WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1929, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

-SPOILS TO THE VICTORS. - A PERENNIAL PROTEST. (Special Correspondent,) WELLINGTON, July 8. During the first working week of the new Parliament there were in the House of Representatives several sinister allusions to “ spoils to the victors,” implying that the present Government, or one or another of its predecessors, had distributed its favours without due regard to the deserts or the services of their recipients. The “Evening Post” deals hut lightly with the matter. “No Government,” it says, “ can be expected to overlook entirely the proof of superior intelligence and judgment which are demonstrated by approval of its policy, or the capacity indicated by vigorous support of the party at the polls. Moreover there is a reason for taking this support into account. It betokens sympathy and knowledge, and where the nominee is expected to he the representative of the Government and the interpreter of its policy on some board or council he may be expected to discharge his duties better because he is in agreement with the policy.” This view may be perfectly sound so far as the appointments of Government representatives on local bodies are concerned, but it scarcely holds good in some of the cases that have been cited in the House.

SKELETONS IN THE CUPBOARD. ! ‘ „ ' The complaint of Mr Kyle, tlie metn her for Riccrrton, that the present Government lias supplanted the previous Government’s representative on some local body in Canterbury by a gentleman known tb he personally well disposed towards Sir Joseph Ward and his policy is sufficiently answered hv the contention of the “ Evening Post.” The Government is given representation on such bodies in order that its views may he adequately expressed to the representatives of other interests, •hist whether the Hon. AY. A. A'eitch, tlie Minister of Labour, in replying to the remarks of tlie Right Hon. J. G. Coates upon tlie South Island Trunk Railway, was justified in implying that the leader of the Opposition had not dealt with the matter impartially is open to ouestion. The- Minister,- however. bad lie wished to deal with “ spoils ” at all, might have found more obvious material on which to base his criticism. No Government after sixteen years of office can he without skeletons of one kind or another in its cupboard. Those of the Reform Government were all available to Mr and he need not have gone ,so far afield for the doubtful specimen lie produced.

“NO PETTY TACTICS.” One of the most pleasing contributions to the talking in the House of Representatives last week was a frank statement by the leader of the Opposition of the attitude he and his part}’ would maintain while the new Government was framing and developing its policy. “As I see the position, and as honourable members around me see the position,” M,r Coates said, “ we think that the political situation in New Zealand to-day is not sitcli that party tactics should be resorted to. This is a time when the whole-hearted thought of men who have their country’s interests at heart is required. Further than that, we are anxious to see whether the new Government can put into effect the promises that it made. If it is able to bring back prosperity and a condition of affairs that is' in the interest of our community in the very widest sense, then I personally shall be satisfied.” All this, it must be admitted even by Mr Coates’s political opponents, is characteristic of the man, and whatever may he the outcome of the session just opened it is certain it will not be marred by party wrangling.

VETERINARY SCIENCE. The annual conference of the New Zealand Veterinary Surgeons’ Association held here last week demonstrated the fact that the organisation has made very considerable progress during the year or so of its existence. At the luncheon, which marked the social side of the gathering, members of Parliament, including the Minister of Agriculture, the president of the Scientific Research Department, members of the medical profession and other high authorities, bore testimony to the value of the Association to the agricultural and pastoral industries and indeed to the country at large. Among the speakers was Mr C. S. M. Hopkirk, the officer in charge of Wallaceville Laboratory, who, in proposing the toast of Scientific Research in New Zealand, declared that the disemination of knowledge was the greatest problem confronting his profession at the present time. Wireless, newspapers, and journals all were available, generously, hut the difficulty was to got the farmer to listen or read. If the farmer would do neither of these things—if lie would not do both of them if he had the facilities—it was a great loss to himself and might he an ill service to the whole community.