WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 April 1918, Page 8

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

J THE FINANCE BILL. j (Special Correspondent). Wellington, April Id. ' The Government's; attempt to cioso the special session on Saturday failed owing to the introduction of new and weighty clauses into the Finance Hill. The House was ready enough to vote the twenty million loan and, after discussion and a division, to prolong its gv.il life, but it could not be persuaded to accept the very comprehensive proposals for national service without a. debate which carried on the proceeding to midnight and necessitated an adjournment (ill 11 o'clock next morning. There has been no factious opposition to the <iovenimeiit/s proposals, members showing , a proper appreciation of the gravity of ' the crisis confronting the Empire, but j there has been plenty of frank criticism I from both sides of the House genI eral disposition to suspend party ties for ' the time.

I THE FINANCIAL POSITIONS. ! The introduction of a Fiuancc JSill without a statement of the country';* finance? could he justified only in war time, but Sir .losqili Ward gave assurances concernina the condition of the Treasury which"" were entirely satisfactory and which will he. supported by more precise figures to-day. During the debate the Minister announced that the latest loan v,as not y.t fully subserih ed and that drastic measures would have to he taken by the Government to secure tnr additonaf money it required unless the amount was forthcoming at once. ! i The drastic measures, of course, will lithe enforcement, of the compulsory clauses of the existing legislation wV.ch I give tin Government power to phi subscriotions from monied people who have been shirking their duty in this respect- Steps already have been taken to "put the law into operation and no time --sill be lost in doing what is absolutely necessary in the matterTHE LIFE OF PARLIAMENT. The proposal to prolong the life of Parliament, though it was ultimately carried by forty votes to twenty, provoked a- "much keener discussion t'n:n I did the proposal to the same effect h jears iu;o. The opposition, however, was chiefly to the length of the extension, several members urging that the appeal tc the electors should not be postponed bevornl April next and others holding that the matter should bo deter- " mined "during the session to be held to- ' wards the end of the present year buc-.i * responsible Reformers as Mr. T. A. Field. Dr. Newman, Mr. Parr, Mr- Becd, Mr Statham, Mr. Wilkinson and Mr. Your," voted with the minority, showing that the desire in the constituencies for an opportunity to review their representation at the earliest possible decent moment is bv no means confined to members of one political color Ministers themselves were not altogether satisfied with the position and implied if the waywere clear an election would be held before Dacember 1910. ! NATIONAL SERVICE-

The portion of the Finance Bill which, evoked the most animated discussion and finally led to its postponement was that containing provisions giving the Government very wide power* in its establishment of a national service scheme. A jrreat majority of tho members were in favor-of the principle of the scheme, several of them declaring legislation of the kind should have been introduced at the very beginning of the war; but the Labor members doubted if the rights of the workers were properly conserved in the Government's proposals and around this point the debate revolved for many weary hours. Ultimately it was decided Ur-bring the scheme down in a separate measure and s „ a ivc members a n opportunity to con- . aider it at their leisure.