POLITICAL NOTES.

Manawatu Standard, Volume XLI, Issue 9586, 2 September 1913, Page 7

POLITICAL NOTES.

THE WEEK IN WELLINGTON

WELLINGTON, Aug. 28. Tlid thrna>fned "rio-cohlidenco'' motion ha* vniiishml into thin aii. with tho closing of tho debate oil the Financial Statement. The Opposition, m» for from adopting suggested blocking tactics, appears to have accepted the situation, and very few, if any, of its member* are sanguine enough to believe that tho Government.can possibly bo dispossessed of the Treasury lynches during tho lifo of the present Parliament. Tho party is still Jcaderless, and there is ft growing belief that Sir Joseph Ward will refuse to accept the position offered to him as its leader, for at least some months to come. In eertain quarters it is. indeed, considered not at all unlikely that, unless the Reform Government makes some extraordinary and : unexpected blunder (which is not at all likely), euch as" would give tho tactical advantage to the old "Liberal" Opposition, only two parties are likely to face the polls next November twelve-months—the i Moderates, led by the Reform Party, and I tree Radicals, in association* with the So-cial-Democrats, otherwise the "Red .Feds." Finesse and prestige may accomplish a great deal for Sir Joseph Ward, but it is coining' to be generally admitted that he has so iittio in common with tho extremists 'dominating the Opposition benches, that he is not, likely to attempt the difficult task of uniting the many discordant elements on the "Liberal" side of the House. The Ilousf is settling steadily down to business, but there are occasional 'Stormy winds that blow." and interludes that are not, without their amusing side, as. for instance, when Mr G. W 'Russell naively complained, in connection with the Public Trust Office Amendment Bill, that the Minister, in withholding the cxintidonti.il evidence given at the enquiry into the working of the Public Trust Office, was "relying upon his brutal majority to see him through.'' Mr Guthrie interjecting, "They're all right," the member for Avon went on to say that Government members were sitting quiet and doing nothing, white great constitutional questions were being discussed, while the rights of the people and the rights of Parliament wore bring trampled upon by an autocratic Ministry that got into power by saving that no information should be withheld from the people." and so on —all of which is very ridiculous in view of the facts. But the member for Avon was obviously disconcerted when, having gently insinuated that tho lato Government never withheld information. Mr llerdman referred to the refusal of Sir Joseph Ward to supply the House with information concerning the inquiry into the working of tho Land and Income Tax Department, and the dismissal of Mr Peter Hayes. Mr Russell, however, stoutly maintained that the cases were not. analagous.

A etill more amusing interlude occurred while tho member for Wuirau was discussing a suppositious case. "Suppose.'' Mr McCallum said, "1 am entitled to a legacy of £SO, and the Public Trustee pays it in mistake to my friend, the member for Avon.'' "You'd never get it back." Mr Russell quickly interjected, and the House laughed heartily. "Whal is my legal remedy?" Mr M'Callum continued, unheeding the interruption. "None." retorted Mr Russell. "You arc done." And members again gave way to merriment.

Metaphorically speaking. Sir Joseph Ward went fishing on Wednesday and caught, nothing. The right honourable gentleman took advantage ot th:> discussion on the Imprest Supply Bill to ask the Government to make known its naval policy, and, incidentally, to proclaim his own belief that a local navy was a mistake, and that, the Dominion should trust to the Imperial fleet for its defence at sea. Sir Josoph asked that the Government should submit its policy to the arbitration of the House, to be dealt with clear of party. The attitude of tho Admiralty in his time, Sir Joseph added, was "one navy for the British Empire. He iir.d, he said, made no attempt to ascertain what the Minister was doing about naval matters when they were both in London, but he would now ask him whether ht* had not sought to press a vi«v* upon tho Admiralty, which was ngainst tho view held by responsible men in London. Sir Joseph claimed that he had made it absolutely eiear when h*> attended the Naval Conference and the imperial Conference, on behalf of New Zealand, that ho stood by tho British Navy solely, And Sir .T<>- pli reiterated his belief that the establishment of a local navy would Ik* unwise.

