WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 12 September 1917, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

PROFITEERING. CONFLICTING VIEWS. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Sept. 10. Naturally the two local morning papers take different views of the questions of ‘‘profiteering’’ and exportation” in their relation to the primary producers and the war. Perhaps they both are a little biassed, political and party considerations as well as concern for the welfare of the community entering more or less into discussions of the matter, but their conclusions are interesting as being fairly representative of the divisions that exist in Parliament and in the country. The recent report of the Board of Trade on the subject is taken as the text in both cases. The “Dominion” claims the farmers arc entitled to credit for the part they have played since the beginning of the war. They have sold their produce at much lower rates than they might have obtained and in this way have sacrificed nearly nine millions sterling, the precise amount shown by the Board of Trade being £8,915,000. The “New Zealand Times,” on the other hand, insists that no. profits should be made out of the Empire’s troubles and that every shilling made by the men on the land from the increased prices brought about by the war should be appropriated by the State. ' HOTEL HOURS. The legislation dealing with the reduction of hotel hours during the course of the war is expected ft> make its appearance in the House either tomorrow or on Wednesday. It reported to-day that the members of the Cabinet are sharply divided on question and that no final decision as to the precise hour of closing has yet been reached. One or two Ministers are known to be favourable to the adoption of the Efficiency Board’s proposal of six o’clock but this hour is not at all likely to be adopted and the popular tip now is half-past seven as a compromise between the advocates of seven o’clock and those favouring eight o’clock. Of course the later opening of fhe bars in the morning is of no consequence to the hotel-keepers, who frankly admit the business done be“fore breakfast is not worth having, but every half-hour cut off the evening trade will largely affect the sales and it is at this end of the bargaining feeling is running high. THE DECISION. It is understood there have been prolonged discussions in the Cabinet as to how the legislation fixing the hotel hours should be introduced. There are obvious objections to making- it an amendment to the War Regulations Act or to the existing Licensing Act and it will not be easy to tack it on to any other measure without opening a very wide field of debate, the very thing Ministers wish to avoid doing just now. However this point evidently has been settled and it is tolerably safe to predict the nature of the Government’s proposals will be known to-

morrow. It is rumoured that there is a majority in the Legislative Council determined not to allow -the reduction to go beyond eight o’clock, but the general opinion is that whatever hour the Government may propose will be accepted by both the Council and the House. The .Council is not in a condition to maintain a struggle against the other Chamber, even if it had the inclination to initiate one, and the House contains a number of members who will be very glad to shift their own responsibility on to the broad shoulders of the Cabinet. CLOSING OF THE SEASON. The Prime Minister’s notice of his i*tention to ask the House to sit on Mondays after this week is taken as an indication of the determination of the Government to bring the session to a close by the middle of next month Of course if Mr. Massey persists in this intention he will get his way, as Prime Ministers always have done, but there are a number of members who will ki(nt very vigorously against any attempt to send them back to their n constituents before they have had an opportunity to make their usual display in “Hansard.” There is bound to be much talking over the War Pensions Amendment Bill and the Military Service Amendment Bill and these are measures which ought not to be rushed through the House without very full and deliberate consideration. These Avith minor Government measures, two or three private members ’ Bills, the report of the Cost of Living Committee and the customary “washing up ’ ’ legislation still seem likely to keep Parliament in session till the very end of October.