Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, FEB. 25, 1930. THE CAUCUS GATHERINGS.

Manawatu Standard, Volume L, Issue 76, 25 February 1930, Page 6

Manawatu Evening Standard. TUESDAY, FEB. 25, 1930. THE CAUCUS GATHERINGS.

The caucus meetings held in Wellington last weex have not done much to clear up the political situation. The Labour caucus has, however, sounded a more aggressive note so far as the United or Government Party, which it has been maintaining in office, is concerned, but we are inclined to think there is very little likelihood that its demand for the immediate calling together of Parliament will move Ministers to depart from what has practically been announced as their policy in the further prorogation of Parliament to June 5. It seems inevitable, from the tone of the Labour conference, when the House does reassemble for business that the Government will have to meet a noconfidence motion from the Labour benches, and that the failures of the Government to redeem its pre-election promises will be much in evidence. Prom the summarised report of the caucus gathering, as supplied to the Press by Mr H. E. Holland, M.P., it is evident that Labour regards the present situation as “critical”; and, so far as the Government is concerned, it would have absolutely no hope of surviving a hostile motion, were the House to reassemble tomorrow if the Reform and Labour parties were to come together, as they command 48 out of the 79 votes in the House which could possibly be recorded exclusive of the Speaker’s casting vote. But there is very little prospect of the Reform members following the lead of Labour, or of Labour following the lead of Reform. The latter now holds the greater number of seats in the representative chamber—2B in all. Last session the Government held 29 seats. The loss of the Hutt seat, held by Mr Wilford, to Labour; the withdrawal of the member for Parnell to the Independent benches, and the uncertain attitude of the members for Grey Lynn and Waitomo reduces its dependable supporters to 25. Labour now holds 20 seats; the Country Party has one representative in the person of the member for Bay of Islands; there are the foxir declared Independents —Messrs Jenkins, Poison, Wilkinson and the Speaker, and the uncertainties, whose consistent support of the Government is doubtful—Messrs Broadfoot and Fletcher. Labour can only hope to win against the Government with the support of the Reform Party, and vice versa. But neither Mr Coates nor Mr Holland desires to enter into even a temporary alliance

fox 1 the defeat of the Government, although it has been suggested that it would pay the Reform Party to put the Government out of office, even at the risk of Labour assuming control. That would not, however, be playing the game, as it would leave the country’s affairs in the hands of the smallest of the three parties, and the one with the least backing in the country, so far as the voting strength of the three parties is concerned.

LABOUR AND FINANCE

The Government has obvious weaknesses, but the member for Parnell, in announcing the reasons for his going over to the Independents, hit the nail on the head when he expressed the opinion that, were a general election precipitated at this time, it would not materially affect the position of parties. In view of the present temper of the country the possibility of fusion between the Uni teds and Reform is very doubtful. We are at present saddled with the three-party system, and there is talk in Auckland of the formation of a fourth party. The movement is said to be assuming shape, but its disruptive influences —and it must tend in that direction —are more likely to affect the position of those members who were elected on the United ticket than the seats held by Reformers. In Auckland city and suburbs there is a very strong Labour vote, which can only be countered by united action on the part of those who do not wish to see Labour controlling the affairs of the Dominion, and, with thi’ee or more candidates opposing a Labour nominee, the odds would be all in favour of the latter. Auckland East, Grey Lynn, and possibly Parnell, might be expected to go definitely to Labour if a fourth party entered the field. Mr Donald only holds the East by the very small majority of 37 votes over the ex-member, Mr J. A. Lee; Mr Fletcher’s majority over Mr Bartram in Grey Lynn was only 64; and, while the combined United and Reform vote in Parnell was considerably more than 8660 in excess of the Labour vote, a fourth party candidate would certainly affect both United and Reform candidates. Labour’s policy, as announced by Mr Holland, following the two days’ caucus of the party, has none of the objectionable features of the old Socialistic policy. But it would be a mistake to assume that the latter has been abandoned. Its indictment of the Government runs very much along the lines of the ex-United Party’s chairman’s impeachment of Sir Joseph Ward and his colleagues. But it demonstrates, once again, the very hazy ideas on thq subject of sound finance held by Labour politicians. How could they, or any other reasonably minded people, expect the Government to fulfil its pre-election promises to bororw money at 4| per cent, and to lend it out for State advances purposes at 4| per cent,, without its costing the taxpayer a single penny, when the average rate at which loan moneys were procurable abroad was 5 per cent, and more? True, they accepted the promise and expected to see it fulfilled, but as the Government has since, of its own accord, raised the interest it is prepared to pay on its own securities, sold over the counter, to 5| per cent., Labour members must recognise the futility of looking for cheaper interest rates, or of attempting to persuade the country that they can obtain money more cheaply. The absurdity of the promise they were- credulous enough to accept in 1928 was that £76,666,666 (£16,666,666 of which was to be lent out at 4| per cent.) would be obtained at 4£ per cent., and that the whole transaction would not cost the taxpayer an additional penny by rvay of taxation. Another instance of that lack of understanding of sound finance is forthcoming in the condemnation of the policy instituted by the Reform Party, and continued by the United Government under which the Post Office Savings Bank lias reduced the amount of the deposits upon which it is prepared to pay interest from £5666 to £2066. All moneys in the Government Savings Bank are deposited at call; but, if the Government is to pay the depositors the monthly interest accruing to them, it must have a reasonable chance of eai’ning the interest it pays. The larger sums deposited with the Savings Bank are not savings in the ordinary sense of the tenn, and are only placed with the bank temporarily, pending investment elsewhere. They were thus a source of embarrassment to the Postmaster-General and to the Government, so much so that over the seven-year- period, 1922-29, the excess withdrawals exceeded the deposits by over eight millions sterling. Over the five-year period, 1625-29, the bank actually added to the accounts of the several depositors, by way of interest, a yearly average of close upon a million and three-quai’ters. That interest had to be found by the bank, and it could only be earned on moneys the department could reasonably expect to hold for a considerable period; certainly not on large sums merely deposited with it for a month or so at a time.

