WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 24 May 1933, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

ABROAD AND AT HOME

THE ECONOMIC CONFERENCE

(Special to “Guardian.”)

WELLINGTON, May 16

With Parliament prorogued for an indefinite period ; with the Prime Min ister well on his way to the World 'Economic Conference in London, and with his Tocum-tene% comfortably e»* tablish-ed in his chief’s quarters, it is not necessary to dwell at any length upon .a story that was put about a fortnight or so ago. It was to the effect that Mr Forbes and Mr Coates were at logger-heads and likely to dissolve the ■Coalition pact in the .near future. “Although Mr Forbes is Prime Minister,” the story ran, “it is known that major decisions on .all important policy questions 'are dictated by Mr Coates, who, a s Minister of Finance, i 6 in close touch with all financial and economic problems. In the past few months Mr Coates has dominated the consideration of ,a H external questions and Mr Forbes has had to take -a. back sent.” In .regard to this thrUst it i s only necessary to say Mr Foi bes has suffered no indignity in handing Mr Stewart’s surrendered portfolio to Mr Coates.

MORE TMAGIN-VTION.

Warming to his story this imaginative authority proceeded to the garnishing or its details. “The Prime Minister, it is understood,” h e added tentatively, “expressed a desire to be the Dominion’s delegate, but Mr :Conte 6 is said to be determined that the principal representative of the Dominion shall be himself, particularly since lie has been in touch with the various .problems which will face the Conference. His view apparently is that he alone should sPeak for New- .Zealand, because of his special knowledge of’ relevant questions. He thinks that he and the Hon. ‘Robert. Masters, Minister of Industries and Commerce, should be the .representatives of the Dominion. Last Wednesday s Cabinet meeting was responsible for an exhibition of feeling on th<> part of both leaders -and it is no exaggeration to say that Cabinet iis seriously sP 11 on the question.” At thi lS stage, according to the authority just quoted, there was some danger- of New Zealand not being (represented at all at tlhe Conference. ''That, considering all the circumstances, would have been a deplorable denouncement.

THE PARTY LEADERS

It is scarcely, necessary to say there has been no 'such misunderstanding between members of the C oa, ition C abinet a 6 the one which has l°au indicated—or perhaps one should say concocted—by the enterprising journalist just men. tioned. It is true that Mr Stewart, the highly capable Minister of Finance «n the Coates Government, and subsequently in the GpalitiQit Government, laid dowD his portfolio two or three months agdirathepAhan -followa. -financial couijs.c ofSylMcK'lte'fllisffPJw'b'ved . But this. was simply : a difference of opinion, a difference ,cio marked that the minority-of one .could mot give way to the majority, and so .a highly valued Minister was lost for. the time being to the Dominion. The idea of Mr Forbes and Mr Coates - quarrelling across the Cabinet room table over the constitution of the Dominion’s delegation to the Economic Conference js simply ludiwous and mo'e than a little vulgar. As for Mr Coates, he has too much on his shoulders as Ministertof Finance to make the journey, and the Prime Minister ha s nQ other colleague yet seasoned for th e undertaking. .

THE COST

In view of the relative cost of the Ottawa “Conference last year, it • looks ■as if this country may have to pay substantially for this second excursion’ of its representatives to the other end : of the world. Mr Forbes and Mr Masters .have confined theiv retinue to ia secretary apiece and a professo r of economics between them ; but they expect to be away for four or five months, and to cover a great deal more ground than any of their predecessors attempted. Professor Tocher's story of Low he came to be included in the excursion will hear repetition. ‘My notice has been very short indeed, ’ the Professor told a gathering of his friends in Christchurch, a couple of days before his sailing. “I knew nothing about it until Tuesday morning. I had been watching the capping procession and when I got back to my office J found a mess-age asking me to telephone a Wellington number.” Ot co unse the message was from the Prime Minister and to-day the distinguished professor is on his way to London.