WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 May 1926, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS

MINISTERIAL INACTIVITY

MARKING TIME

(Special to “ Guardian.”)

WELLINGTON, May 4

His political friends still are satisfied the Prime Minister will do the right filling at the opportune moment and his personal popularity remains unimpaired; hut there are murmuriugs among the rank and file of the Reform Party who expected much from their new leader, against-the delay in putting into operation the fair promises of tho hustings. The anniversary of Air Massey's much deplored death is hero; tho election which gave Mr Coates his lingo majority in the House of Representatives is six months past, and yet none of the really big things that majority implied has been accomplished. The Prime Minister chose during the months between his appointment and the appeal to the constituencies to regard himself as the executor of his former chief. This was not obligatory at all and it was not constitutional; but it was a graceful tribute to tho memory of Mr Massey, and no one took any serious objection to the arrangement. Six months ago to-day, however, Mi- Coates himself received a direct and emphatic mandate from the electors and had no further excuse for dallying with a turned page of the Dominion’s history. The 'power and the privilege of Government rested in Ids own hands. People, mostly kindly disposed towards him, are asking what lie is going to do with them. NOT YET FIRMLY SEATED. Quite lately the Prime Minister has been telling tho public that lie is notvet “ firmly seated in the saddle.” This after over six years of office, an overwhelming majority at the polls, and six months of leadership! ft would he ludicrous were it not so ingenuous. But it may be, as the less critical of bis friends say, that Mr Coates is so impressed with the importance of doing tho right thing that he is unable to make up his mind quickly. There is abundance of evidence in support of this theory. The process of reconstructing the Cabinet has now run into six or seven months and is still incomplete. It is well that so important a task should be approached with deliberation and carried through with the utmost care. But tho Primo Minister should have been ablo to make up his mind on this subject three or four months ago and to put an end to the uncertainty, intriguing and heart-burning occasioned by delay. From time to time tho public has boon promised a conclusion of the somewhat sordid business, but to-day it still is bung in tbo air, and seems likely to remain there till sheer necessity compels the leader of tho party to make a decision. DELAY. This is not a cardinal sin in filie political calendar, but procrastination of the kind multiplied many times over may exasperate a politican’s friends as well ns gratify bis opponents. And there are minor indictments of the same kind being levelled against the Prime Minister. Tbo wheat-growers and millers of Canterbury, for instance, are trying to extract better terms from the Government for the disposal of their products at the expense of tbo Blog-suffering consumers. The fair and logical answer to their appeal is plain enough for everyone to see. Mr Coates himself has declared over and ovoi again that bolstering up industries with subsidies and excessive duties is opposed to every principle of sound economies, and yet the other day bo allowed bis recently-appointed Minister of Agriculture to trifle with the whole subject when addressing n. deputation that came up from the Soulli the. other day with a request for an addition to the present exorbitant duty on flour. It is popularly supposed that llie Hon W. Noswortby was retired from tlio Department of Agriculture on account of bis excessive concern for the welfare, of the farmers, but be at least bad the courage of bis opinions and submitted to no pressure from outside. His successor lias a partiality towards the line of least resistance which does not augur well for the taxpayers.

THE JUDICIAL MIND. Then thero is the fuss occasioned by the determination of the Dairy Board ot exercise its statutory authority in connection with the shipping and marketing of butter and cheese intended for export. The Prime Minister Snows as well as the protesting producers, and, indeed, the members of tno Board do, that Parliament never intended tho compulsory clauses of the Dairy Control Act to bo brought into operation save in the direst necessity. Tho late Mr Massey gave the plainest and most complete assurances on that point. But Mr Coates, with a great body of producers contending for absolute control by tho Board and with another front body of producers contending foi free marketing, has elected to maintain a middle course, as it were, addressing words of encouragement to one side and then similar words of encouragement to the other. Tlio inevitable result is that within a few weeks of the day of decision no one knows what kind of proposals bearing on tho matter be ix going to submit to Parliament. . In on<T breath he has committed himself to the election of the members of the Board by individual voting and in the next by the tons of butter and cheese turned out by thfe factories. It is judicial timidity that is worrying the Prime Minister. Earnestly anxious to do tho right thing, he cannot determine quickly in which direction it lies.