WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1916, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

! THE RELIGIOUS OBJECTOR. STATE CONTROL. fSpecial Correspondent). Wellington, July 24. The disagreement between the House lof Representatives and the Legislative Council over the exemption of the religious objector from military service resulted—as everyone behind the scenes expected it would—in a compromise liy which Ministers got their own way without appearing very inconsistent themselves or seriously wounding the susceptibilities of any of their supporters. The religious objector, having established the religious diameter of his objection, on undertaking to render non-com-batant service, either in the Dominion or abroad, wil' be excused from bearing arms, but will escape none of the much more disagreeable work allotted to the soldier. He may be required to drive ambulance vans and ammunition carts, succour the wounded and bury the dead, dig trenches and erect wire-entangle-ments and do a score of other things that will offer him just as good a chance of getting shot as will be enjoyed j by the more eonsciouslcss of his com- ! rades. There appeared to be some difference of opinion in the House as to whether or not the compromise would afford any real relief to the Quakers, but members of the sect in Wellington profess to the gratified by the recognition of their "principle," and to be ready to undertake the alternative work allotted to them. SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING. The War Regulations Bill is not expected to make its re-appearance in the House till Wednesday, but in the meantime the prospect of it getting through committee without an "early closing'' amendment is being cagerlv discussed. That such an amendment will be moved, either providing right out for six o'clock dosing or giving the Government power to fix the hour of closing by regulation, is generally expected, but if the Attor-ney-General was speaking for his colleagues when moving the second reading of the measure the whole weight of the INational Cabinet will be employed in the I maintenance of the status quo, and there will be no alteration in the law. It is reported by people who have been prick - ing the card—in a purely non-party spirit, of course—that there are thirtythree members definitely pledged to six 1 o'clock closing and thirty-nine pledged against that, hour, though three of four of the majority are inclined to consider eight or nine o'clock. The ad- ' vocates of early closing, rather than miss the whole loaf, would accept any diminution of the selling hours, and it would i not be surprising to see the controversy ■ ending in another compromise, say nine ] o'clock. Mr. Hordman would not listen i to any proposal of the kind, but Mr. i Masscy and Sir Joseph Ward are more i diplomatic, and several of their colleagues would be glad to go the whole hag. SOLVING THE LIQUOR PROBLKM. , Mr. Wil ford's declaration when discussing the early closing question that i he was an out md-out supporter of , State Control did not meet with any ; very ready response from other members | el' the House, but it has set people out- , side Parliament tanking about this sol- ,

ution of the l'ii|i:er problem and many of (hem are inclined to regard it with favor. Even a section of the prohibitionists, or per'rvps it would be fairer to sav a section of the prohibition voters, is growing a little impatient of the slow progress being made by "no-license,'' and would welcome any reasonable proposal that promised more rapid reform. Local

option has been in operation for twentythree years and yet "no-license" lias been carried liy only twelve electorates and of those four are city electorates, which practically derive no benefit at: all from (lie closing of the public bars within their own borders, simply because public bars are open on the other side of the street. Out of an estimated population of 1,100,000 only 170,000 are residing in no-license districts, or excluding the four city electorates only 102,000 Since the institution of local option in ISO.'! the consumption of alcohol per head of population and the convictions for drunkenness have substantially in creased, and since li'OS not a single electorate has declared for no-license. It is little wonder that even the prohibitionists are looking about for some more expeditions remedy for the evils of the drink traffic. Tt'may be that State Control will provide what they are seeking. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM. The second Legislative Council Act Amendment Bill, which is designed to preserve the nominative system for another three years—making an extension of six years' since the original measure was passed in 101-1 was not allowed to pass through the Upper House without vigorous protests from the lion. Ocorge Jones, the Hon. W. Beehan, the Hon. J. T. Paul and one nr two other sturdy Radicals still surviving in that chamber, and it is likely to meet much stronger oppostion when it reaches the House of Representatives, ft is a particularly bad example of the kind of legislation. that may be foisted on the country at the present time on the pretence that the necessities of the Empire require the Dominion to pay no attention at all to its own domestic aiVairs. By the orginal Act it was provided that the nominative system should end in 1015, it being presumed that by that time the Liberals, if victorous at the pedis, would have had an opportunity to put in enough councillors to extinguish the huge predominance the Reformers had established for themselves. When the National Cabinet was formed the period of grace was extended to 1017 anil,now it is proposed to extend it to 1020 with the proviso that all councillors appointed within this term shall hold their seats till 102-1. It is being whispered about the lobbies that a certain number of councillors are to be appointed forthwith, by mutual agreement between the leaders, and that the recognised strength of the chamber will be kept up by this system till 1020,! when, if the war is over, the first election under the much amended system will he taken. WHAT IT ALL MEANS. At tlie present time there are sitting in the Upper House nineteen members appointed by the Reformers and nine appointed by the Liberals, while there are six life members, who, though all favorably disposed towards the Reform side of polities, need not be taken into account. Next year the Liberal nominees will have dwindled down to three, in 1918 a gentleman who cannot take his seat will be the only survivor and in 1010 the Liberal representation will have disappeared altogether. If fresh nominations arc to be made by the party leaders, turn and turn about, the Reformers will start oil' with a majority of ten, to say nothing of the life members, one of i whom is Speaker, and will maintain this lead till the election of 1020, when the Liberals would have to win the whole of the seats,—an impossibility, tif course, ■'aider a system of proportional renresen-

tation—to achieve equality with their opponents. This is the party view stated very briefly. Then there is the fact that if the war sliould end this year there would not be the slightest need either for new appointments or for the postponement of the election set down for 1017. Surely Parliament is not going to allow itself to be domineered into the acceptance of pernicious legislation of this kind by the very polit'dans who engineered the first flagrantly defective "Reform Bill" on to the Statute Book.