WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 18 June 1930, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE SESSIONS.

PREPARATIONS AND POLISH

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, June 10

Again the approach of - the session lias lent ail air of hussle and activity to Parliament House and its surroundings. Ministers of the Crown, heads of departments, -the rank and file of every degree are devoting themselves sedulously to tluiir various jobs and the “Buildings” generally are taking on the appearance of activity that will distinguish them during the next three or four months. The fact of a new Government taking possession of the Treasury Benches in the middle session of a Parliament which seems likely to lie beset by many difficult problems, has given rise tc various speculations concerning the representation of the Dominion at the Imperial Conference, but apparently the Prime Minister is bent upon the Dominion being adequately represented at this important gathering. It was stated a little while ago that Mr Forbes himself was anxious to make the trip, and in ordinary circumstances it would be his duty to do so; hut with a dozen intricate problems awaiting solution here such an arrangement would scarcely . satisfy $ n critical public. »

AN ALTERNATIVE.

As an alternative to a short session and Hie postponement of a dozen pressing problems, it has been suggested that Sir Thomas Sidey, supported by Sir Thomas Wilford, the High Commissioner, might very well he entrusted with the representation of Now Zealand at the approaching Empire gathering. It is true that Sir Thomas Sidey is at present tied im by his duties as leader of the Leg:' -

lative Council, no mean office in tlie direction of the affairs Of the Dominion; but there are half a dozen capable substitutes that could relieve him (lining the concluding weeks of the session. Happily the relations between the parties in the Legislative Council are of such a character that there would be no squabbling there over the appointment of the Speaker’s locum tenons. Kir®* Francis Bell, who innsided over the council for thirteen years during the Reform regime, and wl:o accompanied the Right lion. J. Coates to the imperial Conference : n 1920, would mala* a very admirable ’•lwtitute, could he be persuaded to take up “hard labour” again.

MINISTER AND PUBLIC SERVICE

Among the many expressions of appreciation that have' been addressed '-'o Sir Joseph Ward during the last i'ew weeks in acknowledgment of his public services and his eonsistonr, thought and courtesy, none could be more happily expressed than the one piv*!->etiled to him by the .secretary of

'■ • Public Service Association lasi week. “There is no one,” a paragraph in the'warm appreciation runs, ‘‘who has had the interests of the Service more at heart than you have bad.

iid the public servants of New Zealand owe you a deep debt of gratitude as the author of many istatutes that have materially improved the condit- : '->ns of ilie Service. . . . Wo trust that your health may ho so far restored as to enable von for many years to* offer to the Dominion the. advice and counsel which vnur wide oxper- : e«cc and statesmanlike foresight en•Mp yon. ahovb all others, to give.” '’I r .Tospnli, replying to (his high enlof'h’s own cfTe-ts to nlacc the r ’iv'l Por”i'-e on a sound basis emuhnsafresh the imno' , tance of thorough ness and efficiency.

pumtCf land

Pumice hind in general whie”h seemed at one time likely to become morolv a hone of contention between th° •'obticinns. appears at least to he on a !f air wav towards developing into a national asset of some considerable

■consequence. The-Hon; K. A. Ransom, "ho. exchanged Public Works for nd in the fastest redistribution oi portlohos, lias taxon t lie matter in ■and seriously, and told the world at large the other day that the Government “was not merely talking about the job,” but was “doing it.' - ’ This ■s mtirely satisfactory so far as it goes • hut the “Keening Post”, which '"•s tat-ou something more than a stip- ■■ r'h-ial view of the situation, suggests i'-at progress should he made with the utmost eiroumspectiou. “Pumice

■ ■■<! is not all bad,’ ’it says, “hut it vet lias to he proved Unit all pumice '•’ dis good or relatively good.” A Western Australia scheme, which some veers ago provided lor the expendi-

ture of ten millions upon the development n f land of this character, .appears

jo have gone sadly astray, and Now Zealand cannot afford to embark upon adventures of such dimensions.