WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 May 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DO All MON FI N A NCE. MINISTER TO SPEAK. (Special to “ Guardian ”.) WELLINGTON. April ;iO. The Hon. W. I). Stewart, the .Minister of Finniice, attain has chosen a spot, far removed from the “madding crowd” for the delivery of his first public: address after the close of the financial veer. Twelve months ago he paid the • rood people of Fcilding the pretty compliment of unfolding to them the condition of the Treasury in advance of the production of the Budget; to-night he will pay a similar compliment to the oood people of Cambridge. The Ministcr will have a good deal to tell his audience as well as a good deal to explain, and no doubt he will make out a good case for himself and his colleagues. Last year in a more or less guarded fashion he promised further consideration to the demand ol the Customs TiiritL but probably any definite pronouncement in regard to these matters will be reserved lor the Hudget. No .Minister of Finance cares to give away his good things in advance, especially when a general election is at hand.

LIQUOR AND LEGISLATION. The case of Mr H. S. S. Kyle, the Reform member for Itieearton. who is threatened with opposition from many of the rank and file of his own party, on account of his adhesion to the Aliia nee Imllot paper—two issues only and a bare majority—is the case of many other prospective candidates at the approaching general election. Ibe fad of the matter is that numbers of Reformers and numbers ol Liberals attach more importance to the licensing pul' tban they do to the parliamentary election and find it easier to change their polities than to change their attitude towards the liquor traffic. A curious thing about the position is that while the Reformers among the parties in the House provide hy far the largest proportion of supporters of the Alliance ballot paper they stand no better willF the prohibitionists than do the Liberals and the Labourites. His institution during the war. ol the six o’clock closing won for Mr Massey and Id.- party a large measure of support which remained with Relorm right up to Hi.- general cletion of 1025. It remains to he scon how much of the dead leader’s maim still prevails. MEETING OF PARLIAMENT.

At present Parliament stands prorogued until .lunc 7. a day or two more than five weeks lienee, and in the ordinary course it would he lurther prorogued for three weeks so that members might he in their places to vote supply by the end of the quarter. There is an expectation abroad, however. that the session will open earlier than usual tills year and that the general election will take place in the last week of October. Ministers are giving no definite information on the subject, a blunt inquiry that was addressed to the Prime Minister bringing the smiling retort that the date, in any ease, would not fie earlier than tile one already announced. It would ho to the interests of the Government, from a purely party point of view, to hold the election early, the earlier the hotter, but there is no suggestion that on this account Air Coates is hurrying members to Wellington unnecessarily. There is enough important work waiting the House of Representatives to keep it busy for three months at least and it members do not assemble before the beginning of July they will have little time for electioneering. INDUSTRIAL PEACE. -The National Industrial Conference 1 met in open conference for a few minutes on Saturday and decided to adjourn until May Iff. Tn the meantime the special sub-committee will continue the work, with power to deal uith the whole of the matters before the conference." So runs a paragraph appearing in the local papers to-day, meaning, it may he assumed, that the labours of the conference practically are over, that a few hundred pounds will lie spent upon the printing of the committee's reports, and that the i elutions between Capital and Labour will remain much the same as they weie at the beginning of the proceedings. It may be Imped, however, that the association of the representatives of the gathering may result in a better acquaintance between the contending parties and ultimately to a better understanding. Meanwhile the Government lias rid itsell ot none ol its responsibilities in connection with great industrial problems and at the approaching general election again will encounter all the denunciation that appears inseparable from such occasions.