Tho Hon. James Allen \j.n not. prepared t> satisfy tho possibly pardonable curiosity displayed by the member for Awaruv. pending the arrival of a letter, which was dispatched from London on the Bth August, in reply to a communication made by him to the Imperial authorities, after ho had attended meeting* of the Committee of Impi rial Defence, and conferred with the Admiralty authorities on five or six occasions. Mr Allen, however, made it perfectly clear that ho was wholly in accord with Sir Jos -ph Ward's policy of "one control for Imperial purpose*." On .tho main principle no also agreed with Sir Joseph, but hinted that, in attaining that principle, th-re was mom for difference of opinion. Referring to tho arrangement of 1909, Mr Allen pointed out that, under the agreement then entered into, the British Admiralty undertook to place three flint units in Pacific Seas, the Australian unit, the China unit, and the Last Indies unit. Australia had built her fleet unit and was meeting its full cost. "But." Mr Allen askvd, "v.here j- the China unit, and where is the Last Indies unit? both of wir' h were to have been provided by the Admiralty, with tho battleship Xew Zealand a■-. orn.' of (he China squadron?" Something has to i,i> done to provide for a Pacific fhet that will l>o able to capo with any enemy who might otherwise descend upon <>:u' shores.

Without disclosing the Government policy, Mr Allen made it, pretty clear that nothing would be d;>no by the Government, and nothing had been done by him, lo comniii tlw country to any huge cost whatever. The Inn. gentleman (Sir Joseph Ward), he said, had not Iwn qrfite fair in hinting and loading tho country to believe thai th> Government were likely to commit (ho eon:.try to a lingo expenditure for a local navy. There could scarcely have remained a doubt, in the minds of members who listened to the very fine speech delivered by Mr Allen on the subject, that, tho Ministry is not likely to commit tho count.rv to any wild expenditure on naval defence. It. happened, however, that, although Sir

Joseph Ward had expressly stated his desire to have the matter discussed quite apart, from party considerations, that tho discordant note was rai.vd by Mr G. W. Run-ell, who insinuated, most unfairly, that the Minister's action "might be to strain the allegiance of our peoplo to the British flag." Tho Prime Minister, who followed Mr Russell, scored at tho hitter's expense, and set the House right by repeating what Mr Alien had previously 6aid, that New Zealand had born committed lo nothing by the Defence Minister in London." Mr Massoy stated that, at tho present moment, (.here was on its way to New Zealand a communication from t.iio Imperial authorities which he hoped would be final and conclusive, and acceptable to the country, r.ml which would enable tho Government to submit its proposals to Parliament. Until that communication arrived, tho Government could not tako the - House into its full confidence.

Tho member for Grey Lynn persists in talking about (ho pledge he gave to Mr Massey thai ho would vote to turn tho

Ward Government out of office. In his anxiety to justify himself, and to prove his assertion tlm ho did not. give such a pledge, Mr Payne wont just a little too far on Wednesday night, and "put his foot into it" unmistakably. Ifo began by donving that lir> had ever given such a pledge, and. when Mr Massey confronted him with his in which Mr Payne wrote: "I may ssy ihcro will be no wavering on my parr, in connection with /voting the Government out on a no-confidence motion " ho declared that tho letter "was a document 'without consideration.' and was therefore invalid and illegal!" The member for Grey Lynn fortunately stands alono in tho House. There is not another member i>f tho House who would endeavour to emulate Mr Payne's actions.

Th" Westporfc Harbour Board Commission is to be <r«>t to work immediately. It consists of Mr J. S. Evans, Magistrate at Nelson, and Messrs W. Ferguson and Gerald Fitzgerald. ci\il engineers, tho former in control of the Wellington Gas Company, and tho latter of Wellington also. Tho Commission is to report upon the past administration of the Board's affr.ire within 30 days.