WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 August 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE FRIENDLY OPPOSITION.

FIRST PARADE. (Special Correspondent). Wellington, July 30, The Vigilance Committee, as it may he convenient to style the friendly Opposition that has arisen in the House, maiio its first demonstration in force on Friday evening when the Government brought down its second Imprest Supply Bill of tho session and/loosened the tongue of every member with advice to give or a grievance to air. The Hon. D. Buddo, who had shown his personal goodwill towards the Ministers by acccpling their invitation to second the Address-in-Reply, led off by announcing that the worm had turned—that the private member no longer was going to be ignored in the working of tlo parliamentary machine. The member for Kaiapoi proceeded to put quite a niimber of pointed questions to the of Defence and refused to believe it was impossible or even inexpedient for Sir James Allen to take the House into his confidence.

WHAT as WANTED. The member for Mataura, speaking from the opposite Ride of tbe House, was no less frankly critical than iJir. Buddo had been. Ho wanted a committee set up to investigate the administration of the Defence Department and he protested against the recommendations of the Efficiency Board, "consisting of some of the most brilliant business men in the country," being withheld from the Houqp. Mr. Wilford struck a rather higher note and spoke with the air and assurance of an accepted leaddr. He w« satisfied the House was not going to open its mouth, shut its eyes and take whatever was given it He appealed to the Government to give up pottering and trifling with big questions. The House and the country wanted i definite courageous policy and strong impartial administration. If the Government would bring down an adequate programme and earnestly carry it through it would have the ready and generous co-operation of the House. MINISTERS IN REPLY. The Minister of Finance followed Mr. Wilford, ft compliment' Which the member for Hittt doubtless appreciated, and thn critics of the Government that he and his colleagues were just as conscious of the magnitude and difficulty of their task as were the frionds who had been good enough to offer them advice. This 'was not the time for hazardous experiments in taxation or in any other department of finance, Sir Joseph webt on to say, bnfc lie thought he might promiso the House, without anticipating the contents of the Budget, that the needs every class of the community as well as the needs of the country would be very carefully considered. Later in the evening Sir James Allen dealt with various charges that had been levelled against the Dalence Department, showing, among other thing*, that cases of sickness in the camps had been largely reduced, and foreshadowed legislation which ■ would be introduced this session to compel "shirkers" to do their duty.

THB UTTERMOST PBXNT, The feature of Mr. Oorge Hunter's contribution to tho debate on the Imprest Supply Bill was an appeal to the Prime Minister not to press for an advance in the price offered by the Imperial Government for this season's wool crop. The member for Waipawa did not wish it to go .forth to the world that the sheep-farmers of the Dominion were seeking to screw the uttermost penny out of the Mother Country for a commodity she needed in winning the war. Mr. Massev scarcely could help being impressed by Mr Hunter's presentation of the case. He had intended to convene a conference of wool-grower?, but now thought it would be sufficient to consult the Board of Agriculture Members who have not been altogether pleased by nome of the hard bargains the Government has driven with tho Imperial authorities are hoping Mr. Hunter'a appeal may bear further fruit.

LIQUOR AGAW. The statefnent) made by the "Dominion" on Saturday morning to the effort that the Efficiency 'Board had recommended that the hotel bars should be ilosed for the period of the war and for six months beyond produced quite a sensation here and the anxiety it naturally occasioned in certain quarters has not hefen altogether allayed by Sir James Allen's assertion that it is "incorrect." Its inaccuracy may lie in some trifling detail and its main purport may remain unimpaired. This view is held by a number of people who may be taken to know something of what is in the minds of members of the Board and who generally are as wtell-informed as the nest person is as to wtoat is going on in Cabinet. It is fairly sate to say, however, that neither the Government nor the House is prepared for Buch a drastic measure just yet.