WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 1 October 1928, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

the Bussing pairs. GOVERNMENT WHIT EXPLAINS. (Special to “Guardian”.) ‘ WELLINGTON," Sept.: 27. The statement made Mr J. S. Dickson,; the senior Government Whip, yesterday edhcerniig the-.'missing pairs in the‘ important divisions 'on the Licensing Bill seems to exonerate the Prime Minist^r.-)ffpjpr;;^ll; : ,hJaTOfe.iin“4Ke.; msit-: ter. :hea<L ;bf •in Government can - not he|.Expected d\irin" the sitting of Parliament;Ao give* his personal attention: -the affairs of'the Whips’, roorrtk O representations or requests : mJtde in tliis respect he naturally ~ jtasses on to - his delegate. • Air Dickson’s; explanation of the position appears to he perfectly frank and open. '>Both ; the -Hon W’. • Nosworthy’ and .ATr?'joi-dan, a't appears, informed tne Government;Whip that they had no wish to be paired on the third reading ..of j-the Licensing Bill and they were .taken at their word. In the circumstances it. ( seems strange that Air. Nosworthy, who was so anxious to be paired on ,the principal issues, of the. Bill, and who" last year supported the "third reading, should have excused hiinself fromthe final division. That, however, is the Aiinister’s. own affair. :0 NuVfJ SESSION AND ELECTION. ,It is'..expected! now that the last session of<the present Parliament will close at the end - -of next week -and that the election campaign then will begin :in real earnest; Alinisters- are just as anxious as private members are to : get away to'their constituen-cies-—perhaps a little more so—and there Will be no superfluous talking in the House, unless it is of the kind that can be turned to electioneering

amount. In the Legislative Council

, Sjf ffraucis Bell has such a fast hold upon ; the regard and confidence of councillors that they can he speeded .up to: any rate of legislation circumstances may appear to -demand. There ■is- • a good - deal of .speculation as to whether or not an early, prorogation, and dissolution will hasten the general election, The decision of the date.-of the polling- -is the perogative of the Prime ‘Minister, and some politicians standing -near ■ the throne predict that the polling will not take place till the middle, of November. • '• ! r) THE :TJNIPKD PARTY..;. - ; ■7 * ill'::-; .: The, production of the; -.Annual [Taxing JBiil -. by! the’-'-Hon; X D. Stewart, the Minister of Finance in the House of Representatives last night brought. Sir Joseph Ward to his feet- with one or two cautious indications of the financial policy of the United Pnrrt He held strongly to the principles 'that the small farmer should be exempted, as Tar as possible from tax a tio'n and that the large landholder, without being victimised on account of his- holding, should contribute his fair share to the needs of the country. He was not in favour of imposing double taxation upon the producer in any shape or form, but equality of sacrifice was the goal to be rear’, ed. Turning to more personal subjects, in' answer to an interjection from’ the,. Hon. R. A. Wright, Sir Joseph said he would he very glad to meet the Minister of Education in his own district; hut he was not going to wander over the whole face of the country during the election campaign.

> DAYLIGHT saving. the question of daylight savin# was raised at a meeting of the Council of the Wellington Chamber of Commerce pn v Monday evening and a number of speakers expressed themselves as ankidus to preserve: at least some part- of ytlie' advantages of Summer Time?'" it was mentioned that a Select a Committee bad reported to Parliament against the adoption of local Simpler-. Time, bui had recimmended i *i;Vt ■ the. (?>"'enpmcnt -honld introduce • luring llm'; present ;1 m*-a>ut <* advaitcipg the dork ' i>y hull mu uoiir ifvora thet-middle of October an til Into in M&etfd .I‘rime. Minister had stated that be would make a pronouncement On the ..subject in a da.' or two,d and. it was thought hv. the speakers *that he should be urged to accept stlie [Com rn.it te’sj recommendation.. A motion to this effect "as adopted -and promptly communicated to Air Coates,. The' half hour concession would he web omed by a great majority of the workers in the city, hut they would regard it only as a step towards the- full, hour they were determined ,to secure next year.