WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 July 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SIX OCLOCK CEQSINC. THE OTHER SIDE. (Parliamentary Correspondent). Wellington, .lulv 23. The '-.six o'eloekers" are making light of the ease of the deputation representin- the liquor trade interests' which waited upon the Prime Minister and the Attorney-General on Saturday with an oiler to close the bars an hour earlier in return for the withdrawal of the regulation against shouting. They declare that the proposed compromise docs not represent as much as they are certain of obtaining from Parliament by a

direct vote and that the anti-shouting legislation should he considered alto■jetiier apart from the question of early closing. On tlie lirst point tiiev proliaidy are speaking by the .book. At least half-a-dozen members of the House who would not vote for closing the bars at 0 o'clock would support a proposal for closing them at S o'clock and it will not, be surprising if this hour is decided upon. The offer of the Trade to give up an hour is In-injr interpreted in many quaitcrs as an indieation of its readiness to surrender another in order to reach linality for the period of the 'war.

PARTY. While tiie selection of tlie sessional committees was in progress in the House the party spirit, which'was to have died witli the formation of the National Cabinet, came perilously near to re-assert-ing itself. The trouble began with a protest from .Mr. \V. A. 'Veiteh against the composition of the Lands Committee. The member lor Wanganui has been singularly punctilious in his observance of tlie spirit of the "truce," occasionally to his ybvious personal advantage, but he did not approve of a majority of land-owners, and lieform land-owners a; that, being pi.ice,l upon a committee which should be -peciully looking after the 'interests of the landless people. Sir .John Findlay followed in a similar strain, urging that the sooner the House freed itself entirely from the trammels of party the better it would be for the public and the country. Dr. Thackei and Mr. Payne were more direct in their criticism of the composition of the committees and drew one or two pointed retorts from the Treasury benciies, but tjie .Prime Minister refused to take them seriously and in the end consented only to the appointment of Mr. W. T. Jennings, the member for Taumarunui. to. the Lands Committee as a concession to the views expressed by Mr. Veiich and Sir John Findlay.

STATE CONTROL. The Prime Minister's allu.»ion to State control of the liqvor trallie when addressing the representatives of the "Trade" on Saturday was strictly jion-eominiil.i!, but there are a good many people hoping Mr. Massey will ultimately accept this solution of the eternal problem. First of ail then- are the people honestly believing in the righteousness of '•Continuance" who think they see in the addition of .State Control to the ballot paper a certain means of breaking up the solidarity of the prohibition vote. Then there are the people intimately interested in the trallie iw ho would like to have their capital more securely invested and finally there are the people who arc convinced the extinction of the proprietary interest is the only road to safety. Hut these three elements are so widely apart in their views and their aspirations that a precise Ministerial aUtemenl ,of what, was tontcmjpktted by State Control probably would throw two o' them into opposition side by sideuith the ollieial prohibitionists. So far no one in ventured to say what lie would have the reform really mean. Mr. Massey is not likely to break the silence.

Tlllu SESSION', The general opinion in (be lobbies •s that the debate on the- Addrcss-in-l.cply will be kept going till the end of the week unless Ministers see some good reason for it to a conclusion earlier. 'l'he inaUer rests, of course, entirely in their hands. It is probable the Budget, which we all continue to call the .Financial Statement, will make its appearance shortly after the Address-in-Keply is out of the way, but here again the convenience of the party leaders mill be the dividing factor. The document is being awaited with unusual interest and curiosity, as the signs and portends have suggested it will contain some drastic taxation proposals and indicate some new lines of policy. A large number of private members are urging heroic measures for the promotion of national elliciency and it is not unlikely the Budget will afford some idea how far their views are to .he expressed in legi>hitiou. The phrase "equality of sacrifice" is on everyone's lips and is being associateil in the popular mind with the conscription of wealth simultaneously with the conscription of men. Jf the Government decides upon a big effort in this direction, basing it on sound arid equitable principles,' it will find the i'...d\ and eager to follow its lead.