WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 1 October 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

STATE COOTEOE.. A POSSIBLE COMPROMISIs..

(Special Correspondent)'. Wellington, Sept. 2b". 'At the moment it seems likely that the adoption of si> o'clock closing will give k distinct impetus to tlio State Control movement. For years part there lias been a growing volume of public opinion favorable to the extinction of private interest iu the liquor trade, tat so far there has been no serious attempt to provide it with a definite goal or to give it authoritative expression, .Numbers of pepole who talk glibly of State control as if it were a panacea for all the evils of the drink traffic have formed no clear Idea in their own minds as to what the phrase means or as to what they would have if> mean. To others it suggests only a way of escape from the' extreme of prohibition and to others again a convenient half-way house towards that drastic measure. But since the startling developments of last week, which are taken by many people to represent a popular demand for an improvement upon the present system, there has been a disposition among the politicians to give,it more precise consideration. ? THE MINISTERIAL VIEW.

■ Though hitherto Mr. Massey has looked askance at both the referendum and State control, holding the one to be the refuge of cowards and the other a peril to good government, he seems to have materially modified bis views, at least in respect to the referendum, since the House took the bit between its teeth, so to speak, and went the "whole hog" in the matter of early closing. He ia now, according to his own confession the other evening, rather more than half inclined to accept the further advice of the Efficiency Board to submit the question of closing the hotel bars during the course of the war, on payment of compensation to the licensees, to a referendum of the electors. Sir Joseph Ward, who already is a convert of State control, also Would like to see the responsibility for the gnal decision thrown upon the electors, and there are a considerable number of members on both sides of the House who would cordially support their respective leaders towards this end. THE NEW OUTLOOK, But probably the party leaders on second thoughts 'have realised that the objections to holding a referendum on any phase of the liquor question at the present time are only a little less grave than those to holding a perioral election. A licensing poll often provokes more bitterness and strifo than does a parliamentary contest. But whether the liquor question is dragged into still more prominence or not during the present session it. is certain the question of State control will receive increased attention during the recess. Already several intelligible schemes for eliminating the proprie-. tary interest are being discussed. They all provide for the payment of compen-. sation, and the prohibitionists, of course, are attributing them all to the machinations of the liquor trade. This imputation, though perhnps natural enough, is not justified by the facts; even Mr. [siitj easily the niost capable and persistent of the prohibition advocates in the House, having declared that if reasonable compensation meant the abolition of the traffic it would be "worth while. 1 ' -

tHE ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE. As an experiment in the exchange of' confidences between the National' Government and the rank and file of thq House the "secret sitting" held last night' appears to have been a success. Of course Ministers disclosed to members a good deal more than is indicated in tfiC official report handed to the representative;) of the 'Press and equally of course members expressed their opinions with more candour than would have been permissible at an open sitting." The fact lhat the members accepted "unanimous-, ty" the decision of the Government, founded on representations made by the Imperial. authorities, that the proposal to grant furlough to members of the Main Body of the Expeditionary Force would have to be abandoned is sufficiently significant of the spirit that animated the gathering. This, it is safe to say, was the hardest pill it had to swallow, and though the men at the front will regret the decision less than will their friends in this country it will come as a bitter disappointment to the whole community. THE SECOND DIVISION. The president of the Second 'Division League is promptly in the field, with a declaration that the Government's proposals in regard to increased pensions and allowances are not satisfactory to the members of the League. "It is impossible to deal with the figures critically," said last night, "but a glance nt them is sufficient to show that the provisions are absolutely inadequate." Ministers are not giving any information as to what occurred at the conference in respect to this subject and private members are not talking for publication; but it is unlikely the Government'.; proposals will be allowed to pass through the 'House without a considerable amount of discussion. The Second Division 'League has been .untiring in its activities and not a single member has escaped its attention. But probably a majority has been sufficiently impressed* by what it heard last night to refrain from demanding more than the million a year the Government has. conceded to tha Second (Division.