WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 25 July 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SIX O’CLOCK CLOSING. THE OTHER SIDE. (Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, July 23

The “six o’dockers” are making i light of the case of the deputation representing the liquor trade interests ■which waited upon the Prime Minister and the Attorney-Geenral on Saturday ■with an offer to close the bars an hour earlier in return for the withdrawal of the regulation against shouting. They declare that the proposed compromise does not represent as much as they are certain of obtaining from Parliament by a direct vote and that the antishouting legislation should be considered altogether apart from the question of early closing. On the first point they probably are Speaking by ,the book. At least half-a-dozen members of the House who would not vote for closing the bars at 6 o’clock would support a proposal for closing them at 5 o’clock and it will not be surprising if this hour is decided upon, The offer of the trade to give up an is being interpreted in many quarters as an hour indication of its readiness to surrender another in order to reach finality for the period of the war.

PARTY

While the selection of the sessional committees was in progress in the House the party spirit, which was to have died with the formation of the National Cabinet, came periiouslj 7 near to re-asserting Itself. The trouble began with a protest from Mr. W. A. Veitch against the composition of the Land Committee. The member for Wanganui has been singularly punctilious in his observance of the spirit of the “truce’’ occasionally to his obvious personal advantage, but he did not approve of a majority of land-owners and Reform land-owners at that, being placed upon a committee which should be specially looking after the iutoiests of-the landless people. Sir John Findlay followed in a similar strain, urging that the .sooner the House freed itself entirely from the trammels of party the better it would be for the public and the country. Dr Thacker and Mr. Payne wore more- direct in their criticism of the composition of the committees and drew one or two pointed retorts from the Treasury benches, but the Prime Minister refused to take them seriously and in the end consented only to the appointment of Mr. W. T. Jennings,, the member for Taumarunui, to the t Lands Committee as a concession to the views expressed by Mr. Veitch and Sir John Findlay.

STATE CONTROL

The Prime Minister’s allusion to State control of the liquor traffic when addressing the representatives >f the ‘‘Trade” on Sxti.Jjy was stric +! y noncommittal, bat there are a good many people hoping Mr. Massey will ultimately accept this solution of the eternal problem. First of all there are the people honestly believing in the righteousness of “Continuance,” who think they sec in the addition of State Control to the ballot paper a certain means of breaking up the solidarity of the prohibition vote. Then there are the people intimately interested in the traffic who would like to have their capital more securely invested and finally there are the people who are convinced the extinction of the proprietary interest is the only road to safety. But these three elements arc so widely apart in their views and their aspirations that a precise Ministerial statement of what was contemplated by State Control probably would throw two of them into opposition side by side with the official prohibitionists. So far no one in authority has ventured to say what he would have the reform really mean. Mr Massey is not likely to break the . silence. THE SESSION.

The general opinion in the lobbies is that the debate on the Address-in-Keply •will be kept going till the end of the week unless Ministers see some good reason for bringing it to a conclusion earlier. The matter rests, of course, entirely in their hands. It is probable the Budget, which we all continue to call the Financial Statement, will make its appearance shortly after the Addrcss-in-Eeply is out of the way, but here

again the convenience of the party leaders will be the deciding factor. The document is being awaited with unusual interest and curiosity, as the signs and portents have suggested it will contain some drastic taxation proposals and indicate some new lines of policy. A largo .number of private members are urging heroic measures for the promotion of national efficiency and it is not unlikely the Budget will afford some idea how far their views arc to be expressed in legislation. The phrase “equality of sacrifice” is on everyone’s lips and is being associated in the pcwnlar mine! with the conscr'ption of wealth simultaneously with the Conscription of men. If the Government derides upon a big effort in this direction, basing it on sound arid equitable principles, it will find the House ready and eager to follow its lead.