WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 August 1918, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

PARTY GOVERNMENT. (Special Correspondent). Wellington, July SI. The discussion on party government by tlid Dominion Conference of the New Zealand Farmers' Union yesterday did not display a, very intimate acquaintance with the problem by any of. the delegates. Rven Major Lnsk who moved that the Conference should look about for some system of government that would eliminate "the evils of the party system" was not prepared with any very sage arguments hi support of his proposal and Sir James Wilson, with all his knowledge of public, affairs, could say only that he preferred the devil he knew to the devil h'e did not know. He di'd ask, however, on what' grounds members of Parliament would be elected if party government were abolished, thus confessing that his Own ideals of popular representation wero , not being fully achieved under the present system. Finally the Conference decided! that the executive should go into, the question and obtain- information for the guidance of delegates at their next animal meeting. WAR-TIME RACING.. The members of the Conference evidently knew rather more about racing than they did about the various means that have been suggested for- mitigating the evils of party government. A motion to the effect that the Government should, be urged to stop all racing during the course of the war was rejected in favor of an amendment asking for a curtailment of the number of meetings, the voting being eighteen to thirteen, and the question was thus leftsubstantially where it was before with a majority .of the- delegates standing on the 3ide of continuance.. Of course the discussion was a little, futile, the Government,already having- determined that the amount of racing permitted this season should be permitted during the season which will begin to-morrow (August 1), but it may be- taken to [show- that a majority- of the- farmers' representatives look "with ' a tolerant, 'eyc-upoiv the/national sport.