THE POLITICAL ARENA.

Lyttelton Times, Volume CXV, Issue 16646, 3 September 1914, Page 9

THE POLITICAL ARENA.

~ [From Our Special Correspondent J . WELLINGTON, September 2. WAR PRICES. The complaints reported from Christchurcb of delay in bringing the Regulation of Trade and[''Commerce Act into operation' lire being lc-udly echoed here. No one suggests the existence of a conspiracy between -the Government and the ■ traders to defeat the purpose of the measure, but tho blame for allowing weeKs to elapse without the Commission to adjust prices being set up is generally la<d at the door of Mr A/assey and bis colleagues, and so far the Prime Minister has said nothing to disabuse the public mind' on the subject. No one can believe that it required three or four weeks to find half a • dozen qualified -men Teady to discharge the duties iof.' the Commission, or that when., they were found it was necessary to send them travelling about the country iri search of evidence. . -.■ < . .. A SENSIBLE SUGGESTION. When speaking as a member Of the ; deputation that waited upon the Prime Minister on Tuesday in regard to the wheat and flour duties, Mr G. W. Russell made a very sensible suggestion. He pointed out that the work "of the Trade and Commerce Commission ;would be very much /facilitated/ if. the Commission broke itself : up/ into, two or three committees empowered to deaLwith the pressing; questions of i the moment and to remedy such abuses as they found to exist. If the-Com-mission moved about as one body and in tho deliberate way Mr Massey suggested, it might be months before the public obtained any relief from the good' jntcntions of Parliament. The Minister did not seem very enthusiastic about' the idea, but no doubt he made a mental note of it, and will communicate ,it to Mr Justice Stringer when that, gentleman arrives in Wellington to-mor-row.

AGRICULTURAL STATISTICS/ : Many country members of the House ■are agreeing with Mr Craigie-that the -present system of collecting agricultural .statistics is extremely unsatisfactory,' and that the statistics themselves are utterly unreliable. The member for Timaru has been calling out' on this subject ever since he entered Parliament, and he hopes that the present uncertainty as to the quantity of wheat and flour in the country will obtain official recognition for his representations. He has seen officers of the Agricultural Department as well as Ministers on the matter, and he has received tentative promises.that a better system will be introduced this 3ear. Farmers who' are now at a great disadvantage in disposing of their produce will,be grateful for the reform.

THE LICENSING BILL. The Licensing Bill is receiving much closer .attention in the Legislative Coun--1 cil than it received in the House, and as a result it has undergone several .naterial changes since it left the elected chamber. One that has found paroxular favour with the temperance party is the addition of a clause precluding anyone under the age of twenty- . ono obta ig liquor from a licensed house either for consumption on or off the premises. Another that is not acceptable to the prohibitionists is a provision that the chairman of a licensing committee may grant temporary transfers of licenses without referring the applications to v the other members of llio committee. The Bill will bear quite an altered appearance when it returns to the House, and it is fluite possible it may become the subjeot of another heated debate before it finally reaches the Statute Book. HOTEL EMPLOYEES. One of the striking amendments made in the Licensing-Bill in the Council provided that no one under the age of twenty-one shall be employed in an hotel bar. This improvement npon.the original measure was effected on the motion of the Hon John Barr, who is not claimed as a friend by the • prohibitionists, but who : is • recognised as a fair-minded, independent man, whose ; experience 'as secretary of tue £>*Sj£i Employees' Union has led him to.believe that young people jshouid not be employed about licensed premises. Objection wjbs raised in the Council that the amendment would throw a number of boys wno had nothing whatever' to do with .the sale. of r liquor, out of employment, but, members who knew.ubthing about the conditions of the trade paid Mr Barr the compliment of accepting his assurance that tho prohibition was in the-best interests.of everyono concerned. . SOLDIERS' RIGHTS. , ! The committee which was appointed last night to consider,the Bill introduced by tho Minister of Customs with a view to giving votes .at tile Parliamentary election and the ■ licensing poll had two long sittings to-day, and after summarily rejecting Mr►• Fisher's proposals, lock, stock and barrel,- proceeded to frame a measure of its own. The objections to the' Minister's Bill,- vdiced by both sides of" the House, wero so obvious that no one, not even; Fisher himself, ventiuwi to say a .word in its favour. . The Bill ,;prcpared by tho committee whenintroduced to-night proved to be ;in the main Sir Joseph Ward's proposals cast into draughtsman's phraseology. Mr Fisher accepted his rebuff* philosophically, but clung to the belief that his Bill was better than tho one that had replaced it, and threw little life into his advocacy of the committee's Bili. Se may be forgiven. It is self*

'."v.; •>-..= * a~Sit££ 'eAfemf' -.r:-i'sdi dom' a Minister oft the iCrown has so unceremoniously turned down—friend and opponent alike. . • v Y THENEWvBILL. The Expeditionary Forces Bill", wxjicli' was circulated in tho House to-night, bore only the remptest;. resemblance tV' the measure brought down by '"Mr[ Fisher on Tuesday "evening. The woni der is that the Minister allowed' "his • name to figure-at tne'Keao* of the B'll. The- Committee had ..simply expunged every- one 0f.., his proposals that inat.T iC tered .and substituted; proposals of As, own, but w ; hether -it was the fault, of. s the. Minister or draughtenian". the Bill in its new shape w.as just as crude' and'almost as impracticable as, it had been in its old. Mr Fisher's ; ideas had been supplanted'"" by Sir.. Joseph Ward's, but. the wording wfis just. as. involved and the" meaning just* as obscure. The Prime Ministers're- 0 ply_ to criticism ;was; thai the endless: omiffsions could be repaired by reguTa-! 'tiofls. and Von !this' understanding.-af' dazed House' al!owe.c] Y itl'tO go mittee. ;;Proh.'ibly.';.tfle^.general desire to pay a compliment'to"the members" of the Expeditionary Forces will save the Bill- from destruction, but r if it is , treated as leniently by the Legislative- - as it is being treated by.the House.it will reach the Statute 800W T as the most slipshod piece of legisla*. tion. : that.ever,.has.been,_placed there,',-,,",, - PLEASAN-n^ ; ■> While- criticising the Forces ;Bill ih-thQ; House his" ctrstbmaty vigorous s! -fashion » r the° member for Grey Lynn-was greeted - with a loud laugh from the Government benches, to which he promptly"' retorted by saying", "Some silly ass isf cackling over there." The* Speaker looked shocked - for a ! moment, but speedily, resumed his usual reposeful'' attitude and. the inbideht r was'■'•. cldSeVl 3 with; ariptEer c geriera! laugh; Such tlie ways of Parlhmient. ■ >,t.ci