The Ulimaroa arrived at Sydney this morning from Auckland. The Public Service classification list will not now be issued until to-morrow.

The lowest prices for peaches for 20 years are now ruling in Auckland, states the New Zealand Herald.

A Dunedin man who has just returned from a holiday in Sydney says that the Government there has put on a band of unemployed musicians to plav in the Domain to other sections of the unemployed.

There are about 20 blind readers in Christchurch who avail themselves of the collection of works in the Braille script at the Canterbury Public Library, where there are some 80 books of this type for circulation. The wind being less strong, and the sun appearing occasionally, yesterday was a more pleasant day than Sunday in Wellington. Rain fell in the morning. The improvement was more or less general in the four main centres. A performance of the well-known oratorio, “The Creation,” will be given in Wellington to-morrow night in connection with the Methodist Conference now being held in that city. Among the performers will be Mr W. Watters, of Palmerston North.

There were a number of motor-car accidents on the Nelson-Blenheim Road during the week-end. A party in Mr J. T. Lee’s ear had a lucky escape when it left the road between Canvastown and Haveioek, and went 45 feet down a bank before it hung up upside down in some trees overhanging the river. Except for bruises, no one was hurt. While there was a crowd on the road to the Dargavillo racecourse yesterday a motor-car containing five persons, including four Maoris endeavoured to pass another car and overturned, with the result that two of the occupants. Maimeto Wihonga, the driver, and a woman, Marina Wimuru, were taken to hospital. They were seriously injured. The car was also considerably damaged. A railway mishap which is believed to be without parallel in New Zealand occurred near Karangahake yesterday, when a circus was on its way by special train from Tauranga. One very large elephant had a van to himself. He started to get restive, rocked the van violently, and soon it jumped the rails. The train was brought up with a sudden jolt, and there was a delay of four hours before the van was back on the line.

Speaking at a function arranged after the official opening of the new infant side school and dental clinic at Carterton yesterday, Hon. H. Atmore, Minister of Education, announced that the Penrose farm, which was established for returned soldiers and is now no longer required, would be changed to an agricultural training school for the Wairarapa district. Children from schools in the Wairarapa wouid be passed on there for agricultural training. Receipt of advice of the accidental death of a Samoan native was announced with regret by the Prime Minister, Sir Joseph Ward, yesterday. The statement issued by the Prime Minister set out that from the information available from the Administrator, Colonel S. S. Allen, it was understood that the fatality occurred as the result of one of the seamen from H.M.S. Dunedin falling over a root, this leading to the accidental discharge of his revolver.

Miss L. Hamilton, of Oamaru, accompanied by Guides Alack and \V illiams, reached the summit of Mount Cook on Saturday. The party was delayed at the bivouac for several days by bad weather. They returned to the Hermitage in the face of a heavy rainstorm. This was the first attempt of the season. Mies Hamilton waited earlier in the summer for six days at the Haast hut. on the eastern side of Mount Cook, and looked down on the rescue purty bringing in the victims of last month’s tragedy. With the exception of one of the divisions of the Wellington health district, there is a substantial drop in the number of cases of notifiable infectious diseases, according to the returns made for the week ended yesterday. Although in the Wairarapa-Hawke’s Bay, Central Wellington and Nel.sonMarlborough districts the totals have fallen, that for the Wanganui-Horo-wlienua district has increased from 11 to 14, thus approaching the figure for Wellington Central, 16. The total for the province has fallen from 50 to 42. The opinion that the financial difficulties being experienced by Australia will prove a blessing in disguise to the Commonwealth, was expressed by Mr E. Lufft,-a prominent business man, of Sydney, who arrived at Wellington by the Tahiti yesterday. Mr Lufft said that Australia was in a financial predicament, but he was optimistic for the future, believing that things would straighten out in the long run. The inevitable result of the present position would be that Australia wouid have to dispense with its luxuries and reduce unnecessary expenditure.

