WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1918, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE WAR CABINET. 1 MEETING- OP PARLIAMENT (Special Correspondent). '• 'Wellington, Feb. ft ' Of course t'lic official anounceinent of • tlic impending departure of Mr. Masgey. and Sir Joseph Ward for London to &t« tend the meeting of the Imperial War Cabinet had been anticipated in every; . material detail weeks before it appear-' ed in the newspapers yesterday morn* ing. All that remained in doulit ttcs the date on which the Ministers Y/ould leave the Dominion, and on this depended the date on which Parliament would he summoned to make the necessary arrangements for carrying on tho business of the country during their absence, j These dates are now indicated clearly enough for all practical purposes. Psr< liament will meet in tho second week of! April and the party leaders will be on! 1 » their way Home ibefore the end 1 of the) ' month. What they will have to do! . when they get there is noi so aaaiiyi'j deduced and probably the Prime Miniwi ' ter and his colleagues have littlo more \ I information on this point than lias the}' ■ .average man in the street. —' THE SHORT SESSION. I' '/j \ Apparently Mr Massey and Sir JdseJiKj Ward are counting upon getting through' the short session which most precede I their departure in ten or twelve days, at the most. Prob&hly their expectation will be justified by tbo event. BUtJ'j it is unlikely members of the House will be quite so docile and compliant as they were under similar circumstances a year' ago. Their constituents have grown more restless and critical and a. general election seems nearer at hand. Tb'eji will want to get into "Hansard" and In-' to the newspapers with rcasscrtforas of their patriotism and independence and the rest of their popular virtues. la the end, however, Ministers are hound ' to have their own way. The pretty fijj- • tion which assigns to Parliament the' control of its own proceedings, down tcf'.' the duration of a. session, is only ai pretty fiction after all. The cold truth' is that tho Government of the day, by virtue of its majority, holds all such matters in the hollow of "its hand. k ' WELLINGTON NORTH. The final retirement of Sir John Dan* niston from the Supreme Court Bench and the resignation of tht> Hon. A. L. Ilcrdinan from the Wellington North scat in 'Parliament followed quickly upon tlic anouncement concerning tin; represcutation of the Douw.ton in the Imperial War Cabinet Evsvybody knows the connection between the three events i ai'd everybody will join in the congratulations that are being offered to Sir . John and his successor —to tho one on the completion of long years"of faithful' service t. 0 the State ami to tho other on the opportunity to establish a similar record. It would eeem there is not to bi» the same unanimity in regard to the election of Mr A. L. Hefdman's successor. The Mayor, Mr J. P. Luke, is the National Government's nominee for the , seat, but at present there are three other Richmonds in the field all bent upon trying conclusions with His Worship. ~ , :•* divide:; party. At the moment the way lookc none too easy for eitjier Mr l.ukc or Mr. Mawey. The ssjictiou of a candidate rested with the Prime Minister under the provision of the party truce, and ho offered the nomination to Mr. Xukd mainly, as lie.now says, in recognition of his war work in his official capacity as Mayor. But a number of 'Reformers in Wellington North positively refuse to accept Mr. laike as their candidate, alleging lie ii unstable m his adherence to their parly, that lie lias little knowledge of genera! polities and that he has narrow views on the licensing question. It is sale to say the last objection is not the least in th-j eyes of many of the dissatisfied cleitoH. The Major is a Prohibitionist and a Si* U'Clocker and during his occupancy of J lie MaVoral chair he 'has mado little effort to disguise the faith that is within him. GRAVE POSSIBTUTIKS!. If tho disgruntled Reformers should persist in their refusal to he reconciled to Mr. Luke's candidature and brir out another aspirant for a.uliainc-itnrv. honors of (heir own color the 'consequences might he vcrv grav indeed. The constituency at Uio last, general' election was distinct!' a Reform one. but notwithstanding {hi-: ;':> •! Mr Herdman did not have a very Ihitc niar'rin of votes ovi r the total of Hi" V'heral and Labor candidates that c.nwwe.l hii> ; . If the Reform votes wciv ii-rl iet.weeu fvo candid:'te.-. .u ii.- av, -Mr, contest and the I.ih rai ae : i aire y.ues 'concentrated on one iiilisie, i!>« X-. t.ioiei 1 (!n\i'"io.a.'>n:won: i-n.iWv would be 'defeated and ire : the Reform majority {•» •I! 1.1 stood to say ihit in .s. , Int.tii'iia'-r I|C woiii ' a'■ a ; 1 ion Wi»nt t ecu «.. ..f •' .. p.tri.y I fit.-" i'i !, v «'■' (, c '■ "i n;,,,. a ,;j In \v : uuiie; lite \,.,r ' «• , yftlS*