WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 August 1922, Page 10

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SIR JOSEPH WARD. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington,, August 18. Sir Joseph Ward’s name is still being bandied about in connection with the impending general election. His definite statement that he will not accept the invitation to contest the Kaiapoi seat seems only to have added to the activity of the gossips who are anxious to provide for his political future. It never seems to have occurred to them that after thirty-two or thirty-three years of strenuous service in Parliament, Sir Joseph may be finding the life of a private citizen, with plenty of interests to keep him from rusting, entirely eon- i genial. They are now assigning him a ’ city seat, either in Wellington or Auck- i land, and talking of the resuscitation of ; the Liberal-Labor party on the old lines. ■ But people who probably know more than these busy-bodies do about his present attitude towards politics, say that Sir Joseph, while not putting public life entirely behind him, is not at all anxious to re-enter the fray. Least of all would he like to be the cause of further dissensions among the Opposition. The latest accounts of his health are of an entirely satisfactory character, and finally dispose of the stories which from time to time have perturbed his friends. THE TARIFF AGREEMENT. The general impression among politicians and business men here is that the tariff agreement between the Commonwealth and the Dominion has been conceived in a genuinely reciprocal spirit and framed with a mutual regard for the interests of both countries. Much credit is being given t.» the Hon. W. Downie Stewart, the Minister of Customs, for the tact and understanding with which he conducted the negotiations, and it appears to be thoroughly deserved. | The Minister stated quite frankly in the House on Friday that the revision of the tariff in December, which included Australia on the foreign list, without any of the concessions extended to other British countries, was intended to place New Zealand in a better position to negotiate with the Commonwealth than it otherwise would have been. This coercion did not seem I particularly neighborly at the time, and ! was condemned by some of the Govern- , ment’s critics on that account, both here and in Australia, but it appears to have helped the Minister very materially in his bargaining on the other side. The agreement still has to be ratified by the two Parliaments concerned, but it is expected that will be only a matter of form.

LICENSING. Though the report of the Parliamentary Committee on the licensing question is not to be followed by legislation this session, it is being made the subject of eager discussion tpnong people who take jnore than a casual interest in the detiny of the liquor 1 trade. Apparently the Committee has succeeded in displeasing the extremists on both sides. The Prohibitionists object strongly to the proposal to prolong the existence of the Trade for four years after a majority of the electors have voted for its extinction, and the Moderates proj test loudly against the suggested additions ito the licensees’ obligations. Perhaps the Prohibitionists are a little more sincere in their displeasure than are the Moderates in theirs, since the extension of four years’ grace to the Trade would mean that first they would have to fight a licensing poll, and then, three years later, to fight a general election. As it is, licensing legislation is bound to enter very largely into the approaching election campaign, and to divert a certain amount of attention from the other great issues at stake. The opinion that the two polls should not be held at the same time continues to grow. PARTIES. Mr. Holland’s “revelations” do not appear to have seriously estranged the Liberal and Labor parties. Mr. Wilford’s following still likes to be known as the Liberal Labor party, and the other sections of the Opposition are not actively averse to its enjoyment of the title. There are rumors about, indeed, to the effect that the prospects of an “understanding” between the Liberals and the “Red Feds,” betrayed the fact that this was the one development in the readjustment, of the parties they feared, and so set the various Labor forces unassociated with the Social Democrats thinking. No one, during the discussion of Mr. Holland’s “revelations,” ventured to say there was any inherent impropriety in an “understanding” between two or more sections of a progressive party when their main objective in effect was the same.