“New Zealand is a very beautiful, indeed a very wonderful, country. When you take your ago and population into consideration, I don’t think you have anything to be ashamed of; in fact, you have a lot to be proud of,” said Mr R. B. Teakle, of Canada, in an interview at Wellington'yesterday. The tourist potentialities of the Dominion were commented upon by Mr Teakle. “You have a lot to offer in the way of scenic features,” he said. Mr Teakle, who has just completed a tour of the South Island, intends to leave for Australia on March 11, and will visit China and Japan before returning home.

The smggestion that the exhibition of motor cars at the next Winter Show be rearranged was made by Mr Carter at the monthly meeting of the general committee of the Manawatu and West Coast A. and P. Association to-day. The secretary (Mr W. T. Penny) stated that negotiations had already been entered into with that end in view. Mr Carter said that he was pleased to hear it, as the cars were a big attraction and some people had missed them altogether. Mr L. H. Collinson stated that a strong effort should be made to get the motors in. A special committee was appointed to go into the matter with a view to staging a big display at the next show. An unusual position arose in a bribery case at Hamilton yesterday. When the officers in charge of the jury lined them up to take them for lunch it was discovered that only eleven were present, one having gone home. On the resumption of the court the position was explained to the Judge, who thought that in the circumstances the jury should be dismissed. The Crown solicitor pointed out that if the present jury recorded a conviction this would bo invalid. On prisoner’s counsel and counsel for the other side intimating that they had no objection to the existing jury hearing the case, and on the juryman in question declaring on oath that he had not spoken to anybody but his wife, the case was allowed to proceed.

Appetite revives, complexion clears, after eating Yeaston Tablets which supply new energy. —Leary’s Pharmacies. —Advt.

Great bargains thi3 week at C. and C.’s. This is Clean Up Week. Boxes of remnants of Lace, embroideries and ribbons at half price. Useful lengths for undies and children’s year. Shop early at Collinsou and Cunninghaine, Ltd. —Advt. ,r

The electric power failed in ston North for ten minutes; from t.4u last evening, leaving the whole t in darkness. The trouble was located in the O'il circuit switch at the 1 almerston North borough power house. Negotiations for the use of the Showgrounds for dirt-track cycle racing were outlined m a letter received by the Manawatu and \\est Coast A. and P. Association to-day. The finance committee recommended that a sub-committee be set up to go into the matter with the parties concerned and this course was agieed upon. Keen interest is being taken in the Awapuni children’s health camp and in the work being carried out by Dr Elizabeth Gunn. An invitation to visit the camp has been issued by the doctor to the Palmerston North Rotary Club and several other local bodies, while the English girls at Flock House have accepted an invitation to join the hush picnic to be held at the racecourse this week.

Application was made by Mr J. A. Nash, M.P., to the general meeting of tho Manawutu and West Coast A. and P. Association to-day on behalf of the Combined Schools Committees’ Association for the use of the Showgrounds for a special effort in aid of the funds for the establishment of the new central dental clinic. He stated that £IOOO or £ISOO had to be subscribed by the public for that object, and the association could help by granting the use of its ground. Unless the necessary funds were subscribed, the matter would fall through. The committee gave its assent to the use of the grounds on a day to be arranged. At Rewanui (Westland) last week a coal wagon had been half filled when a groan was heard. The stream of coal was stopped, the wagon removed from under the bins, and the doors on the bottom of the wagon opened. The coal fell to the ground, and a few moments’ energetic shovelling disclosed a man. He was extricated little the worse for his experience. He was not a mine employee, and had evidently entered the wagon while it was en route from Greymouth to Reefton, and had gone to sleep. Had his groan not been heard, his body might not have been noticed as the coal was dumped into the hold of a vessel at the Greymouth wharf.

The tragedy which caused the death of Miss Dons Brown (North Canterbury), Miss Mary Monteath (Christchurch), Miss Keane (Christchurch), Miss D. Smith (Auckland), and Mr E. Blomfield (acting guide of Dunedin), through exposure to bad weather on the Tasman Glacier is so recent that details will still be fresh in the minds of the public; though it is not generally known that, following the fine tradition of Alpine guides to do all that is possible to protect those in their charge, Acting-Guide Blomfield gave up some of his clothing in hopes of saving the lives of those with him. Proposals have been made to appeal to friends of and sympathisers with the victims to provide funds to erect a suitable memorial to the memory of the party, and the New Zealand Alpine Club have been asked to father the movement, and has gladly consented to do so. It is proposed to erect a hut at the site of the old bivouac at de la Beclie “corner,” near the scene of the tragedy, to be available for the use of climbers subject to proper regulation, so that they can use it free of charge by providing their own food* and equipment; the New Zealand Alpine Club to have control of the hut.