WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LVII, Issue 103, 5 May 1926, Page 9

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

MINISTERIAL INACTIVITY. I i i MARKHCG TIME. 1 3 {From Oar Special Correspoaileni-l < WELLINGTON, May 4. \ I HTs political Meads still are satisfied ;be Prims Minister will do the right :>ifng at tie opportune moment, and his ■wrsoiial popularity remains unimpaired. ■mi there are muTmurings among tie rank and file of tlie Beform Party, who sxpeeted much from, their new Isader, isainst the delay in putting into operation the fair promises of the bustingsn«? anniversary of Mr. Massey's muchdeplored death is here; the election Which srave Mr. Coates Ms huge majonty in of Representatives i≤ ai mentis past, and yet none of tie really bis things that majority implied has been accomplished. The Prime Minsrter chose dnring- the month 3 hetween Ms appointment and the appeal to the constituencies to regard himself, as the executor of his former chief- This was not obligatory at all, and it was not constitutional, birt it was a graceful tribute to the memory of Mr, Massey, and so one took any* serious objection to the arrangement." Sis months ago to-day, however, Mr. Coates himself received a direct and emphatic mandate from the electors, and had no further excuse fot daßving with a turned page of the Dominion's history. The power and the privilege of (Joteminent rest*** '*» * 5 own hands- People, mostly kindly disposed towards Mm. are asking what he is going to do with them. Sot Yet Firmly Seated. • Quite lately the Prime Minister has "been Tgfi-ng the public that he is not vet "firmly seated in the saddls." This after six years of office. an overwhelming majority at the polls, and five months of leadership. It would be ludicrous, were not «o ingenious. Bnt it may he* a» the less critical of his friends say, that Mr. Coates is so impressed with the importance of doing the right fhiTig that he is unable to make up Ms mind qnickly. There i 3 an abundance of evidence in support of this theory. The process of rewnstrncting the Cabinet has now ran into six or seven months, and is still incomplete. It is well that- so important a task should be approached with deliberation and carried through "with the utmost care. Bnt the Prime MinisteT should have been able to make up his mind on this subject three or four months ago, and to pat as end to the uncertainty, intrigmnjj afid heart-burning occasioned by delay. From time to time the public las been promised a coneluiion of the somewhat sordid business, but to-day it still is hung in the air, and seem* likely to remain there till sheer necessity compels the leader of the party to make a decision. Delay. This Js.not a cardinal sin in the political calendar, tret procrastination of the kind multiplied many times over may exasperate a politician's friends as well as gratify his opponents. And | there are minor indictments of the same ■ I kind being levelled against the Prime \ •3linlster. The wheat growers and millers of Canterbury, for instance, are ! trying to extract " better terms from I the Government for the disposal of i their products at the expense of the ' losg-snfferiajr consumers. The fair and ! logical answer io their appeal i≤ plain ' encash for everyone to see. Mr. Coates < himself has declared over and over again i that bolstering up industries with sab--1 sidies and excessive duties is opposed to j every principle of sound economies, and j vet the other day he allowed his re-icently-appoiflted Minister of Agriculture jto trifle with the whole subject when I addressing a deputation that fair.* 1 up ] from the South with a reqnest ! for an addition to the present ' exorbitant duty on Sour. It is popu- ; larly supposed that the Hon. TV. Xos- ! worthy was retired from the Departi ment of Agricnltnre on account of his I excessive concern for the welfare of the 'j farmers, bat he at least had the eonr- ! ajre of hia opinions, and submitted to Ino pressure from outside. His successor I >ia~ a partiality towards the line ot i least resistance, which does not augur J well for tbe taxpayer. The Judicial Mind. Then there is the fuss occasioned by ! 'he determination of tie Dairy Board jto exercise its statutory authority in j connection with the chipping and marI keting of hatter and cheese intended for i esport- The Prime Minister knows as j well as the protesting producers, and. ! indeed, the members of the board do, j that Parliament never xnieruled the comJ pnlsory clauses of the Dairy Control Act jto be brought into operation save in j tie direst necessity. The late Mr. Masi sev gave the plainest and most complete j assurances on that point- But Mr. I Coates, with a. great body of producers i contending for absolute control by tie j "aoard, and another great body of pro- ; dncers contending, for free marketing, . i has elected to maintain a middle course, ]as it were, addressing word* -of eacour- ! I asemeai to one side and then similar j words of encouragement to the other. ' Tie inevitable result is that within, a . l few weeks of the day of decision so oae : ! knows what kind of proposals bearing lon the matter he is going to submit to ' I Pariiaifient. In r/ie breath hs has com- [ j mitted himself t£ the election ox the '. \ members of the board by individsal yot- , I ijis, and in the next by the tons ol ' butter and cheese turned out by zhs i factories. It is judicial timidity that i= I worrvimr the Prime Minister. "Earnestly ! anxious to do the right thing, he canao: { ileiermlse qnicklv in which, direction ji J lies- *