WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1928, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

SIB JOSEPH AVARD’S VIEW. THE POLITICAL OUTLOOK. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON. April 1. Sir Joseph AVard left hy the Rotorua this morning on a business tour of both private and public importance, as lie said at the gangway, expecting to he hack in the Dominion before the end of July. lie previously hud alluded briefly, and without any party bias, to tlie political outlook. Me regretted the necessity of tiis being away during the

first month ot the approaching session : hut lie had taken pains to Jet his constituents understand the position and he had made arrangement* for their interests being cared tor during his absence. He did not expect measures of any great importance to make their appearance in the House Indore he would be there himself. No such

measure. except. ot i'ou.'m'. Supply, which provided only an opportunity for talk, would he introduced so .soon. Ju anv ease, he had made provision, as Car as could he, for any contingency that might arise, down to his nomination paper Cor the Invercargill constituency. whose electors had been uncommonly good to him. Ihcre were indications abroad of a desire on the part of the Government for an early session and a short one; but personally lie could sec no sound reason for a departure from the customary routiner TIIK I’AHTIKS.

While avoiding being drawn into any persona! or political discussion on the eve of his departure. Sir Joseph said he was watching developments with much interest. Me thought that his own party—the Liberal Party ol one—was the onlv section of the House that really was unperturbed. The Government was very fortunate in having an Opposition broken up into two or three contending parties that could not agree upon the first essentials of a common policy. There had been a good deal of tall; about dissensions in the ’Reform Party, and everyone knew there had been a measure of dissatisfaction within its ranks; hut unless the dissentients were prepare') to renounce the very foundations of their political faith tlierappeared to he no resting place tor them in any of the Opposition folds. If, as had been stated, there were scores of new aspirants for political honours, commercial and professional men, eager and fully equipped, awaiting to take die field on the side of the Opposition, then there would he something to talk about. Rut for some reason or another no such candidates had yet made then- appearance in public and time was passing. Sir Joseph implied that his own party was better

prepared. AMEB IC A’E UN EM Pl,OA’ ED. Senator Shipstead’s statement, appearing in a cable message from AA’asltington to-da.v. to the oflect that there are over eight million people unempolyed in the United States at the present time, gives some colour to a picture of American industrial and social conditions supplied by a correspondent writing from Philadelphia only six or seven weeks ago to a relative here. “Conditions in America right now.” he snvs. “ are indeed very had

industry slowed down to minimum production, money scarce. poverty ami distress very acute. Polities are so rotten and corrupt that the whole national .structure is undermined and apparently about to collapse. Something assuredly is going to happen ere long, a social and political upheaval that will eii'eet drastic changes in the vital a {fairs of the nation. There are hundreds of thousands of unemployed, 'there is practically no home liie in the States, merely a family abode, invariably a tenement or apartment house, identical in appearance with its thousand neighbours, just a place to sleep and eat." Apparently all this is written with some Knowledge ol America and its people, hut some ol the allusions to social life in the States are well-nigh incredible. SOCIAL LIFE.

A paragraph or two may he quoted without comment and necessarily without endorsement. “ The auto, the movies and prohibition,” this authority continues. “ have sure put this country on the toboggan. Since the war no morals or ethics abide. To he up to date here one must not be hampered by scruples or conventions, but be ever on the alert, and a presidential campaign impending it is no good augury for the immediate future. Practically all the vast natural resources and wealth of the nation are in the hands or under the control of a few gigantic trusts.. The people ol the country are becoming more impoverished yearly. and less independent. . . People here live a fast and strenuous life, travelling at so high a speed and living so artificially that they are almost automatons. Everything and almost everybody is standardised to take advantage of circumstances legitimate or reprehensible.” And so on and so on. The only comment. to oiler is that if this correspon-

dent is correct in his estimate ol the American people. New Zealand has liecn extraordinarily fortunate in the lew thousand representatives ol the rave il has harboured Irani time to time.