WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 December 1921, Page 12

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE SESSION. PROLONGED OVER CHRISTMAS. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Dec. 14. Though members of the House seemed • ready to do their part in bringing the ■ session to a close before Christmas, even iif it involved late sittings and hasty i legislation, the Prime Minister made up ! his mind during the week-end not to at- ’ tempt the task. Perhaps his readiness j to discuss the question at all was due rather to a deire to clear the way for I the passage of the tariff proposals than to any serious intention of abandoning a considerable part of his programme. He still hopes it will not be necessary to keen members in Wellington for longer than two or three weeks after their return from the holidays, but the general opinion is that once back here members will be less anxious than they have appeared to be during the last fortnight to get away again. However, the length of the session depends mainly upon the will of the Government, and in the present ease the last word rests with the Prime Minister. AN IMPROBABLE RUMOR. A rumor in circulation here, which has some slight bearing on the situation, is to the effect that when Mr. Massey gets Parliament to work after the holidays he will insist upon it remaining in session till it has cleared up all the arrears of legislation with a view to a much shorter session than usual next year and an earlier appeal to the constituencies. Of course this sounds highly improbable, since the Government • would obtain no tactical advantage in going to the polls in July or August instead of in December, but there are people here who profess to have had the story from the highest authority. They suggest that Mr. Massey, having got his reconstruction policy through Parliament, will be anxious to have it endorsed as speedily as possible by the country, bur even this argument is a little difficult to follow unless it is assumed the reconstruction policy will not bear the test of experience. LICENSING LAW COMMITTEE. The appointment of a select committee I of the House last night to consider what amendments are required in -the present Licensing Act to ensure its satisfactory working, drew forth a number of speeches that did not augur particularly well for the harmonious .settlement ftf the various knotty problems involved in the inquiry. Mr/ Isitt started the trouble by describing Mr. Lysnar, Air. McCallum and Mr. Witty as “the three chief champion? of the liquor trade in the House.” Mr. Lysnar was not present, but Mr. McCallum and Mr. Witty retorted in kind, to such effect that Mr. Wilford, the Leader of the Liberal Opposition. expressed a warm hope that the sittings of the Committee would be open to the Press, and that the public would have an opportunity to enjoy adequate reports of its proceedings. The Prime Minister claimed to have appointed no extremists to the committee, and the House smiled. NO MONEY. Finance occupied a good deal of attention House last night, the Prime Minister having occasion to tell inquiring members more, than once that he had no money even for the urgent works they brought under his notice. He was compelled to refuse advances even to returned soldiers, whom he knew to be in a difficult position, and whom he would like to assist. Disappointed members pressed inquiries concerning various sums of money they thought hould be available. But Mr. Massey was obdurate. The half million of German reparation money has been absorbed by the War Expenses Account, and the repayment of the advance to the Southland Power Board had gone into public works. For the rime, he said in effect, local bodies and farmer? would have to shift for . themselve . Meanwhile business houses are complaining that while the Government is thrusting the care of the farmers on to private enterprise it is extracting every penny it can from private enterprise by way of taxation.