WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 13 September 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

PARTY DISCIPLINE

FXDEPENDENCE REIiEKED

(Special to “ Guardian.”)

WELLINGTON. September 10.

That there may he too much oi a ooo<l thing even alien the good tiling takes the shape of a huge majority in the House of Representatives is being demonstrated to the Government by the candour with which some of its supporters are criticising its policy and its administration. .Mr Seddon suffered experiences of this kind on several occasions, and even Mr Massey, who only in one Parliament had a substantial majority, came to realise that a narrow margin of support was conducive towards solidarity. .Mr Coates, as a result of the election in November last, has a majority second in magnitude only to -Mr Seddon's last overwhelming battalion, and yet within three months of the assembly of his supporters in 'Wellington he finds half a dozen of them openly critical of his methods and as many more maintaining a disgruntled silence. Mr Seddon would have laughed at this sort ot tiling, as he did. again and again, and his critics would bare laughed with him : Mr Massey would have called the offenders! into his room and they would have emerged chastened and penitent; hut Mr Coates and his locum tenons have attempted to discipline the offenders on the floor of the House and the spectacle has been neither impressive nor edifying. ROME OFFENDER R. -'Mr T. Forsyth, the robust member for Wellington East, in succession .to an active Labour representative, was the first to incur the open displeasure of the Prime Minister. Flo seemed fa bo unaware of the fact flint all tiff s high ideals of service he had propounded from the hustings were subject to revision hv his party leader. Fie was reminded somewhat abruptly of the fact from the Treasury Benches, and. it is rumoured, subsequently invited to an interview with his chief. He is a gentleman with a political backbone, however.- arid f’’o incident scarcely can bo counted as closed. Then there was Mr \V. R. Glenn, the member for Raugit ikei. who.' it would seem, laying aside his obligations as junior whip, proceeded to castigate (lie Government over its proposals concerning the agricultural college. The offender Was not asked to “ consider his position.” as Mr Forsyth had been, hut the Prime Tlfinister expressed, or simulated, grave displeasure at. his action. Finally there was the outburst of Mr Harris, the member for Waiteinata. against the Government’s dealings wit 1 ' the Takapuna Tramway Comnanv. Ft fell to the lot of the Hon W. Downie Stewart, who was in charge of the House in Ihe absence of the Prime Minister, to rebuke the impetuous Poformor on this occasion, and in a very laudable desire to exonerate Ids leader be proceeded to lengths which cannot be oasilv retraced. Mr Harris is still beyond the pale. LICENSING LEGISLATION. Mr J. Maltou Murry, the Executive Secretary of the New Zealand Alliance, tells the Prime Minister, in so many words, that the talk about the parties to the licensing question, the liquor traders and the liquor opponents, getting together with, a view to coming to some arrangement is so much wasted breath if not absolute‘nonsense. “The selling of alcoholic liquors.” he snvs in reply to the contention ol t v Licensing 'Reform league that security of tenure would improve the character ot the hotels, '‘lias nothing whatever t • do With the p ‘p-ision of accommoda• lion. Some of tbo finest hotels in New Zealand and in the world have in licenses for the sale of liquor. There is no justification for ibis demand for increased security of tenure in the sale f f liquor. As regards the better conduct of hotels, the improvement of accommodation, food and service, and undesirable conduct on the part of hotelkeepers, these things can all be dealt with by those engaged in the trade without any special legislation Whatever. There is enough on the Statute Book at present to cover these matters if the trade will obey the law.” From this and from many other statements to the same effect it is obvious the Prohibitionists have no intention of taking counsel with the •‘Trade.” The Prime .Mi pis ter, it appears will have to solve the problem for himself. SOCi A LIST IC REFOR M. Mr H. E. Holland may he beware of gifts from, the Greeks, hut he is not going to refuse them indiscriminately. As with dairy control so with bus regulations. Dairy control, the leader of the Opposition contended, -was in keeping with the advanced tenets of socialism and he gave it his support. Now ho (finds the same virtue in the bus regulations, which are designed to kill private -enterprise—incidentally ruining a., few score of proprietors in the process—and he is giving them his cordial support and so many of the votes of his party as he can command. A. number of the -Labour members, however, are protesting with tlfeir voices and votes against the highhanded proceedings of the Government and a contingent of Reformers are refusing to accept their party’s lead. Sir Joseph Ward has denounced strongly the manner in which the bus proprietors are being treated, taking particular exception to the imposition of a penal fare and to the absence of any adequate compensation, and receiving a very appreciative hearing. He could quite understand the point of view of the Socialists on the Government and Opposition benches, lie said, but he would like to know what Mr Holland would say if the Government started a newspaper and insisted upon the “ Maoribuid Worker” being sold at twice the price charged for the State organ.