WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 July 1930, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

POLITICAL REFORM

CANDIDATES AND CONTESTS

(Special Correspondent. 1 WELLINGTON, June 30. That very praiseworthy body, the New Zealand Political Association, still is dreaming dreams of a vast body of sane electors insisting upon the country being represented in Parliament by two parties, Anti-Labour and Labour. At a meeting of the committee of the organisation —which, by the way, numbers many hundreds —the 'following motion was adopted unanimously:—“That in view of the futile contests in a number of constituencies at the last general election and at the recent Hutt by-election, when seats were secured by Labour candidates owing to triangular contests, this association urges all the anti-Labour parties? to co-ordinate in the selection of candidates; for siieh seats wliete it appears essential, . and Vthfts. AWitt a repetition of the results of previous elections,,” V ;Thb Association has sent copies of tins resolution to Mr Forbes, the Leader of the United: Government, and to Mr Coates, the leader of the Reform Opposition, anddoubtless both these gentlemen will, give attention to the representations made to them. ' - • " •

A PARTY OF COMPROMISES. Whether or not the leader of the Government and the lender of the Officical Opposition will he prepared to accord with -the views bf the New Zealand Political Association is, however, 'quite another question. As the figures' .show it was the Reform Party that benefited most by vote-splitting at the general election of eighteen months ago. 'Nineteen of its members in the present House fire Minority-. Representatives, that .is, nineteen'of tfifim secured fewer than one half of the votes cast in their respective constituencies.’ As a matter of fact, Labour, except fin organisation, •far n d no better than did 'is rivals': : Half , the: Hfiuse to-dav js composed of minority representatives-.:■ Tbfi really is the trouble which is agitating the well-meaning-"' New Zealand. •T>nKtioal Association. ■ The only effipr.+Mre remedy for the evil would he to 'establish a system of proportional repro««wtnt’pii rlr'eh would give to even' e-'nsid rablo body of electors the o v aet meaSu-e of representation to which it was entitled by its numbers.

A BANKERS’ PROTEST. Bank managers holding responsible positions come' in for such promiscuous criticism, whether money Is sccarce or abundant, that it is a wonder they do not more frequently assert •'themselves and their public services in bro-ad daylight. In this respect Mr T.‘ T.’ Grose, the General Manager of the* National Bank of New Zealand, speaking at the smoke concert of the Bank Officers Guild, mentioned one or two little matters concerning banking banVing .which',should .he . more gener ally known. In .these days, .he .said,; there was a great deal of loose talk .about-the functions and., the work ofthe banks which he thought should not pass unanswered. Statements were made wildly which were not consistent with.truth. Assertions were made to Die effect that the banks did not adequately assist the primary producers. “I find from the figures of my own bank,” Mr Grose went on to say, “and T have no doubt that the figures of other banks diselcose similar conditions that just upon 50 per cent, df our advances are made directly,to people on the land.” " This seems to lie a ‘fairly conclusive answer to the critics

THE SMALL MAN. Of course it is the case of. “the small man” that is being particularly urged by the critics of the banks. ,H? is being “starved off his holding,” and “driven on the Labour market” in one capacity or another. But Mr irjrose has an answer for this dsgruntled critic. “It has been stated,” 'he went on. to say, “that the banks aie unfriendly to the ‘small man.’ Anything more removed from the actual fact would be hard to find. T venture to say that if the figures are closely examined it will be found that probably 80 per cent, or more was given as advances under £IOOO and if you take advances of £-500 they amount to probably 70 per cent. Therefore to state that the banks are not helping the small man is obviously absurd.” Needless to say the small man knows what is being done for him, and is grateful, hut the absence of speculative monev in some other quarters is 'natural! 7 irksome.