WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 November 1929, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE CLOSING SESSION. 1

CLEARING THE ORDER PAPER

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Nov. 4

The House of Representatives, we. satisfied with the volume of its wor last week ,has made up its collectiv mind to bring the session to a do. before Saturday iiext. The Acting leader of the House, the Hon. G. Y, lorl.es, who has been in daily con municalion with his absent chief, ha displayed d rdo.natie measures of tat and of resolution that have material], facilitated the progress of busines; and the Right Hon J. G. Coates, th leader of the Reform Opposition, ha not unduly exercised his privilege 0 criticism. The Tran port Laws Amend ment Bill, among the measures n n aining on the Order Paper, was re gnrdecl with suspicion in many quar tens, hut as the Hon W. A. Veitch the Minister of Transport, announcer on Saturday, in reply to a question pu to. him by Mr’J. A. Nash, the membe for Palmertson, that the Governmen intended to modify the measure “i the direction of eliminating content ions clauses,” it does not seem likel; to seriously retard the progress 0 ■business.

LABOUR AT HOME. Though the results’ of the munici ,pa Elections at Home have no particular bearing upon the politica situation in New Zealand, the appar out sweeping victory of the Laboui Party in the Oid Country is the subject of much speculation here to-day. If, as a ■ cable message states, tin Conservatives have lost majorities in sixty-five boroughs, the Liberals 16 and the independents 16, while Labour ha. won 100; then-,' according to those t< whom the wish is father to the thought, the municipal 'Elections just decided show that the growing popularity of Labour dcinonstrfited at • the parliamentary election of five or six montin ago has continued -to expand. The same tendency, says a ’disinterested local observer, unattached to any political party, is obvious here at the pre sent time, and if the Liberal Government- survives for another two sessions it will be succeeded by a Labour Government of the type‘of the one ruling in the Home Land tb-dav. It is a pro phecy that may come true.

THE EMPLOYMENT PROBLEM The Opposition Press having denounced the Government’s method oi relieving unemployment more or lesextravagantly is now offering useful suggestions to the authorities. •‘■‘•The present policy” it says; “present other problems besides those of wages and ways and means. There is;-as already mentioned, the artificial • reduction oi the Dominion’s labour 'reserves at a time when an increasing demand will be made on them. . . There is also the difficulty of placing men who cannol accept work far from home. The family man should not be penalised.” These points certainly are worthy o consideration. Relief works, after all. are relief works, and if- a married man with a family of three or foui dependent upon him i.s paid only the standard wage, then surely the unmarried man without dependants coulel get along with a smaller wage or could find other employment. Sentiment might count in either-case, but sentiment. for the support of a family is more appealing than sentiment for the maintenance of a given rate of pay.

NO' CONFIDENCE. At the moment °f writing word has been telephoned announcing the intention of Mr H., E. Holland, the leader of the, .Labour Party, to table a motion of no-confidence in the Government on the ground of its refusal to restore “the cut” in the salaries of Post Office employees. The motion was quite unexpected by the members of either of the other parties an hour ago, and its significance and purpose still are not understood. It is certain there has been no personal rupture between the United Party and the Ihbour Party. It is suggested that the Labour Pary is simply giving effect to a promise it gave to the Post Office employees during the election campaign and (that it is counting upon the Reform Party voting with the Government. This would be a rather hazarduous. experiment, however, and it inevitably would lead to an appeal to the constituents at a most inopportune time for labour.