WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 April 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

POLITICAL CHANGES. 1 SIGNS OF THE TIMES. (Special Correspondent.)' Wellington, March 31. Commenting on the Hon. W. D. S. MacDbnald's recent statement in regard tri.the difficulties besetting the National Government, The Dominion this morning accepts as inevitable the early dissolution bf the Reform-Liberal combinatioh. "One thing is very obvibus," it says, "and that is that the National Government lindfei- existing conditions has nothing t6 over. Arid the reiison is to be found in the fact that those fortning the Government expect very soori to be divided into separate cijriips." This is no new conviction brought home to what was formerly described, usually derisively, as the Reform organ by the events of the last few weeks, bill the delibei'iltte conclusion of a careful observer of public opinion that has been surprisingly reittdy to read the social arid econoriiic lessons of the war and to adopt the new outlook upon political life.

ADJUSTING THE POSITION. This new apostle of progress takes the acting leader of the Liberal Party to tisk f6r having Suggested that certain politicians Were trimming their flfcrty i Sails to catch the progressive Wind. "If Mr. MacDbnald," it retorts, "has not, changed any of his opinions aS the result of the war rind conditions arising out of the war, then he must be a very much duller man than he is credited With being. The one thing to-day this country will not tolerate is a, political party too wooden or too deeply buried in its 6wn Self-complacency to have profited by the lessons of the war." The hit is a perfectly fair one, and Mr. MacDdhald cheerfully admits the fact, but the Minister still thinks there is some difference in the purposes to which the lessons of the war may be turned. THE NEW POLITICAL CREED. Onft of, the good results Mr. MaeDonald ekpfepts to follow upofi the association of liberals and Refoi'hici's in the National Cabinet is a much pcrsbhal feSling between the parties. "This," iie declared warmly, "will bo a matter foV general fcongi-atWla'tioh." Sut whichever f'arty may be in pdwer he wants to see the oppOsitioh doing its constitutional duty. "There arg difficult times before us," he says, "and th?. country will require a strong capable Pariiailiient to steer it through them. A graver responsibility than ever will rest upon the ejectors in choosing their representatives, and upon the representatives, in dealing with the vast new problems that have arisen. There need be no party bickerings, but there must be very earnest political action." This all is good common sense, and coming from the blunt Minister of Agriculture it souuds jike the real thing.

i . GAMBLING. • The bookmakers are driving such a flourishing business in "Wellington, and, indeed, all over the country, without attracting any serious attention from the authorities, that it is not very surprising the recent police descent upon the Chinese pak-a-poo houses is provoking a good deal of merriment and some indignation. "Why 13 this activity directed against the Chinese?" one of the Ibcal papers ask 9. "Why are not worse offenders dragged before the court? Why are bookmakers allowed to practice their calling with impunity and prey on the public?" The whole business certainly is a little incongruous. People who have played pak-a-pbo say it is not easy to lose half-a-crown at the game in an hour, but many a patron of the bookmakers loses £5 or £lO or even more to these gentlemen in two minutes.