ELECTORAL REFORM. A warm sympathiser with the progressive side of politics, unconnected with any party organisation, discussing the subject to-day, held strongly that the first duty of the members of the Liberal and Labor parties was to devote all their energies towards securing such a measure of electoral reform as would make Parliament, really representative of the people qualified to vote. He would not mind a great deal whether their object was proportional representation or preferential voting. He would prefer the former, with its broader basis, but for the present he would be con- | tent with the latter. Personally he would 1 give his vote to Mr. Masey unhesitatingly ; if it would help in bringing about preferential voting, and would leave the Parliament truly representative of the majotily. to give the country proportional representation. His view, therefore, was that all the progressive forces should get together for the sole purpose of bringing about electoral reform, and so making New Zealand a democratic country in actual fact and not] merely in the inflated language of party romance. This enthusiast, it may be well to repeat, is unattached, and speaks h r himself alone. RECIPROCITY. Second and third thoughts in regard to the proposed Customs Tariff agree•ment between Australia and New Zealand confirm the first impression that it is likely to encourage trade between the two countries without seriously prejudicing the established industries of either of them. .New Zealand canned, fruits, it is expected, will not be greatly affected, but. canned fish of different varieties and canned tongues, already in good demand in Australia, will find a still wider market on account of the removal of the duty- It is anticipated, too, that under the revised tariff New Zealand agricultural implements and machinery will find their way into the Commonwealth. There is a difference of opinion among the boot manufacturers as to how they are going to fare, but the head of one of the largest firms engaged in the business takes quite an optimistic view of the outlook. The sawmillers, so far as can be gathered, are practically unanimous in thinking I the abolition of the Australian duty on rough sawn timber is going not only to

help their industry, but also to reduce the cost of building timber for local use. Altogether the appearance of the new tariff seems to improve on acquaintance. MARKING TIME. Notwithstanding the fact that none of the recommendations embodied in the report of the special committee on licensing legislation will come within the sphere of practical politics till after the next general election, the whole report lhas been made the subject of a prolonged discussion in the House this week. After this unprofitable .demonstration the House is to devote a sitting or two to one of the Proportional Representation Bills and to several other measures fore-doomed to re-jection- The truth is that at the moi ment Parliament is “going slow” as fla- ! grantly as the men on the water front i occasionally do, and apparently with no : better reason. Two months hence it ■ will be working at such a pace, it will have time to do nothing well. But this is the record of every election session, no matter what the color of the Government may be. 9 TAXATION COMMITTEE. When Mr. Massey last referred to the report of the Advisory Taxation Committee he said the pressure of other business had prevented him from more than merely glancing over the document. He had enough of it, however, to satisfy him that it contained a large amount of very valuable information and a number of useful suggestions. It may be presumed that since then he has found time to make closer study of the report and to weigh the contents more deliberately. Not a hint, however, has been given to the public as to the nature of its contents or as to the direction of its recommendations, and any speculations in this direction are mere guess’ work- But it may be taken for i granted that no suggestion for any considerable reduction in the volume, of taxation has been made. The Prime Minister took care in his inaugural address to the committee to emphasise the futilitv of any such proposal. The y® might’be readjustment, but there could be no reduction. His subsequent speeches in the House have left no doubts, and no lingering hopes, on this point. They have made it abundantly clear that only by drastic economies can the burden of the taxpayer be lightened.

IMMIGRATION. The feature of yesterday’s proceedings in the House was the discussion arising out of the presentation of the annual report of the Immigration Department. The Hon. W- Nosworthy, the Minister in .•harge, in asking permission to lay the report on the table, explained that though the expenditure for the year was shown as £247,000. it really amounted to no more than £90,875, including all overhead charges, the difference being due to credits which still had to be adlusted. The number of assisted immigrants brought to the Dominion between 1918-19 and 1921-22 had been 21,829 and the cost approximately £S per head. Mr. Wilford insisted that the Minister was not stating the position correctly and moved as an amendment to the motion for laying the report, on the table to the effect that while unemployment was acute the bringing of immigrants to New Zealand was unwarranted. The siieceedinv debate was carried on mainly by the I Labor members, Mr. Lysnar and Mr. Campbell being the only Beformers to intervene, and the amendment was emphatically rejected by thirty-three votes to seventeen-