WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE LIQUOR BILL. CONSIDERED BY CABINET. (Special Correspondent). Wellington, Sept. 3. The Liquor Bill is being considered iby Cabinet to-day and speculation is rife as to the| shape in which it will be presented to the House. It is taken for granted that a majority of the ministers arc not favorable to any very drastic reduction in the hours of sale and that six o'clock closing has no chance of appearing in the proposals. The Prohibitionists and their sympathisers are hopeful, however, that the seven o'clock proposal will be adopted and if this is the case the measure will be allowed to go through without any serious opposition. It will not satisfy the extremists, of course, but several members who 'Would ■have preferred six o'clock would accept it as a reasonable compromise. That they will get as much is very doubtful. If eight o'clock is named in the Bill it will ibe carried by the weight of the ministerial vote, though not without a strong protest from the other side. It is probable Ministers will promise to have tho (whole subject reviewed after the war with a kindly eye towards some form of State control, but in the meantime they will urge tho financial consideration against any hazardous experiment. THE UPPER HOUSE. The postponement of the question yb which the Hon. J. T. Paul is seeking to ascertain the intentions of the Government in regard to the condition and constitution of the Legislative Council has not prevented the subject with which it deals being freely discussed i I tho lobbies. The general opinion J3 that I a majority of tho members of the Cabinet, looking around for the line of least resistance, are waiting for an opportunity to repeal the legislation that made the Council elective under the proportional representation system, but individual members of the Ministry deny tlii s suggestion more or less indignantly. As it happens the whole of the members whoso terms recently expired are Liberal nominees, though neither Mr. .'Seymour George nor Mr. 11. F. Wigram can be described as party men, and on the principle that has been observed during the '-truce" the filling of the vacancies ought to rest with the Liberal leader. But whatever may be the method of appointment, it is obvious the Council sadly needs strengthening. Mr. Paul lias not over-stated the position in this respect, Mr. George Jones, who has sat continuously since he was nominated by Mr. Ballance in IS!>2, Mr. Seymour George and Mr. Wigram, in particular, being very serious losses to the debating power and matured experience of the ■Chamber. LAND SETTLEMENT. ■ The report of the Land for Settlements Department, which was among the papers laid on the table of the House at the end of last meek, shows that plenty of land being offered to the Government by private owners for subdivision. Thi-i is satisfactory so far as it goes, but it does not go the length of providing opportunities to make homes for themselves to all the men who are anxious to get on to the land. The number of properties considered by the Department during the year was 71)5 with an area, of !)84,758 acres, and tho area purchased was 50,1-10 acres at a cost, when prepared for selection, of £51)5,419. "Many of the areas," the report states, "were small, while a large number were quite unsuitable for our purposes and the prices asked were in many instance; quite exorbitant." The Department has no expectation of the value of land receding, in view of the extreme prices ruling for all produce and, therefore, suggests that, 'some simpler, but still effective method mny be necessary" to enable it to provide land for returned soldiers, This seems to hint at acquisition by some different process.

THE TEA TAX. •Judging from the criticism levelled against the "ten tax" during the second reading of the Finance 13111. this particular item of the War Budget is not likely to get through the House without very determined opposition. The retailers have not been helping the Minister in commending the imposition to the public. In at least one of the popular tea shops in the city the charge for morning or afternoon tea has been raised from three-pence to four-pence, the duty being given as the reason for tho extra charge, and the grocers, though not passing on the tax quite a hundredfold to their customers, are suspected of making a very handsome profit out of the duty, ■The same tiling is being done with cigarettes and tobaccos generally, but tho smokers are not such a numerous norsuch a clamorous body as are tho teadrinkers and it looks as if Mr. Wilford's suggestion of a stamp duty would remove part of their grievance. Sir Joseph Ward has promised consideration of the position, but he is so pre-eminent-ly the strong man in the House 'when Finance is concerned that the consumer must not count too confidently upon any conccssiou.