WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Auckland Star, Volume LXI, Issue 54, 5 March 1930, Page 18

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SJfi JOSEPH WARD. A CHEERY PATIENT. (From Our Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Monday. Sir Joseph Ward returned from Rotorua on Friday by the Auckland night express, looking remarkably well, and again took up his quarters in the old Parliamentary Buildings. He hopes, however, to get back to the baths for a week or two before the . approach ,of the session ties him to Wellington. In the course of a casual chat in his rooms this afternoon he was loud in praise of Rotorua and of the provision it is making for its visitors., He put on a stone - weight during his sojourn there, and, apart from the leg which has been troubling him, feels, he says, "as fit as a fiddle." He had realised, he added laughingly, it was up to him to show what the baths and the treatment could do for him, if only for the encouragement of others. He certainly had retained a cheerful view of life, and if he dissembled, then he dissembled uncommonly well. Sitting up on. a sofa, smoking a cigarette with evident relish, he certainly did not invite commiseration. The Session. Talking rather of the time he had to get upon his feet again, rather than of politics, Sir Joseph said he saw no occasion for calling Parliament together before the usual time, at the end of June. The approaching session—the "middle session"—was the one in which the public expected the House to do most of its work and a new Government, following a Government that had been in office for sixteen or seventeen years, hardly could be expected to depart from this tradition forthwith. In any case he could assure his critics that they would find the business for the session well in hand by the time Parliament assembled, and that the House would have every .facility for dealing with it. It was scarcely necessary to say, Sir Joseph thought, that the convenience of members and of Mm public was being consulted in calling Parliament together at the customary time. It was impossible to please every - v one, but a winter session obviously was the more convenient. The Imperial Conference. Sir Joseph Ward was not being interviewed, and he referrred to the Imperial Conference only with" the suggestion that the summoning of Parliament at the usual, time might satisfy some of his critics that he was not burning to get away to London. He expected the session, to be a long one, quite likely running on to the end,of October; but its length, as always had been the case, would be determined mainly by the Opposition. The Government was quite. ready to be reasonable in this respect, as it was during last session, but there were certain measures which. could not be set aside by an obstinate minority and they would have to be dealt witi on their merits. He had no reason to suppose, Sir Joseph Ward went on to say, that there would be any prolonged factious opposition to any measure approved by a majority of the House; but provision had to be made for such a contingency and he was sure it avouM meet with the general approval ,of the public. The Invalid. It would be presumptuous for a mere layman even to speculate as to whether or not the Prime Minister will be sufficiently recovered from his long illness to take charge of the House four months hence and to carry on the business of the country "as usual." It is certain, however, that to-day he is able to discuss public affairs in all their aspects as fluently as he ever has done before. He can recall incidents in his own career and incidents in the/careers of other people as surely as he can quote the Budgets of Sir Harry Atkinson,' Mr. Ballance, Mr. Seddon and Mr. Massey. His general attitude towards political friends and political opponents remains, as it always has been a little offhand to political friends and scrupulously polite to political opponents. Most men of his age, and of his parts, would not hesitate for a moment in renouncing the burdens of politics. That he continues to bear them in. such circumstances is at least evidence of his courage and patriotism.