WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 11 April 1922, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE NEW LOAN. market favorable. (Special Correspondent.) Air. Massey’s announcement at Whangarei of his intention to float a new loan for public works in the immediate future took no one here by surprise. The few people who imagined that its economising efforts were going to save the Government from the necessity of going to the London money market for the next couple of years now realise that it will be as long as that before they begin to materially affect the financial position. The popular impression obtained from Mr. Massey’s announcement is that the new loan will be for five millions, which would satisfy the pressing needs of the Treasury, but the Government, in addition to the authority it took last session to borrow this amount, has outstanding authorities to raise some fifteen millions, and. it is quite possible, should the market prove favorable, Mr, Massey will take the opportunity to make provision for other needs than those indicated in the latest legislation. The financial authorities expect all the money required to be available at 5% per cent., at most, and at this rate the Dominion could make profitable use of a considerable sum during the next year or two. EDUCATION REFORM. The conference of experts that has been reviewing the Dominion’s education system with a view to introducing extensive reforms, is preparing recommendations generally in accord with the proposals submitted by the Minister. This, of course, is the usual procedure. The Minister confers with the experts, promises proposals in harmony with their ideas, lays them before the experts and in due course embodies them in regulations or in an Act of Parliament. In the present case no legislation appears to be required, the Government, as a matter of convenience, having armed itself with regulations which enable it to turn the education system upside down or inside out as it may please. The Minister’s present proposals are in the direction of simplifying the primary course and extending the secondary course, particularly in the direction of making provision for vocational training along practical lines. The matter is not attracting a great deal of attention here, but there is a feeling throughout the community that the present system is not producing results commensurate with its cost, and any change, even of an experimental character, would be welcomed.

THE POLITICAL HORIZON. Ministers are letting it be understood that Parliament will meet this : yeai at the usual time in June and that they expect the session to be a i long one, probably not terminating till the middle of November, unless members refrain -from superfluous talk and factious obstruction. Mr. Massey may reasonably hope for the best on this occasion, since the various sections of the Opposition are more anxious to get to the constituencies than Ministers and their followers are and may be trusted to facilitate, within reason, the progress of business. There is much talk, particularly in Auckland, just now, of electoral reform, Liberals and Labor! tes alike being anxious to find some escape from the vote splitting of w’hich they are the victims; but though the Prime Minister has made no definite statement on the subject, it is safe to say there will be no legislation in this direction during the impending session. The Government will introduce none, and it will permit none introduced from the other side of the House to become law.