WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 January 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE LICENSING QUESTION. REFORM’S DILEMMA. (Special to “ Guardian.”) 0 WELLINGTON, Jan. 9. The report which lias been current for some time past to the effect that a caucus of the Reform Party would ho held this month in the hope of bringing about an agreement between the members of the party in regard to the licensing question was discredited in an article published in the “Dominion ” at the week-end. After discuss-

ing the situation at length the author of the article—the parliamentary correspondent of the local morning paper —declares that, “ so far as is known,” the Reform Party caucus this year will he held at the customary time, prior to the commencement of the session, that is, only a day or two before the House of Representatives proceeds to serious business. The Prime Minister himself has made no definite statement on the subject, but it is obvious from the engagements he has made ahead that lie has no intention of resuming his attack upon the liquor problem during the current month. It is highly probable, however, that he will make a very strenuous effort to get it out of the way before the next general election. He is no more anxious than are the rank and file of his party to see tne licensing question dominating the polls next December. PI; OB L E AIS INYOLY ED.

At the moment, however, it seems unlikely that he will find members of the House of Representatives on the eve of an appeal to their constituents, any better disposed towards his proposals for reform than they were last year. It is conceivable that a majority of the House, if untrammelled by pledges to the contrary, would agree to the extension of the time between the licensing polls to six years; hut it is unthinkable that the great mass of the electors, having secured rule bv a hare majority, would part with this right for the mere “ mess of potnge ” represented by two-issue ballot paper. The tendency of the times appears to he, indeed, to increase rather than to reduce tin issues submitted to the electors. II the proposal of the Labour Party to conduct licensing polls under the system of preferential voting were adopted there would be no good reason win half-a-dozen proposals should not ' submitted to the electors on the one ballot-paper. But official Continuance and official No-License are so bent on narrowing the issues down to their own conception of what is required that th politicians may not dare to take the steps obviously needed to bring aliou effective reform.

PRIAIE .MINISTER’S OPTIMISM. The Prime .Minister’s breezy optimism would he an asset to any country in an age that is prone to dwell too frequently upon the seamy side of life, and nowhere is it more appreciated than in the “ Ear North ” where many problems of pioneer settlement still have to he solved. Speaking the tithe day at Ruawai, a hamlet some ninety miles north-west of Auckland, and included in his own constituency, Air Coates told an enthusiastic gathering of his supporters that posterity would feel nothing of the present “ development ” (meaning, presumably, public expenditure) ; that only 1000 unemployed had been registered, though the total perhaps was 7000; that New Zealand could borrow cheaper than any other country could; that the hydro-electric power scheme would he one of the best investments the Government had ever had. and that he looked forward to having from £(>,000,900 to £8,000,009 from this source in 1910 which could he used either to reduce the cost of power or to augment the Consolidated Fund. All this must have been cheering to the good pimple of Ruawai, the majority of whom may reasonably c.\[K'ct to see that £(>,000.0110 to £8.000.00(1 stalking about the country seeking employment.

XEW RAILWAYS. Side by side witli tliis picture of many good things to come, however, the “ lOvening Rost ” prints from its Auckland correspondent a list of lines that are to ho handed over by tlie Public Works Department to the Railway Department in the very near future. There is the new section of some eighty-five miles running from Wailii to Tnneatua. expected to be opened within two months ; anothei .section between Waiotira and lvirikopuiii, the lir.st part of the line to connect Auckland and Dnrgaville direct, to he opened at the end of March. Them it is reported that “ work ha: progressed favourably on various sections of line through the Bay of Plenty, and the engineers. Sir W. G. Armstrong. Whitworth, and Co., Ltd., are now ready to hand over to the Public Works Department that section of line from Tahawai to Te Puna. This is the last stretch of line through the Buy, 15 miles in length, and completes the whole of the line from Wailii to Tauentioi, including the piece recently taken over between Wailii and Tahawla. The section of line between Taneatua and 'iauraiiga is at present being run by the Public Works Department.” Yet, only a mouth ago, the Minister of Finance was asserting that every mile of opened line meant additional loss, and speculating as to whether or not the days of railway transport were not numbered.