WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 26 August 1929, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

NO-CONFIDENCE MOTION.

4 GOVERNMENT CHALLENGED BY

OPPOSITION.

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, August 22.

The “ bombshell ” dropped in the ' . House of Representatives last , night by the leader of the Opposition as a chaltenge to the Government’s taxation v ' proposals was scarcely the “ dramatic ■ •affair the. local morning, paper mikes ’~ it : out .to have been. , Everybody : :that Mr. Coatek hid be.en engaged ifor weeks upon the preparation of his in- ... idictment and that it would, be haurich- • " cd at some tirp.e deemed .to be convenient to his party.. Mr Coates was care.ful to explain that he did not expect ~ to: be supported by the Labour Party ..in-"his attack upon the. Budget, though ' the leader of the third / party had denounced the proposed -..increase in the primage duty, but he .implied that later on Mr Holland and his'followers might be voting with the Opposition against , the Government. Of course the chal- . lenge was.accepted as a motion of noV.. confidence in the Government and an adjournment of the debate on the Budget, was followed by an adjournment of . the House. - - .n, ! ' ‘ ■ , ' • ‘ ■ r CONFUSING THE ISSUES. , Whether the debate upon Mr Coates’ •h' want-of-confidence motion will last a day or two or a week or two will depend largely upons the Government’s • attitude towards the attack, t A large .V, .majority of the members of the House are as weary..of the..futile talk of the session as are .their constituents. There '• certainly -.is nothing' to .be gained by any of the parties in prolonging the .debate upon taxation, unless it is to further confute' a public with whom the .politicians have been coquetting for a . month or more. The farmers uniops. .\ and. the chambers of commerce have put forward suggestions which doubtless will receive the attention of the Prime Minister, even to the'length of revising some of his proposals if deem-., ed desirable. • The minor pn s the. other hand, seem - bent rather upop,. securing some party advantage, out,of, the existing confusion, than. upon, mak-;

/ ing-the position clear to their constitu-( > ■ ents. ’ This, it .must be siiid tp its • credit, is "a development the • Labour, Party has persistently discouraged. ‘ , tf: /, 1 .1; t . 1,1 -t’-: '•/».

GOVERNMENT’ PRINTING, -

,‘.'.The annual report of the Printing'! }: • and Stationery Department was aniong' reports presented to Parliament / yesterday and, owing no dqubt to criti- . cism that has beeh .leveiled against t|)e • , Department ? lately, -• attracted more . than casual attention. “ All, branches of the Department have .been .kept fair-

~ ~^y; .busy/’ .the responsible^/officer r«* ’ ports “ but there bas not been the . )r ;; necessity as formerly to employ ' extra hands to keep pace with requireIpjpnts.” Du.rjne the year stamps to • R :;tije v!vlue' of, £i9ld,lLs2 ; ;were printed :, j,’- postal notes to .the value of. £24.960 .and Post Office investment certificates to the value of £51,070, while 7,12C493 railway tickets were turned out. Each issue of the. “ Gazette ”> to which there were 632 subscribers numbers 1120 and the ' Sales for ;the year amounted to £3193. “ Hunsard ” was a less remunerative publication. Each issue for the session of 1928 numbered 6,900 and the; amount received from subscribers and sales was £192. And yet members of .Parliament cajole them- £ selves into! believing the public is .. thirsting for full reports of their n speeches! ,/

DISABLED SOLDIERS

In the course of his speech in the House last night Mr Coates, setting aside party politics for a few minutes, made an impressive appeal on behalf of the disabled returned soldiers. He knew of twenty men in his own electorate, he said, had only one future ahead of them—the old man s home—and he feared there were many others in the same plight oil over the country. The funds of the patriotic societies were being rapidly depleted, and it was feared sums estimated to suffice for twenty years would be exhausted in seven or- eight. Here, the leader of the Opposition emphasized, was a very great national responsibility, which knew no party, and no creed, and whatever the sacrifice it had to be discharged. Naturally the sentiments expressed by Mr Coates were warmly endorsed by all sections of the House. . Obviously Parliament is not going to allow the disabled men to suffer even if the funds provided for their, maintenance have not always been wisely administered.