WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 14 March 1929, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

UNITED PARTY. i / WHAT’S IN A NAME. a . __ \t ' (Special Correspondent.) % WELLINGTON, March 11. The United Party, whatever other mistakes it may make is not going to quarrel over a name. A prominent member of the party referring today to a statement made by Mr J. S. Fletcher, the member for Grey Lynn, however, deprecated the idea of retaining for all time a name that conveyed no idea of the purpose and aspirations of the party. The name Unionists he recalled, had brought neither fame nor stability to the Home Conservatives and ultimately they had gone back to their old title to recover their 'former status. Something of the same kind had occurred in Now Zealand. Reform as a title served the purpose of the Opposition to the Liberal Government well enough until its bearers ceased to reform and then its mana began to decay. In a' short time, in the opinion of this authority, both the charm and the significance of United Party will have vanished. History seems-to be on.the side, off this prophet. A LUCKY OFFENDER. The sentence of two years reformative detention pronounced by Mr Justice Adams upon a defaulting solicitor in Christchurch on Fridrfy has occasioned both surprise and adverse criticism hero. “There was nothing in the facts adduced that entitled the accused to consideration,” says the “Dominion” editorially. “For some years he has systematically, or, at any rate uninterruptedly, defrauded his clients ‘robbing Peter to pay Paul.’ He wound up his career of fraud : with a heavy deficit in certain of his trust funds and then bolted to escape the consequences of his crime.” Mr A. T. Donnelly, the Crown Prosecutor, who never loses an. opportunity to emphasise mitigating circumstances when they exist, said of this young man that his conduct was inexcusably dishonest and that there was no mitigating circumstances. There was not a sign or gleam 'of conscience in his statement. .‘ .’lt was more or less an impudent admission of a- long course of dishonesty. In the circumstances local opinion appears to be justified. f MOTOR TRANSPORT. The Hon. W. A. Veitch, the Minister in Charge pif;; the recently constructed Department of ‘ ' Transport seems likely full during the next few'inbiitfis: Already burdened with Labour, Mines, Pensions and Electoral Departments, he now has to meet clamorous demands for reform and expansion in his hew department. The. Minister is facing the position with cheery resignation. “I look into the future with a great deal of optimism,” he told a deputation from the North and South Island Motor Unions that waited upon him the 'other day, “because I sincerely believe that if we work together and trust each other as we should, we should be able to bring about very substantial improvement in the. methods of carrying on the great industry of motor transportation throughout New" Zealand.” It certainly will not be through any lack of enthusiasm should Mr Veitch (fail to bring about the results he is expecting. He already has collected a vast amount of information concerning the problem and is eagerly applying himself to Its solution. RAILWAY CONSTRUCTION*. The Prime Minister during his vis-, it to Gisborne prepared the public for the announcement made on Saturday to the effect that the North Island East Coast Railway, the South Island Main Trunk Railway, the Glen-hope-Murchison lino and the Auck-land-Taranaki line were to be pushed on as speedily as possible. Now that the decision is definitely made by the Cabinet the critics of so large an order—when it was in contemplation—are disposed to accept the view that if these railways are to lie built at all it will be well to push on their construction so as to save the cost of idleness. It is recalled that the East and West Coast railway in the South Island just upon doubl'd its cost by delay in its construction . c: the remaining portion of the * land Main Trunk is in pinch C * -•-■'••• plight. Whether the com <‘ l the broken lines is going to m milters remains to he seen.