WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1917, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

EMPIRE PREFE RENCE

DIVERGENT VIEWS

(Our Special Correspondent) Wellinutox, July 0. The discussion in the House of the statements made by Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward in connection with their trip Home was very much in the nature of a dress rehearsal of the. debate on the Address-in Reply. Members followed one another with rather monotonous unanimity in saying the obvious things in the obvious way, and at the end of it all the net result was many pages 01, Mansard tilled for the most part with sonorous platitudes and pointless trivialities. The most interesting departure from the beaten track of conventionality was made by Mr Malcolm, who declined to join with the Prini6 Minister in regarding a preferential Customs tariff as the one thing needful towards the unity and greatness of the Empire. The member for Clutha grew absolutely eloquent in bis dissent from the view expressed by bis party leader. He would not have the Empire striving after Imperial self-sufficiency and he woiild not follow a war of flesh and blood with a war of tariffs and retaliations. THE OTHER SIDE. Challenged in this way by a member of his own party. Mr Massey could not help devoting the greater part of his reply to an exposition of the advantages of Imperial preference. He did not lack encouragement from a sympathetic House, which marked its approval at almost every pause, but be did not handle the arguments for protection quite so adroitly as Mr Malcolm had handled those for free trade. When he claimed that preference to the •Dominions would not increase the price of commodities to the consumers at Home, the member for Clutha naturally wanted t& know what: advantage the Dominions wore going to obtain from

the arrangement. To this very pertinent question the Minister deigned no reply, but he went on to explain that preference would increase production and in this way would keep prices down. Though the Home evidently was better disposed towards the view of the practical man of affairs than towards the criticism of the political economist, it must be confessed the man of affairs did not present his case very convincingly. .. ELECTORAL REFORM. Mr Veitch, (he member for Wanganui, lias introduced blight and early his Proportional Representation and Effective Voting Bill, which went so near to getting its second reading in the House of Representatives three years ago. How far this Bill will progress this year depends, of course, upon the measure of consideration it receives from the Government, but at the moment it seems to he les s favourably placed than it was three years ago. At that time the parties were in active opposition, more concerned for party advantages than for legislative achievements, and the Liberals, being pledged, by their leader to proportional representation, had only to vote solidly to carry (lie day with the assistance of two or three ardent supporters of the refillm from the other side. Now the position is different. IV. ty feeling is not running so high, and several members on the Liberal side of the House who supported the Bill on its last appearance simply in the hops of discomfiting their opponents will make the war an excuse for not proceeding with the measure during the present session , THAT SPECIAL TRAIN. Perhaps the Prime Minister was feeling more aggrieved than ho had any occasion to be when be made the stories that have been circulated concerning the special train by which he and the Minister of Finance travelled front Auckland to Wellington on their return to the Dominion the subject of a Ministerial explanation in the House. Neither Mr Massey nor Sir Joseph Ward is given to ostentatious display and whatever

the gossips may say to the contrary may be allowed to carry its own refutation. Bat tho statement from the General Manager which Mr Massey read in connection with the affair well might raise a storm of indignation against the methods of the Railway Department.. When three cr four Ministers are travelling there appears to be no difficulty and no Expense in providing them with all the accommodation they require though they contribute not a penny piece to the public .revenue. But when three or four hundred or three or four thousand common folk want to be carried over ten or twenty miles of line to their work or their play, they are told the need for economy prevents the Department accepting their' money !