WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 July 1916, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

A REBUKE TO LABOR. fHE COURSE OF BUSINESS. (From Our Special Correspondent). Wellington, July 17. The monotony of the debate on the third reading of the Finance Bill was relieved on Friday night by a vigorous speech by Mr. Isitt, in which the representative of Ohristchureh North, speaking rather in sorrow than in anger, soundly rated certain members of the Labor Party for their persistent assumption of a superior air which claimed all the .political virtues for themselves and attributed all the political vices to those who would not subscribe to every plank of their platform. The whole' speech did not occupy more than six or seven minutes in delivering, including a couple of minutes taken up by Mr. McCombs in an attempt to sjay the speaker's flow of indignant eloquence, but it was punctuated with very emphatic "hear, hears" from both sides of the House, and was followed by a murmur of approval, more significant than applause, which obviously was intended to convey to Mr. Isitt that he had said exactly what was in the heart of a great majority of the members. The incident was a matter of very general comment during the supper adjournment, which it immediately preceded, and both members and regular occupants of the galleries agreed that the protest was timely and tactful, free from extravagance and exaggeration, and not unlikely to set some of the gentlemen for whom it was specially intended thinking seriously about the revision of their method , I THE LABOR PARTY. Isfr. Isitt did not apply any of his harder terms to the members of the Labor Party in the House. That, of course, would have been out of order, even if he had wished to do so, and would 'have brought liim into conflict with the Speaker. But there can be no doubt that the wild doctrines being preached by certain irresponsible people outside are very gravely prejudicing the position and influence of the party in Parliament. As a result of recent developments, 'Mr. Veitch and Mr. Hindmarsh, two of the most progressive and capable members of the party, have been driven into closer and closer relations with the Liberals, and are now regarded for all practical .purposes as members of the more progressive wing of the older organisation.i Probably Mr. Walker would not be altogether disinclined to follow them, but he is < bound by the same election pledges as Mr. McConvbs and Mr. Webb are, and these two gentlemen are not likely to allow 'him to forget the fact. Mr. Payne owes allegiance to no party. He is an "Independent," pure and simple, pledged to neither Labor nor Liberalism, and commissioned only to give vested interests, monopoly and proprietary banking a bad time. Mr. McCombs is the stormy petrel of the group, and no one questions the zeal and ability with which he fills the role; but he has an unhappy habit of saying the nastiest things in the nastiest possible way, and a proclivity of this sort does not help any young politician oir his way to successful leadership. THE REMAINING BUSINESS. No one outside the Cabinet can make any useful guess as to what further business the Government intends to bring forward during the remainder of the session, and the twelve gentlemen in the Cabinet are showing no disposition to give the casual enquirer any guidance on this point. Mr. Masscy and Mr. Allen have been laid up with influenza for eight or ten days, but the House has been making very good progress during their absence, and Sir Joseph Ward still has several measures on hand with which he can keep it occupied. In the meantime speculations as to the duration of the session vary from a fortnight to six weeks, the optimists being at one end and the pessimists at the other, but really there is no date on which any confident prophecy can be based. The War Regulations Bill,, which probably will be at the top of the Order Paper to-morrow, lias assumed a new importance since the Parliamentary Committee recommended the petitions praying for the six o'clock closing of public bars to the favorable "consideration of the House, and it would not be surprising if this measure made slow progress through both Chambers Mr Massey hinted the other day at another batch of Bills to be introduced, but without taking any new business into account it is easy enough to see work ahead sufficient to occupy a full month, and unless there is to tie a very unseemly scramble at the end members will not be released till the middle of next month. FINANCE AND TAXATION. Sir Joseph Ward has 'had so main compliments rained upon him in connection with his tactful piloting of the Finance Bill through the House that he may be in some danger of forgetting as well as forgiving the legitimate criticism directed against 'his proposals. The, Bill was very materially improved in committee by amendments introduced by the Minister himself, and by the time it reached its third reading it deserved most of the appreciative things said of it by Dr. Newman and other recognised financial authorities outside the Cabinet But Sir Joseph must not. run away with the idea that it represents the last word on war finance or that the country will be content to accept rough-and-ready methods of raising money, such as "Hat" income tax, as good enough for a time of great national crisis. If the extreme section of the Labor Party had been less vehement in its criticism and more precise it would have scared in the credit that is now going to Mr. Wilford, Mr. Sidcv, Mr. Isitt, Mr. Witty, Mr. Anstey, Air. R. W. Smith, Mr. Craigie, Mr. Talbot and progressive Liberals of their type who exerted themselves to help the Minister with timely suggestions and not to embarrass him with impossible proposals. The member for Timarn, who unscrupulously observes the good rulS of speaking only when he 'has something to say, got an attentive hearing for a State bank, for an increased graduated land tax, and for a revision of the whole system of raising revenue, while the ex- ! reinists delivered their thunder on the ;tnie subjects to almost empty benches.