WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 7 April 1930, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE POLITICAL PARTIES

LABOUR INDEPENDENCE.

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, April 3. Judging from the breezy speech delivered by Mr Peter Fraser in the Trades Hall the other night, the “Labour Party still is ready to keep the United Party in office so long as it gives something substantial to the people,” the “people” in this case, of course,' meaning the Labour Party. Just how Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues will regard this oveiture is not difficult to foresee. They have been ready enough to accept the assistance of the Labour Party in giving effect to such measures as they have thought desirable in the intrests of the Dominion as a whole. They even may have accepted compromises when they thought a hal.f-loalf better than no bread; but in no .case, so far as the outsider pan discover, have they sacrificed .their principles to mere expediency.' That much, any rate, may be said for the Government. If the Labour Party is counting upon Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues renouncing their political faith for the sake of office it is doomed to sa'd disappointment.

FRAUDULENT PACKING

Though it has come somewhat as a shock to Wellington people to learn that the fruit and tomato growers of Otago are as addicted to “doubtful packing” as are those of the North Island, they are obtaining some consolation from tlie reflection that all sinners are not on this side of Cook Strait. The story that has come to the capital city is that in Dunedin cases each guaranteed to contain 4fi pounds of first-grade tomatoes from Central Otago opened up with only 8 pounds up to standard, 16 pounds third grade, fit only (for the frying pan, and about 22 pounds fit only for the pig. bucket. “This is a glaring case,” angry purchaser exclaimed ; /‘ ‘but •• Centra'll 'Otago is notorious for its" packing;, •' always are complaining.’ ‘Thie.yfiaek'ers are only ruining their .nym-dnjfciness;, for if the' fruiterers could ! rpiyyupdn the packs being up to tlje grade!.; better prices could the paid. Their fruit.is often, packed in the sniiie..disgraceful■ way.” And what would the founders of the church settlement spy!' ' the trunk railway! y

The “Dominion”; as in', dqtv; bound, continues' to protest against the oorib pletion of'the South Island Trunk . Railway. “Existing railways are already making a loss which this year will probably exceed a million sterh'ng” it declares. “If they cannot be made to pay a comparatively low rate of interest,'the prospect of making new and costly woi’ks through poor country a payable proposition seems Hopeless. It is not yet too late for the Government to reconsider all its capital proposals, in a severely practical way. ‘its responsibility to the nation demands such a cautious procedure which/ after all, is little more than common sense, to say nothing of ordinary, prudence.” All this might be sound enough .vore the great tract of land lying between Christchurch and Picton poor country; but being one of the most fertile areas within the 'Dominion it would be a narrow policy that would deny it the opportunityI’of 1 ’of expansion. Tt would be ’scarcely less illogical, indeed, than would have been the indefinite suspen-

sion of the North Island Trunk between Frankton and Taumaranui. THE PARTIES.

The “Post” in the course of a lead-

ing article, side, by Side with, another congratulating Sir Joseph Ward tipori the fruits of his primage duty, varus the Prime Minister against any compact with the Labour Party. ■'There’s a reasonable and acceptable a'tu native.” it says, “If tli# United Party and Reform Party will only agree upon major points of policy, thev can be wholly independent of ' aboir. Ti t re may have to be mutual <• nces'ious to assure such an agreement, but s ■ concession will be less costly to the country and to the moderate parties than the price which Labour statements •v of the impossibility of repeating the performance of last session. If they are not so convinced, we feel certain that thev lag behind public opinion in the electorates.” The • suggestion certainly is entitled to very serious consideration, hut at €lie moment the relations between the two-larger parties are not such as to make a coalition easy, or ip make it probable in the near future.