WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 3 July 1917, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT. BUSINESS OF SESSION. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, June 89. The time is not yet for the relegation of the Governor's speech to the limbo reserved for parliamentary absurdities and superfluities and perhaps the need this year for a free and full discussion on the Adress-in-Reply may help in prolonging its existence for another decade. But the next generation will be too busy repairing the financial, industrial and' social havoe brought about by the war to tolerate legislative affectations and pretences of any kind and will insist upon Parliament getting about its business in the most expeditious and effective, manner possible. In normal times the only useful purpose served by the .Governor's speech is to coyer up the unreadiness of negligent Ministers. The gentlemen who have played fast and lose with the country's time during the recess allow the debate on the empty phrases they have put into his Excellency's mouth to go oh just ae long as they please, the debate, of course, wandering over the whole field of political and personal controversy and bringing it to an end whenever it'suits their convenience to do so. A SPECIAL OCCASION. This year, however, the position i» different, is, indeed, almost unique in the history of the New Zealand Parliament. Members will have plenty of excuse for talking and Ministers; pven if they would could scarcely hope to restrict or restrain their garrulity beyond the Holts prescribed by the Standing Order 3. For two sessions the House has been practically tongue-tied. In the presence of a great national peril criticism has: been regarded as sedition and faultfinding as high treason. The spirit of the War Regulations has invaded the floor of the House and mounted nigh to (he eminence, of the Speaker's chair. But many things have happened during the recess. In the Mother of Parliaments criticism has been carried to such lengths as to bring about a change of Government, in the Commonwealth, just across the Tasman Sea, there has been a general election and in Russia a revolution, and yet the heavens have not fallen. The New Zealand politician will take heart of grace from these precedents and will have his say however Ministers may disapprove. LOANS AND TAXATION. Probably the two biggest questions that will'engage the attention of the House during the session will be borrowing and taxation, and it is quite in keeping with the accepted custom and the hoary traditions that neither of them receive more than the barest mention in the Governor's speech. That is the way in which his E.vdellency's responsible advisors after session play their little jest upon the representative of the Crown. Perhaps the Minister of Finance will ask for authority to borrow ten millions, perhaps twelve and perhaps fifteen. Ho has said the amount will be large and he has just come from the heart of the Empire, the financial capital of the world, where tho term is not applied to a few paltry millions. But whatever the amount it will be cheerfully voted by the House. On the incidence of taxation the politicians- will not be so unanimous. Attacks will bo made upon the excess profits tax and upon the butter levy and possibly both of them will go, but if they do it will bo merely to make room for an income taxso drastically graduated that the revenue will be in no peril. THE ETERNAL LIQUOR. Bigger than the loan policy and the taxation policy of the Government will loom in the minds of many of the members of the House the necessity of deal- • ing with the liquor question. The demand for six o'clock closing is so insistent from a lanre section of the community that it cannot be ignored or shelved by 'the Government. Whether or not the six o'clockevs are strong enough in arguments or in numbers to carry it remains to be seen, but they certainly are active enough and earnest enough to secure a hearing. Already ■ they have weakened the defences of the other side, as it was constituted last session, by some of their opponents to agree to 8 o'clock closing, or the suspension of the sale of spirits between certain hours, or the submission of the whole question, including "no-license," to a referendum towards the end of the current year. It is too early yet to make a reliable count of heads on any of these points, but it is tolerably safe to-day the general feeling in the House to-dpiy is lesß unfavourable towards further restriction than it was a year