WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 28 June 1929, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS

DAN NED LITERATURE

AUCKLAND’S STAND

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, June 25

Though tlie committee of the AuckIc.ncl Public Library linve done quite tiie right thing in denying a place on :ts shellcs to a hook it regards as unfitted for general circulation, the han it lias placed upon “All Quiet on the Western Front,” the production of a Gorman who served during the war, is more likely to help than to hinder the circulation of the volume. .Reviewers at Home have declared the 'English version of the work one of the most !ei-ihle end c miming condemnations M' war that ever has been 'written, this may, he true enough, hut, ns a local reviewer puts it, “ the 'fact that tlie purpose of this hook is to shook and arouse public sentiment to the horrors and degradation of war does not make it any the less open to question whether it is suitable for ; the general circulation of a public library.” However good the intentions of the author may have been the hook certainly is not one for indiscriminate reading. THU EE-PARTY PARLIAMENT. The approaching session of Parliament obtains particular interest from the fact that the House of Representatives for the first time in its history will find itself led by a party representing little more then a third Of its members. Sir Joseph Ward is supported by twontv-six Unilods, the Right Hon. .1. (I. Coates by twentysix Reformers, and Mr H. IC. Holland by nineteen Labourites, while four Independents have thrown their lot in with the Unitcds for the time being and Sir Charles Statliam, the present Speaker has abstained from attaehin himself to any party. The three-part" system actually began in the Dominion' in 1919, when at the general election of that year Reform with 260,972 votes secured forty-four European seats while Liberals (the predecessors of Unitcds), Labour and Independent s with 319,083 votes between them seemed only twenty-two seats. In 1922 tlu< Reform Party was saved from defer t by the capture of two faint-hearted Liberals and three of the four Mnor seats. Jn 1925 Reform swept the conn try, securing fifty-two seats with ft we than, one half the votes polled. Nov Sir Joseph 'Ward is to show what h can do with thirty followers in oppps'tion to forty-five potential opponents. UNDISMAYED. Sir Joseph Ward is approaching h‘ formidable task undismayed. He wn confined to his room for a day or tv last week, casting off a cold be cor tracted .during bis pro-sessional tour ( the two islands; but the wheels did m cease to go round during Ins brief id senee from his office and the lobbies ns his staff and heads of department bad reason to observe. He accepts th assurance of bis political opponentthat be will be given a fair run and 1 - asks and wishes for no more. He r eognises that the session must be aarduous one, and lie is prepared for i being a long one; but lie hopes thn the House will get down to Inisiner quickly and avoid any unnecessary d' lays. Mr Coates having taken up h residence in Wellington, as the ccntr of the Dominion’s political world, i not allowing the grass to grow undr bis feet, and His Majesty’s Oppositenrolmblv will be a bigger factor in tl new Parliament than it has been i my other since the war. OUR GERMAN GUESTS.

The correspondence columns o'f tl local newspapers continue to harbor 'retests against the hospitality being extended to the Dominion’s Gorinar visitors. This morning they are re lie'. M by an appeal from Mr T. B. Arno 1 which will bear repetition. “ Fcr Heaven's sake,” writes Mr Arnot, “lo us bury the hatchet and cultivate a ’itile courtesy, even if much ebariiv 1 not forthcoming. Charity covereth a multitude of sins—even our own. f am not a German. No one could ha l ' detested the Germans more than nr. self during the war. My own fainilv Millered badly, but also did some dam•go. The evil deeds of a few should not distort one’s view.of the whole nation, any more than. bad we a murderer in our midst a slur should be east, on all Now Zealanders.” Wellington itself appears to have renounced tb • '•old-hearted attitude towards the visitors urged by some of the newspaper -orrespondonts and to be ready to extend all the usual courtesies to tin crew of the Ennlon.