WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 July 1919, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

MEETING OF PARLIAMENT. DATE OF OPENING. Wellington, July IS. The Minister of Internal Affairs having fixed the return of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward to the Dominion for the middle of next month and the Acting Prime Minister having stated that Parliament will not mee.t till at least a fortnight after their arrival, it may be safely assumed that the session will not open before the first week in September. Meanwhile, all sorts of rumors concerning the party truce are flying about, most of them being obvious inventions and none of them having the authority of anyone entitled to speak on ,tlie subject. As a matter of fact, the duration of the truce is a question, for the party leaders ,to decide, and their colleagues here doubt if they have yet discussed the point between themselves. That neither Sir James Allen nor, the Hon. W, D. 8. MaeDonald has received any definite information on the subject is certain.

THE COURSE OF BUSINESS. When the decision of the Liberal caucus to terminate the party truce was first announced it was generally expected that the approaching session would be a very short one. Since then, however, Ministers have mentioned a number of matters, chiefly arising more or less directly out of the war, which mus,t be dealt with by the present Parliament, and private members have hinted at the introduction of several policy measures intended to fickle the ears of the electors. This, of course, implies that the truce will be terminated while the house is still in session and that there will be notable changes in the Treasury benches within the next few months, but tli6 closest inquiry has elicited no aeflnite information in. regard to those speculations. Ministers on both sides declare themselves unable to satisfy public curiosity on .the Bubject, THE COAL TROUBLE/

Meanwhile the stars in their courses seem to be fighting for the Labor Partv, Which, free from the obligations of tile truce,, can denounce both Reformers and Liberals with refreshing impartiality. Easily the most effective platform speaker the party possesses is Mr. Robert Semple, who looks so frank and simple and so terribly in earnest that his impassioned words impress even those who attend his meetings to scoff. Last night the member for Wellington South aadressed a large audience at Brooklyn on the coal shortage, and made It «ppear clearly enough that the miners were not to blame at all for ( the empty bins and fireless grates from which many people in Wellington are Buffering, The responsibility for these troubles, he insisted, lay with the old parties and with the shipping companies, and there ,the majority of his hearers were content to let it rest.