WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 September 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE INDEPENDENTS' DEMONSTBA- . TION. TpE TEA DUTY. (Special Correspondent). Wellington, Sept. 7. Thanks to the firmness of the Minister, the Finance Bill had a much smoother and much more rapid passage through the House than was generally anticipated. Sir Joseph Ward having made up his mind what ought to be done in the way of taxation, insisted upon doing it, and though promising consideration of several suggestions wpuhl permij; no radical modification of his proposals. The friendly Opposition, comprising a majority of the Liberals, the Labor members and two or three Refonuers, moved to delete the fluty of three-pence a pound on tea, but the attempt to preserve the tradition of the "free breakfast table" was defeated by thirty-seven to twentyone with seven members pairing on each side. The division probably about represents the strength, though not necessarily the personnel, of the independent element in tho House that is fretting under the "autocratic domination" of the National Government.

THE MINISTER IN EEPLY. In his reply to the criticism that had been directed against his {jroposals Sir Joseph Ward reiterated his statement in regard to the special needs of the time. He did not like the tea dutybetter than the members who had voted against it did. Years ago he had placed both tea and sugar on the free list and he had made other concessions he would like to have preserved; but the demands made by the war were so great and so urgent that he was compelled to look in every direction for revenue and to get it by such meftjjs as seemed least likely to press harshly upon the mass of the* community. He thought the tea duty came within this category and he did not believe the wage-earners and the total abstainers, to whom some of the speakers had been playing, would have the slightest objection to contributing a few shillings a year towards increasing the pensions of deserving people. COST OF LIVING. The debate oh tho Finance Bill opened the door to a very free and full discussion of the cost of living problem and several members seized upon the oppo: tunity to say hard things of the Government and the Board of Trade. Mr. Hornsby, the member for Wairarapa, in a rather dramatic fashion withdrew his allegiance from the National Cabinet,apparently more in sorrow than in anger, and then proceeded to indicate that the report of tho cost of living committee, of which ho is a member, would reveal a state of affairs very far from creditable to the Administration. He described the Board of Trade as "a farce," perhaps meaning it was ao hedged around with restrictions it can do nothing on its own initiative, but he did not explain hoiw it had failed in such duties as it is allowed to perform. The Prime Minister warmly resented what he regarded as a reflection upon the ability of the members of the Board and paid a high tribute to their industry and integrity.

PROFITEERING. Several of the speakers in the House last night stressed their belief tjiat a vast amount of profiteering was going on in the country, the large land-owners and the merchants being the chief offendeis and half hinted the Government waa winking at the evil. This, indeed, was the burden of a large part of their remarks upon the Finance 'Bill. The Prune Minister, in replying to this kind of criticism from half-a-dozen sources, produced a statement by the Board of Trade to the effect that it had enquired into a number of suggestions of the sort and had found nothing to justify the law being put in motion. Mr. Massey, commenting upon the report, urged members to assist the Government and the Board by reporting upon suspicious circumstances that might come under their notice. THE LICENSING BILL. It is rumored now that the Cabinet, after counting heads., pricking cards and performing the various other operations by which Ministers are supposed to ascertain the direction in which the wind is blowing, has determined to propose to the House that the public bars shall remain open from 9 a.m. to 8 p.m. It i 3 said there is a narrow majority prepared to accept this compromise, but members advocating a still further reduction of the hours claim to have a margin of three or four at their back in favor of 7 o'clock and not strongly averse to 6 o'clock closing. The out-and-out Prohibitionists are not over sanguine of getting (1 o'clock from Parliament, but they are, convinced nothing less will satisfy the sentiment of the country and they are predicting a great popular upheaval if the less conciliatory of their opponents should get their wuy.