WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 9 July 1917, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

EMPIRE .CONFERENCE. DIVEEGENT VIEWS. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINTON, July 6. The discussion in the House of the statements made by Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward in connection with their trip Home was very much in the nature of a dress-rehearsal of the debate on the Address-in-Keply. Members followed one another with rather monotonous unanimity in saying the obvious things in the obvious way and at the end of it all the net result was many pages of "Hansard" filled for the most part with sonorous platitudes and pointless trivilities. The most interesting departure from the beaten track of conventionality was made by Mr. Malcolm, who declined to join with the Prime Minister in regarding a preferential; (customs tariff 'jas the one thing needful towards the unity and greatness of the Empire. The member for Clutha grew absolutely eloquent in his dissent from the view expressed by his party leader. He would not have the Empire striving after Imperial selfsufficiency and he would not follow a war of flesh and blood with a war of tariffs and retaliations.

THE OTHEESIDE. Challenged in this way by a member of his own party, Mr. Massey could not help devoting the greater part of his reply to an exposition of the ad- * vantages of Imperial prcfrence. He did not lack encouragement from a sym--1 pathetic House, which marked its approval at almost every pause, but he did not handle the for protection quite so adriotly as Mr Malcolm had.handled those for free trade. When he claimed that preference to the Dominions would not increase the prices of commodities to the consumers at Home, the member for Clutha naturally wanted to know what advantage the Dominions were going to obtain from the arrangement. To this very pertinent question the Minister I deigned no reply, but he went on to - explain that preference would increase production and in this way would keep prices down. Though the House evidently was better disposed towards the view of the practical man of affairs than towards the criticism of the political economist, it must be confessed the man of affairs did not present his case very convincingly.

ELECTORAL REFOEM. Mr. Veitch, the member for Wanganui, has introduced bright and early his Proportional Eepresentation and Effective Voting Bill which went so near to getting its second reading in the House of Sfchree years ago. How far the Bill will progress this year depends, of course, upxon the measure of consideration it receives from the Government, but at. the moment It seems to be less favourably placed than it was throe years ago. At that time the parties were in active opposition, more concerned for party advantages than for legislative achievements and the Liberals being pledged by their leader to proportionsolidly to carry the day with the assistance of two or three ardent supporters of the reform from the other side. Now the position is different. Party feeling is not running so high, and several members on the Liberal side of the House who supported the Bill on its last appearance simply in the hope of discomfiting their opponents will make the war an excuse for not proceeding with the measure during the present session.

THAT SPECIAL TRAIN. Perhaps the Prime Minister wan feeling more aggrieved than he had any occasion to be when ho made the stories that have .been circulated concerning the special train by which he and the Minister of Finance travelled from Auckland to Wellington on their return to the Dominion was the subject of a ministerial explanation in the House. Neither Mr. Massey nor Sir Joseph Ward i s given to ostentatious display and whatever the gossips may say to the contrary may be allowed to carry its own refutation. But the statement from the general manager which Mr. Massoy read in connection with the affairs well might raise a storm of indignation against the methods of the Railway Department. When three or four Ministers are travelling there appears to be no difficulty and no expense in providing them with all the accommodation they require, though they contribute not a penny piece to the public revenue. But when three or four hundred or three or four thousand common folk want to be carried overtoil or twenty miles of line to their work or their play they are told the need for economy prevents the Depart- j ment accepting their money!