WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 201, 25 September 1916, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

STATE ENTERPRISE. £

■Special Correspondent. WELLINGTON", Sept. 22'. Socialists, Communists, and the* friends of “State interference” generally—those, that is, who will be satisfied to move along the safe constitutional lines laid down by the Minister of Mines —ought to take Ivc&rt of graceand rejoice at a statement made the other day by Mr McDonald to a deputation from the Miners’ Federation that waited upon him to discuss conditions of labour and other matters. There is a feeling abroad in many quarters /that the State coalmines are a constant drain on the Dcminion’s exchequer, and that the supply of cheap coal to a few favoured individuals is costing the country a good many thousands of pounds annually. This impression was assiduously cultivated during the time of party strife by a 'certain set of politicians, and even last session Mr G. . Andersen, the member for Mataura, who in the days of long ago was a Knight of Labour and several other things which are anathema to his present associates, protested against the unhappy taxpayer bejng compelled to pay for the socialise experiments of defunct Governments. But Mr McDonald told the deputation from the Miners’ Federation that “up to the present the State coal mines had not cost the general taxpayer a single penny.” It was true there was a deficiency upon the working of the mines, as was only to be expected at the beginning of such an enterprise, but this would be paid off in a very few years, and then a reasonabletrade profit, consistent with the purpose ox the undertaking would be made. This looks as if the more conservative ele-ment-in the National Cabinet had reconciled itself to the development of State interference along strictly business lines.

The new Labour Party which an- _ nounced its birth with some flourish of trumpets a couple of months ago seems to be confining its activities for the present to Auckland, where the old old Labour Party has been seriously shaken by internal dissensions. A Wellington worker, who disclaims any authority to speak on behalf of the local unions, but who exercises a good deal of influence among his fellows ■ s here, thinks the movement will make little progress till it definitely dissociates itself from the "Red Fed” element that has so often led it into trouble. He does not. expect to see any really effective unity among thie workers for political purposes till they provide themselves with a form which will attract a large con- * tingent of dissatisfied Liberafs to tjLiir > ranks and give them a fair fighting chance at the polls. Many of the workers who have little love for the official Liberals and less, of course, for

the official Reformers, are weary of 1 playing the part of vote-splitters elecI tion after election, and would rather defer the fight for some of their own ideals than have them rejected be- 1 yond all hope. Proportional represent ” tation, to take one plank ih the' Labour platform, is now well within the-reac-h of the truly progressive element in the country, but if this element is kept apart by Labour demanding everything it wants at once the old-estab-lished parties, favoured by the present system of representation, will keep the reform off the Statute B'ook for a dej cade, or, in fact, for just as long as | they please. This view seems sound j enough to the outsider, but unfortunj ately it is not at the moment finding much favour with the majority of the Labour leaders. In normal times the transfer of the portfolio of Lands to Sir Francis Bell while Mr Massey is engaged upon business of Imperial importance would have provoked a good deal of heatedv' criticism. Sir Francis is one of the most capable, as be is one of the most,' courteous, members of the National Cabinet, but his practical knowledge of land —on which, by the way, the Hon r - R. H. Rhodes was complimenting him in Canterbury the other day—has been acquired in an office and not .on the soil. The result is that he does not I understand the needs or the man of limited means who wants to get out I into the country and make a home for | himself there. During his temporary occupdncy of the particular pair cfthA i Prime Minister’s shoes allotted to him i the administration of the affairs of ■' | the Lands Department must be left to I the permanent heads, and these gen- ' ~ tlemen, though highly qualified to give effect to a policy, have no power and probably no inclination to vary a policy which may not readily adapt itself to a special set of circumstances. The immediate trouble arising out of this state of things is that no far-sighted provision is being made at this opportune time for the settlement of returned soldiers on t he land, and top : other matters that are calling out fun attention. There are Acts of Parfia* ment, for which Sir Francis may trusted to have the utmost respect, but Acts of Parliament without instructed ' and sympathetic interpretation maybe made a hindrance rather than a help to the purposes .they were intendei to,serve. . _ a- . , •A -- - : : Zix*. ‘ f\ .®