WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 May 1929, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

PRIME MINISTER.

VISIT TO TARANAKI.

(Special Correspondent).

WELLINGTON, May 7,

The Prime Minister’s triumphal march through .the Taranaki province is the talk of .the town. For fifteen years past the four electorates of the butter province have played a game of seesaw, so to speak, with their parliamentary representation,- first the Reformers and then the Liberals having a substantial majority. For the time being, however, party differences seem to have been dropped along the west coast of the North Island. The whole community, it appears, is bent upon paying honour to; the man of seventythree who has crime back to the political arena, matured and more fully informed, but not one whit older than he was twenty years ago. Even his pronounced, political - ’opponents have kind and appreciative things to say of him and they say them with the warmest personal emphasis. It is doubtful indeed if Mr Seddon and Mr Massey in the veiy heyday of their popularity ■were more warmly acclaimed than was Sir Joseph Ward in Taranaki during the week-end.

TAXATION. 1

By the announcement..of his intentirn to revise tjlie Dominion’s, system of taxation, which'has undergone many revisions since Mr Ballarice’s' repeal of the Property Tax . and', the institution of the Land and Income Taxes, Sir Joseph Ward has aroused a good deal of curiosity in commercial' and financial circles. Guessing as to the amendments the Minister has in mind has brought no further information concerning his proposals. Hie “ Evening Post,” however, has reminded him that the income tax presses more heavily than it formerly did upon enterprise, and much more heavily than land-tax presses on land industries. “Against this,” the evening paper adds, “it may be argued that income-tax is heavy only where it can be easily, borne, on the big incomes. This wriuld be a reasonable contention were it not for the iniquitous company tax which is certainly not excused by the plea of wealth.” The “ iniquitous company tax ” is an old bone of contention and may Be Sir Joseph has it steadily in view. *• , DRUNKEN ’ MOTORISTS. The “Dominion ”- this morning, taking as Its.. Text the ease.of a man and wife wtio' \vere fined in Auckland for being drunk in a motor car, pro tests, that a fine of £lO and the cancellation of his license for three months is not a sufficient penalty for such an 'offender,,..7,Wlsn.. the three, months’ suspension of i lie license is over,” the morning .paper says, “ he may again be a menace' on. the road. Some day wc may arrive- at the conviction that a motorist who is a danger to the com munity should not he given a license to drive. What would be said if a railway locomotive driver’s certificate were suspended for three months in similar circumstances? The same principle, the safety of the public, is at stake.” It is certain that no railway locomotive driver would be given an opportunity to run down a second victim and there can be no sound reason, why a drunken motorist should be treated more .leniently. RAILWAY FINANCE. The people of the North Island, speaking, generally, are not well disposed towards the early completion of the South Island Trunk Railway, and a less courageous politician than Sir Joseph Ward would not have mentioned this line to liis Taranaki audiences. Sir Joseph, howeyey, puts all his cards on the table. In his speech at Hawera he emphasised the value this line would be to the North Island “ from the point of view of cross strait traffic.” It would do as much for the North Island as it would do for the South, he declared, and he advocated its completion he was satisfied it would be in the best interests of the country. With the completion o’ the remaining eighty-lour miles there would be districts' immediately served to make the.{line payable from “tlu very jump.”’ That Sir Joseph has what he regards ;as good reasons for these conclusions," no one who knows him at all intimately will doubt, bul other people professing to be acquainted with the facts take a widely different view of the situation.