WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 5 August 1931, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE WEEK END.

i CRICKET BEFORE POLITICS.

" (Special Correspondent). jw WELLINGTON, August 3. Test cricket and champion football, rather than politics, have occupied the attention of the Wellington public dui ■ ing the week-end, and it is difficult yet to Bay whether tjie Government has strengthened or weakened its'position by tjie production of its Budget. That the Prime Minister has faced his difficult task with courage and candour L admitted on all sides; but that he has adopted the right course towards the solution- of an extremely difficult pro- ' blem still has to be demonstrated, tone thing admitted by all sections of \ the House, and by those outside Par* I’Tiament who have acquainted them selves with the anpupl array of figures, is I'thafr neither Mr Forbes nor any of his , colleagues have withheld information ? fto which the public is entitled. The 1 whole story ctf the year’s doings and j undoings—necessarily pot a very cheer- . fill recital—ip told simply and frank- * J y* • EXAGGERATION. Following upon the rending of the Jiudget in the House there were a fUirnUv of wild suggestions, particul* V*r|yiffom thp Labour benches, imply* *r. ing 'dhat the Government hadsdeliber* Vately set out to increase the burdens of the wage-workers. That the wageworkers suffer in this respect, as other workers do, without saying; but th@ aim of the present Government has " been, as that of. other Governments to reach equality c : f sacrifice. The new tea duty will add'* about Is 2d a yeai to the outgoings of each member of tlip community ; the new sugar duty less than 3s a year, and-the additional taxes as a wliole. about. 13s 4d a year. Beer and tobacco* and gramophones are included in this sum, and, of course, it always is open to the frugal wageworker to dispense with such luxuries. The great" need of the country is "work” and towards this end the whole community should be striving-

A PROTEST. The “Evening Post,” which cannot fairly be accused of excessive party bias, reminds both Reform and Labour •that they are not exactly playing the game towards the Government, ‘Critics of the Budget proposals if they wish their criticism to be accepted as sincere, must be prepared to show what else' they would have done,’ it says. “Faced with a similar emergency, the Reform Party, we think, would have adopted much the same course. Rescommitted to a balanced Budget, , though backbench voices have suggested spreading -tho burden. The Government has gone ns far aa Reform ever went |n eeoiiomy If iteiorm jsinow prepared to go further iletitsay where.". Turning l 6 ** 9 ‘ gently to Mr Holland and his followers the “Post” declares that Labour , has shown no capacity 'for any task save that of pulling to pieces the best constructive propose.! of the Government in a purely destructive electioneering spir_ it..

WHAT NEXT. The’ Parliamentary representative of the “Dominion,” though not pretending to be .in the full confidence of the Opposition,, is inclined to think the Government will not he ousted from office just yet. "In any event, ’ he says this morning, “the opinion seems to be general that no .good purpose can be served by forcing a dissolution o't Parliament at this stage, as there is every reason 'to believe that the de bate will run its full course of a fortnight or so. Several caucuses have been held by . the Reform Party, which has set out to present a combined \ front, but there are one or two members who are at present definitely of the opinion that the Government should'be voted out of office at once. The ousting of the Government, of course, would entail some sort of compact between Reform and Labour, and the aftermath of such a proceeding would not. be to the liking of the surviving stalwarts of the Massey regime.