WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 August 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

PREAI lEH AND PARLIAAIEXT. TilE EARLY PROROGATION. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, August 25. There is niii(l) sympathy inside mid outside of Parliament witii the Labour Party’s protest against the early closing of the session on account of the Prime .Minister's departure for the Imperial Conference. .Mr Coates lias no over-weening opinion of his own personal importance, hut lie seems obsessed by the notion that when the official head of the Government goes abroad the political wheels must cease to go round, lie has precedents provided by his predecessor in office which may appear to favour his point of view in this respect, hut it has to ho remembered that Mr Massey never had such an overwhelming majority in the House as his successor commands and never could have left Parliament sitting with an assurance ol till going well with ids party during his absence. Mr Sodden with a smaller majority than Air Coates now commands left Sir Joseph Ward in charge tor practically a whole session and much important and useful work was done during liis absence. Surely with colleagues such as the Hon. AY. D. Stewart, and the Hon. A. I). McLeod, among the old bands, ami the Hon. F. J. Kolleston and the lion. K. S. Williams, among the young ones, the Prime -Minister should have no trepidation in leaving Parliament to complete the work of the session in a sane and orderly way. To these gentlemen, at any rate, no other course will be a compliment. THE LICENSING PR OH LEAL

Just what is the Prime Alinister’s purpose in introducing a highly contentious Licensing Amendment Hill in what has been described as the dying days of the session no one seems to know precisely. The Hill, it is said, has been framed in discharge of a promise given by Air Coates to the ".Moderates ” ; but from all accounts it does not go dialf as far ns the “Moderates” who do 110 c mind, being associated with the “Trade” expected it would. Tt provides, according to the official summary. “ that at the general elections electors of each licensing district will be supplied with ballot papers submitting for their determination thctquestion whether the licensing poll will in future he taken .simultaneously with the election of members to Parliament (that is. every three years as at present) or whether the licensing poll will be taken only at every alternate general ejection ; or, in other words, every six years.” Of course there are a number of other provisions in the ellill. some of them almost as controversial as the main issue; and yet the Prime Alinister declares lie expects to get it as. far as the Statute Hook during the present session. “If lie is really sincere in this declaration,” said an experienced member of tile House to-day. “ then he does not mean to go Home to the Imperial Conference.”

SPAIAIER TIME. The Slimmer Time Hill is expected to meet its fate in the Legislative Council to-night, one way or the other. A week ago its iriumphant passage through the revising chamber seemed to he assured, hut during the last day or two to dairymen., who persist m believing that the Hill seeks to govern their hours and methods of milking, have brought their heavy artillery to hear upon the measure and its prospects have been considerably shaken. The •' Post ” tints the position fairly enough. " Though the Summer TimeHill has' passed the House of Representatives and renewed the third reading stage in the Legislative Council,” the evening journal says, ’‘there arestill some doubts about' its fate.

The measure has had the approval of the popular Chamber by a substantial majority, and this majority reflects the will of the people. Who have had years to consider the measure and to judge the results of its operation elsewhere. In tlicf second'.residing and Committee stages there were no arguments advanced ih the Legislative Council which had not been thoroughly reviewed in t''e House. No reasons were given for rejecting the measure as ill-considered or premature, or for disregarding the strong arguments advanced in its favour by doctors, manufacturers and public bodies.” II the Council rejects the Pill it will do so at its own peril. DAIRY CONTROL. Though Parliament has pronounced against any interference with the power of absolute control conferred upon the Dairy Hoard bv the legislation of three years' ago it does not look pis if Air W. Grounds, the chairman of the Hoard, and his colleagues had yet overcome all their troubles. It would seem from recent cabled reports from London that Tooloy Street is not rushing in with “finance ” quite, so eagerly, as it was represented to he doing by the advocates of compulsion.

mid that it want's a good deal more than information than it Mias yet rereived on t''e delicate question of marketing. Mr Grounds is now on liis way to London and bis local colleagues profess to be satisfied that on bis arrival there be will be able to reassure the distributors in regard to both these questions, but they are not quite sure , bow it will be done. Meanwhile there are rumours of dissensions between the London, directors and the London manager concerning the status and authority of the latter gentleman. It is understood that Mr Grounds was cognizant of this trouble before bis departure and that one’ of the dbief purposes of his trip was to define more precisely the relations between tbo parties. There are other developments which are not available for publication.