WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 July 1921, Page 11

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

IN A NEW ROLE. <. AS AN OPTIMIST. (Special Correspondent.) • Wellington, July 22. The Hon. W. Nosworthy appeared in a new role when speaking at the opening of the annual conference of the Council of Agriculture on Wednesday. Previously he had been known as the persistent pessimist of the Cabinet and indeed of Parliament. His lugubrious utterances in the House cover some of the gloomiest pages of the last thirty odd volumes of “Hansard.” But it always has been suspected •that behind his gloomy political vision lay a stout heart and a philosophical mind. IHe confirmed this suspicion in addressing I the Council of Agriculture. He saw no I cause for despondency in low prices and 'high freights; he discerned a silver lining to the cloud of depression, broad fringed and close at hand; he believed that the nrospects before mutton and wool were brighter than ever, that the future of butter and cheese was assured and that wheat would continue a highly profitable crop. The Minister, in short, while preaching the gospel of hard work, held out the inducement of adequate reward and so presented a side of the picture the pessimist would have overlooked in these difficult days.

BRUTAL CANDOUR. It was a little curious that the F’nister’s stimulating address should have been followed by the reading of i paper of quite a different tone. The paper was prepared by Mr. W. D. Hunt, one of the Dominion’s leading commercial men, a confirmed optimist and a tireless worker in the public interests, whose business activities lie chiefly among the farming community. One might imagine that for the nonce he had ‘changed creeds with Mr. Noswfirthy. The substance of the paper already has ' been fairly widely read, but one sentence will bear repetition. “Can you point to any support that the Government has had from the people of this country in any effort it has made for efficiency and economy?” Mr. Hunt asked his audience. “I say we have inefficiency and waste on every hand and the worst of it is that a great deal of this waste and inefficiency is not caused by want of thought and carelessness, but is deliberate and intenI tionai.” There was no political bias, or at any rate no party intention, in Mr. Hunt’s fervid appeal for efficiency and economy, but it naturally has set speculating as to the apportionment of the responsibility for the state of affairs this authority deplores. ' THE GOVERNMENT’S PART. It cannot be said that the Government has been making no efforts during the last few months to bring the public expenditure within some reasonable relation to the public revenue.. Special inspectors have been going through all the public departments looking for directions in which , economies can be effected and lopping off i extravagances of every description. Whether or not the amounts they have saved run into any considerable sum remains to be seen, but there is no reason to doubt the zeal or the conscientious effort of the officers employed upon their disagreeable work. But so far there is no indication of the efficiency of any of the departments Laving been increased. This lack of efficiency is Mr. Hunt’s chief complaint and as a business man he regards it as a much graver matter than an excessive issue of paper and ink or an extra office chair. But the critic does not confine his remarks to the public service, it is industrial efficiency he chiefly is urging and here he appeals to the fanners and to every other section of the community to support the Government in getting the best possible results from a national effort.

NEW POLITICAL PARTY. There was a good deal of disappointment when it was discovered that neither the public nor the Press was to be admitted to the meeting of the Progressive Liberal and Moderate Lftbor Party held here last night. It was thought by many local people interested in its birth hnd its progress that the new party had got beyond the stage of “admission by ticket” and that it at last would propound its policy in the full light of publicity. Ae it is, these people have to content themselves with a report of the proceedings “supplied” to the newspapers, which, though fairly full and precise, is not so satisfying as would have been a seat among the audience. However, a large section of the public still is inclined to look with a kindly eye upon the new party, and when Mr. Statham and his friends take the people into their full confidence they will not find themselves without sympathisers in this community.