WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 155, 3 July 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE OPENING OF PARLIAMENT..

BUSINESS OF SESSION,

, (p> "oinl Correspondent). '"WELLINGTON,-June-29. The time "is not yet for the relega- : ■iron -of the Governor's Speech to the i limbo reserved for Parliamentary absurdities aaid superfluities, aiid perHapsitlio need this ye fir for a free and, foil discussion on Address-in-Re-: ■ply"may help in prolonging- its exist-: -once for another rleeade. Bnt the; 7inxt generation will lie too busy re- ■ "pairing^-tUr> financial, industrial, and:social 'havoc brousrht .about by the. "ivnr 'to tolerate'-legislative affectaTfions and pretences of any kind, and •svi'll insist upon . Parliament getting isbopt its 'business in "Che most exLpnedifious and effective manner pos»^HJe. Tr. normal, times the only \i=e-P^i'l-pitrpo=e served by the Governor's • !^T7eech if- to cover up the unreadiness of •negTiffpivt "Ministers. 'The gentlemen have pla.ved fast and loose ■sntih th-"> country's time during the recess a'flow the debate on the empty -pil rases, they'have put into his Exf cellency's mouth to go on just as long "is thoy please, the debate, of course, TvaTigering over the whole field of > pplifeal ancl personal controversy, r a-nd brin.jT it to -an end whenever it ' suits fh'Kvir convetiience to 3o so. A SPECIAL OCDASTON. Tins; year, however, the position is -different—is, indeed, almost unique x<\ the Mstoi'y of the New ■'Zealand l*orliam<;rit. Members witl have 7°^ntv of excuse 'for talking, and 3:l:lusters, even if they would, could L -.ir.T^ely hopo. to restrict or restrain I -t.'i^ir garrulity beyond the litnrsS-i;re-t .feribed by the Standing Orders. "For ' 'two sessions the Efouse lias "been practically tongue-tied. Tn the -proFonpe of a great national peril cfrlrj<:i=;m hnp been regarded as seffi't'ioTi. aiid fa u vu-Ending as high ■ tre'asoa. spiv:- of the War Regulations lias Jnvf>rW| the floor of the House iind -.inountpf] nigh to the Speaker's •■chair. Bu^ m;mv things have liap■p^ne'd during the recess. In tn« -'Mother of Parliaments criticism has /been carried to such lengths as to String fitiout a change of'Governmentl; •'in n?e just across the "■^Fa'mfin.'^sa, th^re has "been a greneral #:!lection,'and iv- Russia-a, revolution, ;\nd yot'f.'he heaver? h;>ye not fallen. ( r; s-he Ne-.v'Zealand politician will take fteart of ''race from those precedents, t nnd tv'iM have his say however Minis--4i-rs-i-say disapprove LO..V-NS AND TAXATION. Probably the two biggest questions that wiTt engage the attention of the House c.« Tly dra-ing the session will he boFfov. ing aivd taxation, and it is c.uite in keeping with the accepted custom ay.A the hoary^ traditions that ineith.-r of them receives more than .../ the bareft mention an the Governor's £peerh. ' That is th<* way in which liis lQxc> jllpney's responsible advisera session after session play their little joke upon the representative of the Crown. Peril aps the Minister for Finance will ask for authority to bor- | row ten .nillions. perhaps twelve, and perhaps even fifteen. He has said the amount will be large, and he has just eorai* from the heart of the Em-. pirei"'tbA financial capital of th ye Wi.>rW wheje tho term is not npplied

fl to a iew paltry millions. Bat whatever the amount, it will' ff&'r cheer- ■ fully voted by the House. On the; incidence of taxation the politicians will iiot be unariinreois. Attacks will be made upon the excess profits tax -Mid upon the butter levy, and pospibly both of them will go; but if they do it will be merely to make room for an mcome tax so drastically graduated that the revenue will be in lio, peril. THE ETERNAL LIQUOR. Bigeer than -.the. loan policy and the ; taxation policy of the Government j will loom in the minds of many of the members of the Housi the necessity of dealing with the liquor question. The demand for six o'clock closing is bo; insistent from a large section of ■ ihe »:omthunityvthat: it- cannot vbe.; ignored'^ on ; shelved by -the ' Government. _ Whether or not the six o'clockers are strong enough in arguments or in. numbers to carry the day remains to be seen; but they certainly are active enough and earnest enough to secure a hearing. Already they Tiave weakened the defences of the. other side.. ay it was constituted last session, by bringing some of their opponents to agree to ft o'clock closing, or the snsl«ension of tli.*». sale- of spirits between pertaii? hours, or the submission of the whole question, including "no- . license,", to a, referendum towards • the end of the current year. It is X / too early yet to make a reliable count of heads on any of these points, but it is tolerably safe to say the general ' feelir.g jr. the Hbti.se to-day is less un- ■-■ favorable lowards further restriction than.it was a year ago. j