor weeks past, arc now threatened with opposition from Levin. Tuilmpe and various other ct litres all anxious to become the home of academic agriculture in the Dominion, and Palmerston litis taken fright. Notwithstanding its own independent claims, which are very ire.it indeed, the inland capital of the North Island is adding to its legitimaie plea a monetary inducement. A ■scheme has been propounded by the mayor ol the fair city hv which L'RUJOO, could be raised ou the security of a. local rate ol one-twelfth of a penny in. the pound for twenty years and pro- I scull'd to the Government for the pur-’ chase of a farm property in the near] neighbourhood of the city as a site for the college. The inevitable develop- J monls should lie interesting. Martou "ill not be ini I out of the competition l by a bid ol L'lo.ooo and Tuilmpe ami I Levin may be prepared with even ' larger donations. It is even conceivable that in Mich a contest a bid siiflicient to buy a suitable farm and build a large proportion of the college may be lorlhcoming. Obviously the Minister oi Lands and the Minister of Agriculture have foreseen the ml vantages! of delay. PREPARING FOR TILE FRAY. There is to lie an independent meeting of farmers in Wellington mi this, day fortnight. ;t day before the official Dairy Conlerenec. to consider various matters ol importance to producers gcneially. There is a feeling abroadI hat the Conference will lie a more or less cut and dried affair, in which the majority of the members of the Dairy board, by means of a system of vot- , ing they have devised, will get much - of their own wav unless .some means i ol promoting a free discussion is planned. To consider this point will 1 he the purpose of the preliminary ' meeting and it is expected that the < attendance will he tit- least equal to , that at the ofliciai conference next dav. t it is not intended, however, as a t moans ol provoking additional dissen- 1 sions among the contending parties, 1 the question of "Absolute Control” being the only point upon which miaui- v ■nil v seems to lie out of the question, i There are quite a number of support- q efs ot this extreme measure who dis- 1 approve ol the "tons ” system of vot- 11 ing ami who think the choice of a; a chairman of the Conference should J have been left to the judgment and good t sense of the delegates. Mr Grounds, q they point out. L sure to do most of rthe talking and it will he difficult, they 11 think, for him to properly control (lie " gathering at the same time. ,