WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 27 September 1930, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE JARGON HABIT. SOME EXAMPLES. (Special Correspondent A . ; WELLINGTON, September 25. The “Dominion” this morning, loregoing politics and platitudes for tho •time being, quotes some examples of political jardon which are multiplied many tunes over in the House of Representatives. “Jargon of the kind quoted from the Unemployed Bill,” it ,say?,, “is the common refuge of people unable to think clearly or express themselves intelligibly. A perfect example elf political jargon is to be found m tlie official platform of the Labour Party, ‘the socialization of the. means of production, distribution and exchange.’ No Labour politician has yet been able to make this intelligible to tlie pub* lie.” Many examples of United aiu} Reform jargon a® well as examples of Labour jargon, are to bp found in “Hansard” even after the reporter? have done' their best to convey to the public the intentions of the speakers’ speeches.' The “Dominion” does not suggest any remedy for this state oT affairs' and probably none will be di«r covered until the reporters are empowered to omit -knell stuff as the morning paper describes as jargon. BANKS AND TAXATION.

Sir Henry Buckleton, the general manager of the Bank of New Zealand, who does not often appear in print, handed, to the “Evening Post” yesterday a copy of a spirited protest lie had addressed to the Acting Prime Minister against the reiterated assertion that the banks were passing on to their customers, and, so to £he public at large, the jncrea.se in the npte tax which has been imposed up them. “Under this inequitable system, alone this bank, hq says, referring to his own banfc, “will pay this year £58,847 over and qfjpve an assessment if made in the. ordinary \yay were it merelly a limited copipativ.” Sir Henry goes on to show that his bank has no intention of passing' on the increase of 10 per cent:, which will amount to . £17,865. In concluding his ‘letter he urges the Minister to'take the earliest opportunity tp submit to the House the whole otf tlie facts and so make the public correctly informed on the subject. IMPENDING ELECTIONS, . Just at the moment, so far as Wellington is concerned, the two impending 0 by-elections—that, in the Waipawa Constituency and.that in the Western Maori district—arc. occasioning more general interest than are the proceedmgs in Parliament. Mr Edward Jull, the United candidate for the Waipawa seat; has made a very promising beginning in. the campaign, and his friend* are predicting that his defeats by Sir George Hunter in 1911, 1914 and 1919 will be amply reserved in a contest' with a less formidable opponent. The Reform candidate for the seat is Mr William Tucker, a younger man than Mr Jull and a much less experienced one. There are three can-, didates for the Maori seat, and on paper, Mr H. T. Ratana, Sir Maui Pomare’s opponent at the generaLelection appears to be making headway.In any case the contest will be a keen one, and the result, whatever it may be, will not give the Dominion another Sir Maui Pomare, who defeated Mr Ratana in 1?28 by 4674 to 1846. THE PARTIES. The Reform Party has awakened to the fact that the appearance of Mr Jull in the contest for the vacant Waipawa seat presents a very grave menace to the seat the late vSir George Hunter held for tlie party from 1911 until his much regretted death some weeks ago. The organ of the party is.alive to the situation. “The question for the electors to decide,” it says this morning, “it whether in the present condition of the country, they should declare for the Reform Party with proved leadership, administrative experience and a policy that is progressive while based on sound principles, or vote for a continuance of the present Government by the inexperienced and hesitating, with no settled policy and dependent on tlie will of Mr Holland and the Labour Party.” All this apart it is interesting to recall that at the election of 1911 Mr Jull ran Sir George to 569 votes, in 1914 138 and in 1919 208, Mr Jull’s opponent next month will require to be at least as 1 popular as Sir George Hunter was to hold the seat for Reform.