WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 April 1918, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE SHORT SESSION, ENLARGED PROGRAMME! 'Special Correspondent). Wellington, April 5. A fortnight ago the Prime Minister was quite confident the short session, which will open on Tuesday, would not extend 'beyond a couple of weeks, but to-day he admits it <hay he prolonged for another week or so by the necessity of considering the suggestion for sending more men to the front- Mr. Massey expected no serious opposition to the Government's financial proposals for the period covering the absence of the party leaders from the 'Dominion. They merely will make provision for supply up to the end of October and will not affect either taxation or expenditure. With a view to making the Address-in-Rcply as short as possible the Governor's speech will be an entirely uncontroversial formality, containing no pegs on which garrulous members may hang wearisome addresses to their constituents. Custom suggests that Mr. J. P. Luke, the new member for Wellington North, will move the Address and his selection at least would save the House from any oratorical fireworks.

DOUBTFUL SEATS. It is send-officially stated that the law precludes Mr. P. C. Webb from taking his seat in Parliament while serving a sentence of imprisonment for an offence against the Military Service Act, and if this is really the case the seat wilt become automatically vacant, unless the House, grants the member for lirey leave of absence- There are plenty of laymen ready to dispute this interpretation of the law, and it certainly seems a little absurd that a member should be confirmed in his seat by one statute and ousted from it by another, but no doubt the Minister to whom the statement is attributed had taken the advice of the Crown Law officers on the subject and spoke with their authority. It is just possible, however, that Mr. Webb himself will solve the difficulty by handing in his resignation and leaving his constituents free to elect aother representative. Mr- McCombs' pnsition, of course, depends upon the outcome, of the bankruptcy proceedings now before the Supreme Court.

.MORE MEN. It is rumored here that Sir James Allen's statement 1 m Chris teburcli to t'le effect that the Dominion would have fulfilled its full duty in the war by maintaining its Division in the field at its "original strength does not by any means represent the view of the whole of the Cabinet. The Prime Minister has talked much of "the last shilling and the last man" with the hearty approval and approbation of a majority- of : Ms ! colleagues, and naturally the public is a little surprised by the construction the Minister of Defence would pluce upon his words Mr. Maseey is making no secret of his own idea of what ought to be done in response to the Mother Conn 1 , try's appeal and in his determination to redeem the Dominion's pledge in both letter and spirit he has the .full sympathy of the great mass of the community. The matter will have to be discussed in Parliament and it Is so pregnane with political possibilities it is bound to be the most interesting business before the short session.

THE COAL SHORTAGE. The lessening stocks of coal, due ttf the reduced imports from Newcastle and the strikes at Paparoa and at the State mines, has brought the country face to face with the prospect of a fuel famine on the very eve of the season of greatest consumption. There is plenty of coal to be obtained at Newcastle, tmt few bring it across the Tasman Sea, and the supply from tnis source iB not likely to be materially increased during the winter months. But <ho output from the New Zealand mines could be easily increased by 0000 tor.? a week if the miners would stop wrangling between themselves and get to work in the interests of the community. Their meeting at Runanga on Wednesday having lapsed owing to the .-.parse attendance, they have been' given until to-mor-row to make up their minds to do the right thing. Failing this the Government will put the AVar Regulations into operation and the trobule will be brought to a head.