WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 22 October 1918, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE PARTY LEADERS. POLITICS AND PROBLEMS. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Oct. 18. So far as local polities and domestic affairs are concerned Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward have proved rather misatisfactory subjects for the persistent interviewer. They have declined and still are declining to discuss the business of the approaching session, to indicate the Minister that will be sent to London, or to say whether or not the life of the present Parliament will be further prolonged. Within a few hours of his arrival the Prime Minister, in reply to a question suggested by the results of the Wellington Central and T'aranaki by-elections, said he was ready to meet any challenge that might be thrown down to him inside or outside of 1 the House, but his bravo declaration did not appear very illuminative when it came to be analysed. Challenges from within, to speak frankly, have few terrors for a National Cabinet, and challenges from without, in war time, do not fall on particularly sensitive ears. THE BUSINESS OF THE SESSION. Still by putting two and two together, by weighing what the party leaders say and what they leave unsaid, it may be possible to make a pretty shrewd guess as to what is in t'lieir minds. They are both hoping, for instance, that the session will be over before the Christmas holidays. This end would be achieved only by concentrating the of the House upon two or three absolutely urgent measures—supply, another war loan, a liquor proposal of some kind or another and perhaps an amendment of the land laws with a view to facilitating j soldier settlement —but even with a programme reduced to the slenderest dimensions, members still would have endless opportunities to talk unless Mr Massey put on the big boots and resorted to driving tactics, which would be a somewhat perilous proceeding in the present temper of the country and with a general election looming ahead. THE LIFE OF PARLIAMENT. At present the life of the existing Parliament stands prolonged till the end of next "year, but of course it may be terminated earlier by the will of the Government expressed through His Majesty's representative. The impression one obtains from people who may be supposed to be more closely in the confidence of Ministers than the man in the street can be, is that while Mr Massey would welcome an eariier election on personal grounds he still holds firmly to the view that the parties shouid not be set at one another's throats while the war U on. Sir Joseph Ward is in agreement with his colleague in title latter respect. Had he had his way there would have been no general election in 1914, and, it may be worth recalling, no National Cabinet, but merely a party truce which would have left the Government of the day unhampered in its war efforts. He still thinks this would have been the better course. THE LIQUOR QUESTION. | But whatever the intentions o£ the Government may be, and whatever its settled policy, Parliament will have to face the liquor question in one shape or another. Even in the very improbable contingency of Ministers not moving in the matter themselves the problem still would be bound to make its appearance on the floor of the House. The petitions to be presented to Parliament by the New Zealand Alliance and the Moderate League will bear an enormous number of signatures and will justify any private member moving in the matter in the event of Ministers failing to do what -he conceives to bo their duty. It will not be a party question, though t'he party leaders may hold different views as to the proposed reforms, and for once the House will be found voting on a great National issue without the interference of the party whip. The result is a matter only for speculation. At the moment the popular opinion is that a referendum on #• broa4 will .be.gmte^'