WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, 15 April 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE SPECIAL SESSION.

RAPID PROGRESS.

WELLINGTON, April 12,

, Caucus Government is proving itself to be the natural if not the inevitable corollary of National Government. A numbers of members of the House come to Wellington for the short session fully determined to “shake up the Government,”' “expose the extravagance and waste of the Defence Department,” and do various other pious and heroic things, but after the party caucuses which followed upon the opening ceremonies and formalities these aggressive representatives became almost as sweetly reasonable as the most ardent partisan. It is true two adverse amendments to the Address-in-Reply were moved, one by Mr. Vigor Brown, and the other by Mr. John Payne, but they were received with such emphatic disapproval that nothing of the kind is likely to be attempted again till after the War. THE NATIONAL CRISIS. It goes without saying that the silence of the members who had come to Wellington bent on scarifying the Government was mainly due to the en- 1 tirely frank representations made by the party leaders at the caucuses concerning the war position. Neither Mr. Massey nor Sir Joseph Ward said anything to his supporters that was not afterwards repeated'in the House, or at least indicated clearly enough for everyone to understand; but members came away from the caucuses concerning the war position. Neither Mr. Massey nor Sir Joseph Ward said anything to his supporters that was not afterwards repeated in the House, or at least indicated clearly enough for everyone to understand; but members came away from the caucuses realising the time was not opportune for the resumption of party squabbles nor for the discussion of personal grievances. Even Mr. Vigor Brown admitted be had no wish to put the Government out of office. He merely thought open criticism and a little scare would do Ministers' no harm. 'lTfurther MILITARY EFFORT. A feeling of relief ran through the House when the Prime Minister’s statement made it plain that the Government was going to do something more than speed up Reinforcements in response to the Imperial authorities’ appeal for more men. It hac been understood that the Minister of Defence was in favour of confining the Dominion’s new effort to the restoration of one of the Reinforcements which had been dropped out and a great majority of the members had regarded this as utterly inadequate. Mr. Massey’s statement set their minds at rest. The 41st and 42nd Reinforcements will be brought into camp four or five weeks earlier than was intended, the 36ths and the 37ths will be despatched ahead of their time, a tank battalion of 700 officers and men will be formed, the reserves now in England will be placed at the disposal of the Imperial Authoritiesl and New Zealand will do whatever else lies within its power. LIFE OF PARLIAMENT. In concluding his speech on the motion for the second reading of the Finance Bill last night Sir Josepli Ward referred at some length to the proposal for the further extension of the life of the present Parliament. Of course it was only fitting that uTe Minister of Finance should have been left to deal with this subject. Four years ago when his then political opponents were in office he stood out chivalrously against an election from which he might have exepected much being held during the course of the war and he is perfectly consistent in standing out now. The members of the Liberal-Labour Party are not unanimous on the subject, indeed seven or eight of them voted against postponement at the party caucus, but the members of the Reform Party are better disciplined and the proposal will be carried by an overwhelming majority if it goes to a division.