WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Greymouth Evening Star, 28 September 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

A POSSIBLE COMPROMISE. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, September At the moment it seems likely that the adoption ,of six o’clock closing win give a,distinct impetus to the State Control movement. For years past there has been a growing volume of public opinion favourable to the extinction of private interest in the liquor trade, but so far there has been no serious attempt to provide it with a definite goal or to- give it authoritative expression. Numbers of people who talk glibly of State Control as if it were a panacea for all the evils of the drink traffic have formed no clear idea in their own minds as to what the phrase means or as to what they would have it mean. To others it suggests only a way of escape from the extreme of prohibition, and to others again a convenient and half-way house towards that drastic measure. But since the startlingfdevelopmants of last week, which are taken by many people to represent a popular demand for an improvement upon the present system, there lias been a disposition among the - politicians to give it more precise consideration. THE MINISTERIAL VIEW. Though hitherto Mr. Massey has looked askance at botli the Referendum and State Control, holding the one to be the reluge ol cowards and the other a peril to good government, he seems to have materially modified his views, at least in’respect io the Referendum, since the House took the bit between its teeth, so to speak, and went the “whole hog” in the matter, of ear.y closing. He is now, according to his own con- / fession the other evening, rather more than half inclined to accept Hie further advice of the Efficiency Board to submit the question of closnig the hotel bars during the course of the war, on payment of compensation to the b censees, zo a referendum of the electors. Sir Joseph Ward, who already is a convert to State Contol, also would like to see the responsibility for the final decision thrown upon the electors, and there are a considerable number of electors on both sides of the House who would cordially support their respective leaders towards this end. THE NEW OUTLOOK. But probably the party leaders, on second thoughts, have realised that the objections to holding a referendum on any phase of the liquor question at the present time are only a little less grave than those of holding a general election. A licensing poll often provokes more bitterness and strife than does a parliamentary contest. But whether the liquor question is dragged into still- more prominence or not during the present session, it is certain the question of State Control will receive increased attention during the recess. Already several schemes for eliminating the proprietary interest are being discussed. They all ’ provide for the payment of compensation, and the prohibitionists, of course, are attributing them all to the machinations of the- liquor trade. This imputation,

though perhaps natural enough, is not justified by the facts, even Mr. Isitt, easily the most capable and persL.i of the prohibition advocates in the House, having declared that if reasonable compensation meant the abolition of the tralhc it would be “worth while.” THE ROUND TABLE CONFERENCE As an experiment in the exchange of confidences between the National Covernrnent and the rank and file of tlnHouse the “secret sitting” appears-to have been a success. Of course Ministers disclosed to members a good deal more than is indicated in the official report banded to the representatives of the Press, and equally, of course, members expressed their opinions witli more candour than would have been pesmissible at an open sitting. The fact that tlie members accepted “unanimously” the decision of tlie Government, founded on representations made by the Imperial authorities, that tlie proposal to grant furlough to members of the Main Body of the Expeditionary Force would have to be abandoned is sufficiently significant of the spirit that animated the gathering. This, it is safe to say, was the hardest pill it had to swallow, and though the men at the front will regret the decision loss than will their friends in this country, it will come as a bitter disappointment to the whole community. THE SECOND DIVISION. The President of the Second Division League is promptly in the field with a declaration that the Government’s proposals in regard to increased pensions and allowances are not satisfactory to the members of the League. “It is impossible to deal with the figures critically,” he said, ‘‘hut a glance at them is sufficient to show that the provisions are absolutely inadequate.” Ministers are not giving any information as to what occurred at the conference in respect to this subject, and private members are not talking for publication ; but it is unlikely the Government’s proposals will be allowed to pass through the House without a considerable amount of discussion. The Second Division League has been untiring in its activities, and not a single member has escaped its attention. But probabiy a majority has been sufficiently impressed by what it heard last night to refrain from demanding more than the million a year the Government has conceded to the Second Division. 1