WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 December 1921, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE SESSION. MAKING HASTE. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Dec. 5. The possibility and the propriety of closing the session before Christmas have been much in political circles during the week end. Of the possibility there appears to be little doubt. Ministers, no less than private members, are anxious to avoid carrying business over into the New Year, and the public, speaking generally, are quite unconcerned about the ’matter. The Dominion reminds its readers this morning that the Tariff Bill of 1907 was putthrough all its stages in the House in a little over three weeks, and sees no reason why Mr. Massey and his colleagues should not vastly improve upon this notable achievement. In some circumstances, it says, haste would give definite grounds for criticism. But in the present case, the Reform organ conveniently assumes, “the House reflects a belief held by a majority of its members that no useful purpose would be served by dragging out debate on a.' tariff which has been based on the be«t expert advice available, and which, breaks new ground so far as this country is concerned and admittedly is in , some respects highly experimental.” This nearly enough expresses the attitude of Parliament. ON TRUST. ' In former years highly experimental legislation breaking new ground would not have been accepted on trust, however capable the expert advice behind it might have been. Mr. Massey, when sitting on the other side of the House, was the very first and the. most vehement in denouncing any attempt at this sort of thing. But the present Opposition, with the exception of the officialLabor section, seems quite incapable of sustaining any serious fight against the forces of the Government. If the Liberal groiip would insist upon the work of the session being completed in a decent and orderly fashion it Would receive support not only from its associates, but also from a number of Independents anl Reformers. There is a feeling in the House itself that the work of the session is being scamped, and without turning this to account for mere party purposes. Mr. W il ford would be quite within his rights in giving it an opportunity for expression. Of course Mr. Massey would have his way whatever happened, but he always is amenable to the reason that would have him shape his way along the line of least resistance, and it is the duty of the Opposition to point out to him the direction in which that line lies. A VINDICATION. A letter -from the secretary of the Sheepowners* and Farmers’ Federation, read by the Prime Minister in the House a week or two ago, conveyed to most people the impression that the deputation from the producers of theDominion which waited upon Mr. Massey some time earlier, had been guilty of a gross indiscretion in referring to the hard lot of the farmers. The secretary of the Federation, who, with two of his principals, had been a member of. the deputation, in his letter told Mr.Massey that he and the Federation wished to dissociate themselves altogether from the representations made to him and to express their/f esret that.

had been dragged into the affair binder a' misapprehensSon. Naturally, this brought very strong protests from other members of the deputation and the§e had the immediate effect of inducing the secretary to climb down precipitately without waiting to be shot at further. He says now that he and his colleagues had approved of Mr. W. D. Hunt’-s address to the Minister before it was delivered and that they still think it admirable in every patricular. The remarks he had repudiated were the unrecorded utterances of some otherpeople. It is a pity he did not say so in writing to Mr. Massey. Had he done so he would have saved the Minister from a very embarrassing position, THE TRADE AND THE TARIFF. A conference of licensed victualler's is to be held here to-morrow for the purpose of fixing a new scale of prices for the various alcoholic drinks affected by the tariff now passing through Parliament. That there will be very substantial rises there can be no doubt. Before the war and the increased taxation a bottle of passable whisky could be bought in Wellington for as little as 5s (id. But since then the price of the same spirit has advanced, from one cause and another to 12s 6d, and it is expected the conference will put on a further 2s 6d to cover the extra duty.The trade had fairly long and tolerably precise notice of how it was going to fare under the new tariff and most of the licensed victuallers in the city have laid in large stocks; but it*is expected they will begin to trade on “replacement values” at the beginning of the new year. Smaller ‘Spots’’ and shorter drinks are expected among the economies.