WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3379, 7 January 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

‘ THE HOLIDAYS. ‘i ———l- ‘ l . ’-A GAY -SEASON . l ' (Special Oorrespondent.) Though the weather for the holidays was very mixed, wind and rain alter- . nating with sunshine, Wellington has never spent a gayer Christmas-New Year time. Tradesmen‘ report record‘ business, and the trains, trams, and a ferry stealmers have been crowded day after «day with glad throngs of child.i, ten and grown-ups on pleasure ‘bent- ’ The race meetings within reasonable reach, those -at Manawatu, Wvairarapa, and Marten, dnew large crowds of visitors from the city, and dol'lbtleSs these crowds were responsible 130! the phenomenal increases in t-he totalisator investments everywhere. There evidently plenty of spare cash in Wellington, and there‘ appelars to be in all other centres Of population, and during the last fortnight little of it haslbeen employed in_ making ‘preparations for ‘ the rainy day the joyless pessimistsl always are predicting. I ' TRAMS AND MOTOR CARS. I" The shocking accident to the inwardbound Lyall Bay car’ on Saturday evening has set nervy people talking afresh of the perils of the Wellington tram and motor car trafiic. The deplorable catastrophe which is giving point to their protests to-day seems__ to: . have been due to no sins of commission or omission on the part of those in authority, and, in any case, will not be open for discussion, from this point of view, an an oflicial ‘inquiry into the W facts has been held. For a long time, however, there has been a growing feeling that the motor car traffic in the city and suburbs is allowed far too . much latitude in the matter of speed, and in the interpretation of the rules of the road. Minor ‘accidents that escape _publicity in t_he-‘papers arenof ‘frequent occurrence, and’ major ones are mounting up at a.n‘.alarming irate. ‘ . Iran LIBERAL LEADERS. _ The meeting, of the Hon. W._ D. S.‘ MacDonald, the Hon. A. M. Myers, and Mr T. M. Wilford at Rotorua to prepare the way for a caucus of the Lib"eral Party in Wellington later on has been ‘the subject of much interested discussion ‘during the holidays. Sir Joseph Ward’s late colleagues, natu.rally are expected to suggest 13. ling; of action to the other ‘members of the party, and their advice doubtless will be received ‘with much respect. ‘B'ut ' it is not to be assumed that they or any other members «of the party are contemplating the institution of 7 a vigorous campaign against the Reform

Government. 17\a.v.oured by a defective “electorarl system, and by the turn of ‘ Fortune ’s wheel, Mr Massey has ‘firmly established himself on the Treasury Benches, and the present temper of the Liberals" is to accept the circumstances as they are and to make ‘the best of them. ‘ i _ _i A VIGOROUS OPPOSITION. At‘.the game time, it is certain that the Opposition, though neither factions nor particularly well disciplined, will be an alert. and‘ a very vigorous one. The Liberal Party will sadly miss Sir Joseph Ward, whose personality, experience, and knowledge were domin- - ant factors in the daily life or the house, but it still comprises strong 3 Inen.who will not allow their ideals to go by default. There still is talk among Mr Massey ’s friends of another coalition, in which both Liberals and unofiicial Labour would be represented on a proportional basis} "but the idea is not finding favour with the rank and file of any of the parties‘, and the probabilities are that ‘the reconstructed Cabinet will be entirely Reform. Ofiicial Labour is hoping to be the recognised Opposition inthe i new Parliament, and would like noth‘ing better than another “truce” between the two old parties.