WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 April 1922, Page 10

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SIR JOSEPH WARD. HEALTH AND ASPIRATIONS, </ K, (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, March 3i. Sir Joseph Ward was at the races yesterday, still looking many pounds below his normal weight, but obviously much improved in health. He has been living in comparative retirement during the last few months, following his doctor s directions to avoid worry and work, and is being rewarded, by' a return of all his former physical strength. He has now a clean bill of health, as lie puts it himself. In the course of an informal chat between races, he said he had no political plans for the luture. All sorts of intentions had been attributed to him, and he hoped the best of them reflected in some measure the wishes of his friends, but he was not going to plunge into the party affray merely for the gratification of his own personal ambitions. There was very serious and very difficult work to be done, the position of the country today from a financial point. of view being more critical than it had been during any stage of the war, and relief was not going to be obtained by merely postponing the problems that had to be solved.

PARTY OUTLOOK. All this is a little enigmatic, and really throws no useful light on the political intentions of the old Liberal leader, but perhaps it justifies the assumption that if Sir Joseph were definitely called he •would re-enter the party arena. On the score of health there appears to be no obstacle to his doing so. Mentally, his friends aver, he is more active and alert than he ever has been before, and physically restored to his vigor of twenty years ago. The gossips already have assigned seats to him in Christchurch, Wellington and Auckland—without explaining, by the way, why Dunedin has not preferred its hospitality—and if lie does offer his services during the forthcoming election it probably will be to one of the city divisions. But apparently Mr. Wilford’s organisation of the new LiberalLabor combination has proceeded on the assumption that Sir Joseph is finally out of politics, or, at any rate, out of the running for the party leadership. With two Liberal Richmonds in the field and with .militant Labor taking an increased share of the votes, the way would be made easy for the Reformers.

TAXATION. The nomination, by the Chambers of Commerce of representative business men and accountants to confer with high officials on the question of taxation has been -followed by demands from the farmers and the Labor organisations for representation at the Conference. Mr. Edward Newman, the member for Manawatu, claims to have a promise from the Prime Minister for the adequate representation of the farmers’ interests, and Mr. Holland and the other Labor members naturally are demanding similar representation -for the workers. Mr. Massey has not yet made known his intentions in regard to the matter, but it is being pointed out to him that the indefinite multiplication of representatives would affect the value of the Conference in an inverse ratio. The delegates, of course, will have no authority to impose taxation. It will be their mission to submit facts and suggestions for the consideration of the officials, while it will be the duty of the officials and finally the duty of the Minister to see that the interests of every section of the community are duly considered. An unlimited extension of the idea would leave little chance of another conference of the kind being held.

EDUCATION REFORM. The conference summoned by the Minister of Education to consider the reconstruction of the Dominion’s system of education was opened yesterday under the presidency of Mr. J. Caughley, the Director of Education. The main features of the reforming scheme are that the primary school course shall carry the children to an educational standard equivalent to standard 4 or 5 and shall be completed by the time the children reach the age of twelve or thirteen years. Then will follow a three years’ course in a junior high school, where the work wili correspond roughly with that done in the upper standards of the present primary schools and at the secondary schools during the first year of attendance. The policy of the Department wili be to make the secondary school course vocational in character and to consult parents as to the lines it shall follow. All this is very admirable in theory, and no doubt the Minister and the Director have devoted much time and thought to the preparation of the scheme: but its reduction to practice remains a colossal undertaking and inevitably a costly one.