WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 22 August 1927, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THOSE RACTNG I>ATICS. MINJBTLR rxrERTTTISI3KI). ,'Speeial to “ Guardian WELIJXGTON, Aug. IS. The Hon. It. F. Bollard., the Minister 'of Internal A flairs, remains •unperturbed by the fusilade of brinks that is being directed against Jiitit in connection with the Waikato racing dates. lie was Cjiuto satisfied, lie said in the course of a chat this morning, that when the racing people and the public:- understood the position they would realise lie was dealing out even-handed justice to the two clubs concerned. He had no wish at all to un.-urp the functions of the Baring Conference, which included the district button of racing dates. When the Conference had a, flagrant mistake, of far reaching consequence, however, he felt it his duty to intervene in the interests of right and justice. The Auckland District Committee made a grave mistake, lie thought, in iorwarding a recommendation to the Racing Conference ousting the Waikato Hunt Club from the date it had field for several years without first giving the representatives of the. Club an opportunity to explain the position. Hero there seemed no doubt that the District Committee was very much to blame and that its lack of courtesy had cut short any approach to a friendly compromise. THE MINISTERIAL VIEW. Mr Bollard reiterated his desire to continue working amicably with the Racing Conference. He recognised that tiio Conference under the sagacious guidance of Sir George Clifford bad enormously improved the quality and character of racing in New Zealand and in- doing so had rendered a very great service to the Dominion. But Parliament had not authorised the Government to hand over all its authority and responslbilty to the Conference and that being the case it was liia duty ns Minister of Internal Affairs to intervene when lie thought the existing legislation was not being properly interpreted. It could not be said in fairness, ho thought, that ho had meddled with affairs that did not concern his office. The Waikato Racing Club had been given two extra dav’s racing in the hope that these additional opportunities would help it out of its financial difficulties. The concession, unfortunately, had not served its full purpose, and now the Club, with the assistance of the District Committee and the Conference, was seeking to “collar” Labour Day, tho date taken up by the Waikato Hunt, Club after it had been ignored ■by the Waikato Bacing Club. The Minister still hoped that the matter . would be settled amicably between the two clubs, and bis services towards that end were at their disposal, hut in liis own judgment there was no doubt ns to the side on which justice lay.

FARMING AND MOTORING. One of the most interesting and striking of the speeches delivered in the financial debate still dragging on in the House of Representatives is to the credit of the Hon. K. S. TV illiants. The Minister of Public Works takes so broad a. view of politics and so tolerant a one of parties that when he does speak in the House ho is sure ol an attentive audience. On this occasion he devoted a few words to farmers concerning their motor cars. “I am not. prepared to say that the motor car is not a useful machine, because it is wanted in many lines of business,” be stated after mentioning that there were thirty millions invested in cars in the Dominion, “hut if six millions of this huge sum had been spent on top dressing the land the position of the settler would have been much better to-day. . I am satisfie that the farming community wastes a ereat deal of time with cars. A fine dav comes along, and the farmer thinks lie would like a 30-mile s P m or there is a football match on, and off he goes, spending money, yearing out tyres, roads, and engines, and not doing really useful work. It is not often a farmers' representative talks to farmers in this candid fashion but then it is not often so frank a critic as Mr Williams reaches Par-

liament. RELIGIONS EXERCISE*. The Hon. Leonard Tsitt now places the passage of his Religious Exercises in Schools Bill at a date some two or three years hence, when a new House will have been elected and a reinforced Council established. Whether or not Mr Isitt’s principals will inam-

tain thf fight so long remains to be seeon ; but-Mr Isitt himself obviouslj has-.wearied- of the strife and his reply to ..Bishop Clearyls onslaught upon his recently published pamphlet is but a, whispering echo of Ids former thunder. The parliamentary champion of religious exercises is now predicting that if the churches at the back of the campaign do not secure the legislation they require within n reasonable time they will descend upon the Government with an irresistible mand for grants to their denominational schools. Mr -Isitt himself has admitted this to bo among the possibilities of the iuture.