WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1931, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

lA VENERABLE FIGURE. AFTER FIFTY YEARS. (Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, July 2. In the Legislative Council yesterday the .'Hon. Edwin -Mitchelson, who first entered Parliament as member for Marsden in 1881, and now is in his eightysixth year, moved the Address-in-Replv to the Speech of His Excellency, the Governor-General at the opening of the current session with a vim and a clarity which would not have -disgraced a politician of half his years. Sir Edwin was in the Atkinson successive Ministries of 1883, 1884, and 1887-91 and subsequently sat in the House as a private member until the dissolut on of the twelfth Parliament in 1896. It was not until June 1920 that he was appointed to the Legislative Council, after an absence of just upon a quarter of a century from active politics - , and since then he has shown that age, as the philosopher' has it, ‘‘is a matter of feeling, not of years,” There are members of the other branch of the Legislative much less alert than is this sturdy veteran. ; - FORTY-FOUR YEARS AGO.

In view of recent Happenings. it is interesting to recall that forty-four years agoj Sir, Edwin Mitchelson, then Minister of Public .Works, in the fifth Atk : nson Ministry, introduced 'to 'the- House of (Repfeserftatives a Bill ’designed to remove the' management of the Railways from all party and political influences and to place them under the independent control of commissioners. “Ever since the inauguration of our railway system, ’ he maintained to the House, referring of course, to its removal from the provinces to the State, “dissafisfact’on has existed, and year by year this dissatisfactipn has grown to such an extent that we now find the public from one lend of the country to the other clamouring for a change." The Bill passed tthrough both branches of the Legislature and remained the law of the land until 1894 when the Seddon Government reinstated political control which- wan maintained until the appearance of Mr Eorbes on, the scene, last year when" Sir Edwin, still a stalwart Reformer, had ithe satisfaction of seeing his policy revived. ' :

LICENSING POLL. In this morning’s paper the Hon A. I). McLeod makes the very opportune suggestion that the Licensing Poll . due this year should be postponed until a more convenient season. “As far as one can learn in private conversations,” Mr '.McLeod says, “politicians, the trade and no license believers would welcome a respite over the coming general elections ; but apparently none care to make the first public move, under the fear that such would, or could, be misinterpreted to the disadvantage of one or the'other’s interests. If the opinion of tha man in the street be a guide, there is little doubt but quite 99 p=r cent, of voters are favourable to postponement.” Perhaps the-“man in the .street” is not the most reliable authority upon a matter of .this kind ; but it Ts certain that many “LVoiLieense*’ advocates would be glad to see the triennial poll postponed to a more convenient season. The time is not opportune for the solution of such a problem.

CRICKET. Needless to say Wellington is as much elated by the brilliant showing of the N?w Zealand cricketers in their sole test match against the Home players, as is every centre, great and small, throushout- the Dominion. The Press Association—which means the newspapers of the country—has done its part of the service admirably, supplying just the .information required by the cricketing public and not confusing the- casual reader. The local critics of the play and players have attempted rather much, in view of their distance from the scene of action : but they Have some rest to the pros and cons the fire-side authorities might have missed. The lesson of it all, expounded by thp players themselves, is the display of ch p 'erv effort- and sustained thoroughness. V’w Zealand Hns not vet—perhaps by a long way established itself as the hub of t v, e cricketing world ; but :+ hns 7l'->n ruish,nt--ed.'to the Motherland that Hi's is one of the goals to which it- is r-limbmg.