WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 17 September 1928, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

IMPERIAL AND DOMINION POLITICS. Sill JOSEPH WARD’S VIEWS. (Special to “Guardian”.) WELLINGTON, September 15. Sir Joseph Ward, who returned from

his trip to England at tho week-end and took his seat in tho House of Representatives on Tuesday, chatted interestingly this afternoon on a number of things that had interested him during his absence from tho Dominion. Ho had gone Home, ho said, on matters of personal and business importance, and had not expected to bo away so long; but so far ns he could gather during the forty-eight hours lie had beon in Wellington, he had not missed a great deal that was of consequence in Parliament. Members, naturally, were anxious to get back to their constituencies as early as possible, in view of tho approaching general election, and apparently a good deal of more or less important legislation would be held over until next year. That, bo thought, would bo the fate Of the Licensing Bill and of several other important measures that had beon included in the present Government’s fust programme. THE SPIRIT AT HOME.

Speaking of tho conditions prevailing in the Home Country during tho time of his visit, Sir Joseph said ho had been much impressed by the optimism of the great mass of the people. There •was poverty in the country, of course, and it was not easy to see from what sources early relief would come. The rural industries, it wo\ild seem, had not expanded, and the mining industries were hard pressed by foreign competition; but tho nation was bearing itself as it did during the war with a supreme belief in the stamina and future of the British race. In commercial and financial circles there was the same faith abroad, and even tho Americans, who appeared to be rolling in wealth themselves, were admitting that England was coming in to its own again. • It was the proverbial British pluck and endurance asserting themselves, Sir Joseph soliloquised, and it was up to the Dominions to see that they did their part towards the rehabilitation of the nation. EMPIRE POLITICS.

His frequent visits to London have kept Sir Joseph in. close touch with more than a generation of Imperial statesmen and so enable him to speak intimately of Home politics and Home politicians. Asked about the approach" ing general election in the Old Country, he said he thought the Conservatives, led by Mr Baldwin, would go back with a working, but reduced majority. There was a feeling of unrest in political circles, however, which seemed to be making for a return to the two-party system and if this were really brought about the combined Liberal and Labour Parties would have the upper hand. The change would probably not take place at the approaching general election, since Mr Baldwin’s personal popularity would go far towards holding tho Conservatives together; but it was fairly safe to say that the new Parliament would bo a comparatively short-loved one and that some new arrangement of parties would lie evolved. There were many impending retirements on tho Conservative side and the Liberal and Labour parties were getting closer together.

THE LOCAL OUTLOOK

Returning to Dominion politics, Sir Joseph said he had not yet had time to study closely the various matters dealt with by Parliament during his absence; but he judged that most of the more important measures listed by the Government would ho held over for tho new House. But that always was the case with a last session and he had no fault to find with anyone on that score. He had looked over the Budget, of which, he thought, the Minister of Finance had made the best of a bad job, and he was sorry to have missed an opportunity to review its figures. An unpleasant feature of the accounts was that while the Minister made much of the economies he had effected tho volume of the public debt and of taxation continued to increase, 'llie position apparently required further explanation than had licen given it in the House. Outside the Dominion the figures would lie taken at their face value.