WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 March 1930, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE' POLITICAL SITUATION.

REFORM AND LABOUR.

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON 1 , March 20

The Hon. J. G. C'oates, who returned from his tour of the South Island early ju the week, expresses himself as well pleased with the cordial receptions extended to him in both Canterbury and Otago. He does not Hatter himself that all his former opponents in the Southern provinces have changed their minds and are not aching to enter the Reform fold; but he thinks lie is justified in saying that a. large proportion of them are reconsidering the political position. He is not contemplating an early dissolution of the House, and he lias no desire to embarrass the Government while its leader is on the sick list; but he realises that an extremely difficult position is arising and that no one can say how it will be overcome. He dees not understand how Mr H. E. Holland, the leader of the Labour Party, can expect to have a turn on the Treasury Benches in the near future and this is not a development he is discussing just now.

LABOUR IMPOSSIBLE. The “Evening Post,’’ which still clings to the belief that there are no essential political differences between me Uniteds and Reformers, scoffs at the idea of Mr Holland aspiring to the Premiership. “Mr Holland,” it says, “has done his party infinite harm by the persistent manner in which he Las embarrassed the Administration and inflamed the passions of ignorant and suspicious natives by his reckless attacks. When the Coates Government was in charge in could rely on the loyal support of the National Party as H was then, hut that' support was qualified by occasional reservations. There are no reservations in the support which the Reform Party is boqnd to give to a Government carryihg on I its own policy under an Administrator appointed by itself.” With all this every unbiased person acquainted with hie composition of the present House will agree; hut defeated in'one direction Labour easily might attack in another and so by ringing the changes on the other two parties make a dissolution inevitable. ETIQUETTE. OF CRICKET. Some of the newspapers'are doing an ill-service to the game of cricket by iterating and reiterating the current stories concerning the umpiring in the final Plunket Shield Match between Auckland and Wellington. “For several seasons past there lias been dissatisfaction in regard to certain umpires,” one of the Auckland journal. l js quoted as saying, “but incidents in Hie final game for the Plunket Shield at Wellington between Auckland and Wellington have brought the subject into such prominence that for the sake of the future of _.ie game, action by the controlling body is vitally necessary.” Of course if an umpire has shown himself incapable or careless he should not have a second Opportunity to offend.' “That goes without saying,” stated a cricketer of long experience in England to-day. “But in the Old Country it is not the practice to write to the newspapers about such matters. The authorities simply see that the offender does not officiate again. There is no fuss.” It certainly seems the better way.

THE NEW GOVERNOR-GENERAL

Lord mid Lady Bledisloe received yesterday a very cordial welcome from the people of Wellington, who, it may be permissible to say, were delighted to find Their Excellencies so much moiA homely and attractive than their, photographs displayed in the newspapers had represented them to be. Lady Bledisloe at once brought the crowd -to her feet by her delightful smile and her obvious enjoyment of the proceedings, and Lord Bledisloe was equally successful in at once adapting himself to the needs of the occasion. His lordship evidently had gathered a great deal of information concerning the Dominion before he left Home—much of it, no doubt, from the new High Commissioner—and at the swearing in ceremony lie talked of local unemployment, land settlement, sympathetic co-operation, and trade within the Empire, as fluently as might Hr T. M. Wilford himself. Sir Charles Ferguson and Lady Alice Ferguson will not be forgotten by a grateful people, but Lord and Lad.v Bledisloe will be welcomed very warmly a,s their successors.