WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 7 February 1921, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE FINANCIAL POSITION. THE PRIME MINISTER’S STATEMENT. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Feb. 4. Mr. Massey has nou entirely silenced his local critics by his frank statement at Pukekohe of the financial position of the Dominion. They admit that what many people are mistaking for increased taxation is really increased cost of living, but even here, they contend, the Government is to blame for not having more effectually restrained the rapacious traders. The chief indictment against the Minister, however, is that by “collaring” the accumulated war surpluses and applying them to an ill-conceived and extravagant system of soldier settlement he has depleted the Treasury without discharging the Dominion’s full obligation to the returned men or adding anything to the production he and his colleagues have been urging as the one thing essential for the salvation of the country. SOLDIER SETTLERS. This, of course, opens up a very big question which can scarcely be determined by actual demonstration till the Government’s system has had a longer trial than it has had at present. It was never contemplated that more than a substantial minority of the soldiers placed on the land would become considerable producers in their first year, or even in their second. Many of them had a good deal of preliminary work to do and were not expected to get as much off their sections forthwith as the former owners of the land had done. But the official reports, which must be accepted as reliable till evidence is adduced to the contrary, show that a very large proportion of them have made satisfactory progress and are fairly on the way to becoming contributors towards the much-needed exports of the country. PICTURE FILMS. The legislation of the last session intended to empower the Minister of Internal Affairs to ban certain picture films deemed undesirable for general exhibition has been held in abeyance on ; account of the picture show proprietors pleading it would be impossible for them to continue their business if the new law was strictly enforced. The Hon. G. J. Anderson, however, considering the proprietors now have had time to obtain supplies without the inclusion of the objectionable films, is tightening up the regulations, and the proprietors again are protesting their popular form of entertainment will be driven out of the country. But the Minister is standing firm, and, while promising the. proprietors to consider the representations they made to him this afternoon, holds out to them no hope of their being given a free hand in the matter. AS OTHERS SEE US. This morning the Dominion, speaking, it may be. presumed, for Wellington “society,” refers in somewhat piqued terms to the flippant allusion to the capital city and its people appearing in the Renown’s magazine. “Wellington will not be seriously perturbed,” it says, “to learn that in the opinion of these gay young gentlemen it is dull and rather and as careful of the proprieties as Mrs. Grundy herself. At any rate, no one will associate the officers and men of the Renown as a body with the efforts of one or two young men to turn an honest penny by offering the public an irresponsible little ship’s magazine. It may not be quite good manners, in Wellington’s solemn and restrained view, but at least we can hope our gay young authors get enough out of it to pay their wine bills.” Manners are manners, of course, but this rather invites the tu quoque retort.