WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 15 May 1916, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

A BREEZY DAY. PLATONIC OPPOSITION. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, May 12. The introduction of Mr. Payne's batch of bills on the first working day of the session gave the members of the National Cabinet a foretaste of the kind of criticism they may expect to encounter when they are getting their own measures through the House. The member for f'l'ey Lynn was aggressive enough to satisfy the most bellicose of his admirers, even the ladies of the Anti-Ger-man League, but he managed to keep within the limits imposed by the Standing Orders, and to avoid any serious disagreement with the Speaker. Nor did his criticism of the Government consist solely of a reiteration of the familiar stories of favors shown to persons of German birth and German extraction. His War Exigencies and Empire Preservation Bill, to take the most darina of his proposals, contains the kernel of a measure that might be of great nublic utility at the present juncture. There rail be no profit in reviewing the Zedlitz case or in further belabouring the urierson ease just now, unless it is desired to plunge Parliament into the turmoil which proceeded the "party truce," but some of the more pressing issues raised by Mr. Payne will have to be considered during the present session and dealt with in a broad, statesman-like spirit. The war must not be made an excuse for neglecting every domestic piohlem that is not intimately concerned with the provision of men. '

A STUDY IN TEMPERAMENTS. The mover and 'seconder of the Ad-drcss-in-Reply presented a striking contrast in temperament and method. Mr. Guthrie burdened his carefully prepared speech with the commonplace and the obvious, never rising far above the platitudes which obtrude themselves on such occasions and never forgetting the traditions of his party. He dwelt 011 the progress and prosperity of the country, the imports and exports, the wool and the butter and all the other things that enter into statistics and returns; but lie spared hardly a word to the great questions of the day, except to imply that the achievements of the Defence Department had been made possible only by the happenings of three or four years ago. Mr. Forbes struck a much higher note. While congratulating the National Government 011 what it had accomplished he dared to remind it that much remained for it to do. From beginning to end of his admirable speech there was 110 suggestion of party or of the trivialities that may have 'passed for politics in the days before the war. He accepted compulsory military service frankly as a necessity of the' hour. He wanted to see a complete measure brought down at once. He wanted no such fiasco as had occurred in the Home Parliament. "The people of New Zealand," lie said, "are in a heroic mood, and they are prepared for a heroic measure. And as with compulsion so with other urgent measures." The whole speech was characteristic of the robust man with the robust mind and the fervour of its delivery left the House, for the time at any rate, fully aroused to a sense of its opportunity and its duty.

CRITICISM. Mr. T. M. Wilford, who, rightly or wrongly, is credited with aspirations towards the leadership of a new progressive party, not necessary hostile to the existing liberal organisation, is likely tp be one of the Government's most incisive iritics during the present session. It has been said of the member for Hutt, as it used to be said of the late Mr. T. E. Taylor, that he ought to be permanent leader of the Opposition with all the emoluments and most of the privileges enjoyed by the head of the Ministry, and there can be r,o doubt he would fill such a position very capably If not always acceptably to the Government of the day. He has the judicial temperament, and the analy+ic mind which are required by Parliamentary censors, and it was somewhat in this role that he proceeded to lecture Mr. Allen yesterday. "1 fairly and squarely believe," he said when supporting one of Mr. Payne's bills, "that the greatest bar to recruiting to-day is the Minister of Defence. He does not intend to be. He is the hardest worker in this country. But he has no soul, 110 heart." Probably Mr.. Wilford wor'd have expressed himself more diffidently had he be 11 permanent leader of the Opposition, but he scarcely could have put the position more plainly. Mr. Allen's intentions are admirable, his industry is unceasing and sum of his achievements highly creditable, but he lacks the sympathy and cntlnftiasm that inspire and stimulate men, and he is aKogcther too careless of public opinion. Perhaps these are largely defects of manner, but there are times 'when- defects o? manner arc hardly less culpable than faults of intention.

DAYLIGHT SAVING. The cablegrams from the other end of the world have assumed a new interest for Mr. T. K. Sidev and his friends during the past day or two. For well-nigh a decade the member for Dunedin South has been urging upon a flippant Parliament and an indifferent public a scheme for turning the long daylight hours of summer to better account. His Daylight Saving Bill had become a familiar dish on the .sessional menu long before it made its appearance last year under another name, the Definition of Time Bill, and by a fortuitous combination of circumstances found its way on to the Statute Book. As it stands there now it scarcely represents Mr. Sidey's original idea. It is not to come into operation until December, 11)18, and then it is to endure only for three months. To make the reform permanent further legislation will be required. It seemed at the time a poor result for years of strenuous effort, but Sir. Sidey accepted it with what grace he might and settled down to await the justification of his labor. But now news come from half-a-dozen countries in Europe that they have decided to put their clocks forward by an hour during the war and thus save daylight and fuel and human energy in the very way the member for Dunedin South lias been urging. The war which is made an excuse for delay here is given as a reason for urgency in the older lands. Needless to say, Mr. Sidey is being warmly congratulated by his fellow members upon this endorsement of his arguments. It ought to make his task easy when his legislation conies up for review.