WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 February 1930, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

PARTIES AND POLITICS,

CONTINUED ACTIVITIES

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Feb. 20,

The rumour that Sir Joseph Ward was returning to Wellington to-morrow lor the purpose of tendering his resignation to the Chief Justice, the Administrator of the Doraiiiion’s affairs pending the arrival of the new Gov-ernor-General, seems to have placed all ■ the political parties on the alert, .save the one that, would have been chiefly concerned; had the story been true. The United Party, probably being a little better informed than the other parties, , has continued to pursue the ejven tenor of its way without any sign of perturbation. . The Prime Minister, it seems, is coming to Wellington to attend to.matters that demand his personal presence, and whether he returns to Rotorua or remains here for the rest of the recess depends entirely upon the need for his presence. His own inclination is to settle down to work in the Parliamentary Buildings and “ get on with his job,” but doctors are hard masters, and it may be they will decree a. further course of baths for their patient.

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION. The Reform Party made a, timely demonstration in Hamilton, early in the week, the Hon- T, G. Coates- himself, Mr A. Al. Samuel the member for Thames, and, Mr J. A. Young the member . for Hamilton, being the star speakers. The. net result of their efforts were resolutions reaffirming the confidence of the Reform Party in Mr Coates, determining to give him wholehearted support in the future, and pronouncing him a “ jolly good fellow,” tributes which all were ' deserved. Mr Coates specialized very appropriately. upon the urgent need for a better understanding between capital and. labour. “ The keynote of success in I ..the,# Dominion at the present juncture.,” he said, “ is greater production, backed up by prudent administration ;yid in all cases governed by a full economic investigation of expenditure.” Tins is one ef Mr Coates’s happiest appeals, and no one doubts the sincerity with which it is uttered; but Labour, in its perversity, refuses .to be captured.; It prefers to dream of tin* realisation of its own dreams.

LABOUR. Air H. IT Holland, the leader of the Labour Party, is far too good a tactician to be discussing party-politics with’ the ’session of Parliament still lour months away. His turn in this direction will c-ome some time after the delivery of the Governor’s Speech, which need not be expected before the first week in August. Meanwhile, All Holland is playing the party game at least as astutely as are his contemporaries. Sir Joseph Ward was in duty hound to lit the newspapers know at the earliest possible moment that the Government was in no .way associated with Commodore Blake’s suggestion that ha rah measures should be employed towards the Samoans. But with all liis promptitude the Prime Alinisu-. v, as not far enough ahead of Air Holland to escape the innuendo that the uovornment had failed to promptly dissociate itself from the Commodore’s suggestions for the disciplining of the refractory Samoans. He chose to observe that it would be interesting to see what the Government thought ol w. matter. The head of the Government already had spoken.

A FOURTH PARTY. For some months past a new organisation styling itself the New Zealand Political Association has been striving to establish itself in Wellington with a view, it would seem, of dissociating the broad principles of politics from the malign influence of parties. At the monthly meeting of the executive this week Mr E. Salnrond, the president of the Association, a prominent business man and chairman of the Associated Chambers of Commerce, stated that just upon 1000 members had been enlisted in Wellington alone, and that the. time was ripe lor a wider, distribution. of the propaganda of the organisation. It was not expected, he said, that all its members would think alike, but it was hoped they would join in an honest effort to return to Parliament, irrespective of Party, the men best qualified to promote the highest interests. of the whole community. The ideal is a high one, worthy of the sympathy of every patriotic person, but i|s practical application may prove quite another matter. Anyway the association deserves its opportunity.