WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 30 July 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE TAIPERIAL CONFERENCE. NEW ZEALAND’S PREPARATIONS. (Special to 11 Guardian.”) WELLINGTON. July 27. The Prime .Minister has not yet made any official announcement as to the part lie and the Dominion are to play in the approaching Imperial Conference; hut it is generally understood that he will take his departure for London during the last week of August and that Parliament will lie prorogued a few days’ later. What his retinue will bo has not yet been indicated, but presumably he will he accompanied by bis late secretary, Mr Frank Thomson, now officer in charge of the newly created Imperial Department, and by some high official of the Treasury. This will be the only occasion since Imperial Conferences came into vogue that the Dominion’s representative has been other than the Minister of Finance, Mr Seddon. Sir Joseph Ward and Air Massey in succession all holding that it was of the first importance that this should be the' case. Finance, after all, in one aspect or another, is involved more or less closely in all tihe Conference’s discussions. Air Coates', as it happens, is not familiar with this branch of .the great machine be controls and a financial adviser will he absolutely necessary to him upon liis first introduction to the Parliament of the Nation. The versatile Colonel Essen mav prove to be the bandy man. THE PROROGATION. Tliere have been some lmiriiiurLtigs both inside and outside of Parliament against the ministerial assumption that the departure of the head of the Government must mean the prompt conclusion of the session. Air Massey, it is true, did not like going abroad while Parliament was sitting, hut his position was different from that of Afr Coates who has such a substantial majority behind him that no harm could come to his party during his absence even if the Labour Opposition of to-day was less scrupulous in the observance of the rules of the game than was the Reform Opposition that scorned to take advantage of Afr Seddon’s

absence in London while Parliament was sitting. As a matter of fact the Labour Opposition has won warm commendations from both the other political groups, and from Sir Joseph Ward, the partv of one, by its regard for the best traditions of tiie House. Tn this respect the “Socialists” and “Communists ” are in a fair way towards confounding their more extravagant critics. In any ease it is being urged by many people' that the Prime Afinister’s absence, in the circumstance, should not prevent Parliament doing a. great deal of useful work that cannot lie completed by the end of August. Air Coates would earn a good deal of kudos by taking these folk at their word.

AT LAST. It was left to Sir George Hunter, the member for AVaipawa, to draw the attention of the House to a. matter which has been exercising the minds of observant people in the community for many months past. Speaking while the vote of the Internal Department was under discussion, Sir George urged strongly that a stricter censorship of films should he instituted, particularly in the country districts where the minds of young people, lie said, were being poisoned and perverted by displays of a. most unwholesome character. He attributed a great deal of the crime that existed in the country, and a great deal of the misbehaviour that did not amount perhaps to crime, to the wrong impulses conveyed to children and young people by pictures which appeared' to have passed the censorship intended to prevent this sort of thing. Replying to Sir George’s remarks the Hon. R. F. Bollard, the Minister in Charge, said that six weeks before lie i':ad given instructions that the censorship should lie tightened up and that offensive pictures should be positively barred. The Department, Air Bollard declared, was determined to. put a stop to the kind of thing the member for AVaipawa had very properly denounced. A LIVE .MINISTER. The Hon. J. A. Young, the .Minister of Health, who returned from Auckland yesterday, is not allowing the grass to grow under his feet. AVitli a very proper appreciation of the great national importance of his Department,. he is making himself master of every detail of its extensive ramifications and the members of the staff are beginning to realise that they have at their head a, worker who is as eager as they are themselves to obtain the best possible results. “ I recognise to the full.” Afr Young said this morning, “the admirable work being done by the hospital boards and their staff—tile service is one of the, most gratifying features of our extending civilisation—hut 1 want to see more done for tile prevention of disease. Hospitals are very expensive institutions, and, though no one grudges their cost from a humanitarian, point of view, it would lie a great triumph if their expenditure could lie reduced by the persistent application of wise preventative measures.” Referring to maternal mortality, Air Young said this was one of the reproaches against the Dominion that would not be removed till the per eentage was reduced to the lowest in the world. Here pre-natal treatment would be of enormous value and lie already was assured of the hearty cooperation of the medical profession towards this end, n good augury of sue-