MR. BAVIN'S TROUBLES.

New Zealand Herald, Volume LXIV, Issue 19809, 2 December 1927, Page 14

MR. BAVIN'S TROUBLES.

SHOALS APPEAR ALREADY.* CITY AND COUNTRY FARES. f FROM OUR OWN CORRESPONDENT, j SYDNEY, Nov 25. When Mr. Bavin was negotiating with the Leader of the Country Party it was predicted that the State composite Ministry would have a troublous time if ths Nationalist majority was dictated to by the Country Party minority. The allotment to the leader of the Country Party of the portfolio of Works and Railways was regarded as a sign that questions arising from the policy of this department would provide the shoals in which Mr. Bavin's ship of state would find navigation difficult. While many held this belief, few expected that the shoals would appear :so soou after the ship set sail. At the beginning of the week, the Cabinet decided that the state of the Railway Department's finances needed remedying, mainly because of the Lang Government's burdens in the way of industrial and so-called humanitarian legislation. With the. department facing a record deficit, something had to be done, and the Cabinet decided to increase metropolitan fares on railways and tramways, while leaving country fares and freights unalteredThis decision, so obviously favouring the Country Party interests, aroused the ire of some of Mr. Bavin's most influential followers, representing most of the metropolitan Nationalist electorates. They warned Mr. Bavin that if the Cabinet's decision was put into effect, they would take steps to form a City National Party, and would force a vote on the question. Perhaps nothing will come from this threat, but it is significant as showing that even the Country Party's natural' alliance will not allow a dominating influence to be exerted over the Government, whose declared policy is to legislate for country and city alike.