WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 July 1922, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

NEW BLOOD IN PARLIAMENT. A LABOR LORD. (Special Correspondent.) July 14 One of the beet speeches made in the Addrese-in-Reply debate, either in the Legislative Council or in the House of Representatives, is to the credit of the Hon. W- H. Mclntyre, the new “Labor Lord” from Westport. Mr. Mclntyre had been heard of in Parliament before ■ftp was called to a seat within the four alls of the nominated Chamber. His name was mentioned in the House last session as that of a Labor representative whose services would •be of great value to the country. The announcement of his appointment came a little later. That he is not going to be a subservient echo of the party that gave official recognition to his worth may be judged from the speech which confirmed the reports of his personality and ability that had preceded him. He held firmly to the principles of trades unionism and warned his fellow members that any attempt to abolish preference to unionists would be “fought to the last ditch.” He refused to fall down and worship the existing education system, and roundly denounced the waste of labor and product at the coal-mines. Talk of this kind is unusual in the Council, and the somnolent Chamber was compelled to sit up and take notice.

OVERDONE. Speaking in the House the other day, Mr. George Forbes, the Liberal member for Hurunui, who can refer to the subject with less danger of being misunderstood than coukl some-of- the more militant members of the- Opposition, protested mildly against the drift of flag saluting towards an every-day, causual com-mon-place. “ Ithink that the saluting of the flag in schools and elsewhere can be overdone,” he said. “We are a loyal people. We have proved our loyalty, and. we do not need to be reminding ourselves and others all the time that we are loyal. If a man continually talks to you about his honesty you are apt to watch the spoons.” Mr. Forbes approves of saluting the flag on certain occasions, but he does not want it to be made a meaningless business to a lot of ceremony satiated children. In this he seems to have the sympathy of a great number of parents and teachers, who, like the less courageous politicians, fear to protest lest their motives and their sentiments should be misconstrued.

UNDER SUSPICION. r Judging by the proceedings at the ■Racing Conference yesterday, this high authority is determined to get at the bottom of the grave suspicions surrounding the' constitutions of two of the Auckland suburban racing clubs. In his presidential address Sir George Clifford, after deploring the rejection of the Racing Commission’s report by Parliament, made a very frank alhision to the position of these two clubs. “No attempt at vindication has been proffered,” he -said. “1 have no pre-judgment to pronounce, but T do say that it is the duty of such clubs to clear themselves from these charges, if false, or wipe away the inherent abuses resulting from them, if true. No club should, rest silently under serious imputations. There is a written and unwritten law in the realm of sport which cannot be safely disregarded.” It will be remembered that the evidence taken by the Racing Commission concerning these two clubs was suppressed, and that Parliament subsequently took action which left them unscathed. It now roihains for the Racing Conference to repair the pusillanimity of Parliament.

COME OVER AND HELP US. The Dominion this morning describes the speech delivered by Mr. Massey in the House last night as “the best he has given for some time past.” This scarcely does justice to the Prime Minister. Mr. Massey has delivered many admirable speeches both in and out of the House during the past year, which excelled in breadth and scope and eloquence his effort of last night. But, of course, in matters of this kind, opinions must be affected by the point of view. Tn joining with- Mr. Holland in declaring the Liberals were down and out, and then inviting them to come over and help him against the extremists. Mr. Massey was not offending against the rules of party warfare;-but he was exposing himself to a good deal' of criticism and misconception. The Liberals, it has to be remembered, at the last general election polled within a few thousand votes of the number polled by the Reformers. and ini the country still remain as the chief bulwark against irresponsible Soicalism.

EXCESSIVE TAXATION. Air. .1. A. Young, the member for Waikato, mainly because he takes the trouble to master his facts and to understand their significance, is one of the few members of the House who can talk interestingly and instructively on the subject of finance. Yesterday afternoon, Mr. R. F. Bollard having waived his ’right to resume. the debate on the Address-ih-Reply, ,Mr. Young took up the thread of the story and drove home many truths concerning the incidence of taxation. He showed how the excessive income tax and its iniquitable application, particularly in the case of companies, was crippling trade and enterprise. and, with the candour of a tried friend, urged the Government to provide some relief, if only by way of readjustment. Mr. T. E. Y. Seddon •followed the member for Waikato with a very opportune allusion to the need for electoral reform and passed on to the consideration of defective public services and exorbitant charges. Heavier matter came at the evening sitting, but none more pointed and instructive.