WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Poverty Bay Herald, Volume XLIII, Issue 14050, 21 July 1916, Page 9

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

m - - iii A REBUKE TO LABOR. I THE COURSE OF BUSINESS. (From Our Spatial Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, July 17. The monotony of tho debate on the third reading of the Finance Bill. »vns relieved on Friday night by a vigorous speech by Mr. Isitt, m which thje iepreseiitative of Chi'istchUK'cn North, speaking rather m #.ortow than m anger, soundly rated <cerfoain members of the Labor Party for their persistent aissiiinptien of a superior air which claimed all the political virtues for tboniselves and atti-ibuted all the political vices to those who would l«>b subscribe to overy plank m their pltftfoMh Ih© whole spoech did not occupy .ftLOUe than six or seven minutes hi ueli.vel'y> including a couple of minutes taken up by Mr. McComba m an attempt to stay tho speaker's flow of eloquence, but it was punctuated with, very emphatic "hear, hears" from both sides of the House, and was followed by a murmur of approval, more significant than applause, wliich obviously was intended to convey to Mr. Isitt that he had said exactly what was m tho heart. of a great majority of th members. The incitieiit was a matter of very general comriiont duHng th© supper adjournment which it ' immediately preceded, aiid both members and regular occupants of the galleries agreed that th© protest was timely and tactful, free from extravaand exaggeration, and not 'unlikely to set some of the gentlemen for whom it was specially intended thinking seriously about th© revision of their methods. THE LABOR PARTY. Mr. Isitt did not apply any of his harder terms to the-. members of the Labor Party m the House. That/ of y»w:se, would have been out of order, even if he had wished do so, and would hay© brought him; into conflict •with the Speaker. But ther© can te no doubt that th© wild doctrines being preached by certain irresponsible people outside are veiy gravely prejudicing the position, and influence of the party m Parliament. As a, result of recent development^, Mr. Veitch and JVlr. Hindmarch, two of the most progressive and capable members of the party, have been driven. into closer and closer relations with the Liberals, an d are now regarded for all practical purposes as members of th© more progressive wing of th© older organisation. Probably Mr. Walker would not be altogether disinclined to follow them, but he is bolind by the Same election pledges as Mr. McCombs and Mr. Webb are, and these two gentlemen ar©\not likely to allow him to -forget the fact. Mr. Payne owes allegiance to no party. He is an "Independent" pur© and simple, pledged to 'neither Labor nor Liberalism, and commissioned >only to give vested interests, monopoly and proprietary banking, a bad time. Mr. McCombs is th© stormy petrel of -th© group and \ no on© questions the zeal and ability with which he fills til© role; but he has an unhappy habit Of saying th© hastiest things m th© nastiest possible way, and a proclivity of this, sort does not help any young politician on his way to successful, leadership. THE REMAINING BUSINESS. No one outsid© the Cabinet can make any . useful guess v i s what further business the Government, .intends to bring forward during the remainder of th© session, and' tli». twelve -gentlemen m the Cabinet are showing no disposition to give the casual enquirer any guidance on this point. Mr. Massey and Mr. Allen have been lair! t up with influenza for eight or ton d,ays, but the House has been making very good progress during their absence and Sir Joseph Ward still has, several measures on hand wiib, which he can keep it occupied. Cabinet meetings are being bold to-day, however, with the Prime Minister and the Minister of 'Defence m attendance, and some announcement as to the course of business may be expected when th© House resumes to- ! morrow night if Mr. Massey is able to bo ., m his place. Li the meantime spccnJatibns. as to, the duration of the session vary from a fortnight tjo six weeks, the optimists being at oiie end ana the pessimists at the other, but _ really there is. no data on which any confident propjhecy.can.be based. Tlio War Regulations Bill, which probably will be at th© top of th© Orlder Paper tii- morrow, -lias -assumed a new import- : aii::o sine© th© Parliamentary Committee recommended th© petitions praying for tiie six o'clock closing of public bars to .the favorable consideration of the House, y. and it would not b© surprising ;if this measure mad,© slow progress throiiith both Chambers. . Mr. Massey hinted the other day at another batch of Bills to be introduced, but without taking any new business . into account it is tasy enough to see work ahead sul?':< ier.t to occupy a full month and j unless ther© is to be a very unseemly ! scramble at txi€ end members will not ■be re.ci.fed till the middl© of next month. FINANCE AND TAXATION. Sir Joseph. Ward has had so many compliments rained upon him m connection with ihia tactful piloting of the Finance Bill through, th© House that he may be m some danger of" forgetting as well as forgiving th© legitimate criticism directed against his proposals. The Billy was very materially improved m committee by amendments introduced by th£ Minister .himself, and by the time it reached its third .reading it deserved most of i the appreciative things said _6i J it.;by Dr. Newman and other recognised financial authorities outsid© th© Cabinet. But Sir Joseph ihust- not run away with the idea that it represents the last, word i m war, finance or that the' 'country will be content to accept, rough antf ready methods of raising money, such a? a "flat" ipcomi© tax, as good . enough for a time of great national crisis. If the extreme section, of th© Labor Party ha£ been Je^s vehement m its criticism and, mo^e precise it would hay© shared the credit tha£ is now going to Mr. Wilford ? Mr. Sidey, Mr. isitt, Mr. . Witty, Mr. Anstey, Mr. R. W. Smith, Mr. ' Craigie, Mr.. Talbot, and progressive Liberals of their type who exerted themselves to help th© Minister with timely^, suggestions, hot to (embarrass him with impossible: proposals'. Tlie member for Timaru, who scrupulously 'observes th© good rule of speaking only when he has something to say, got an attentive hearing for a Sijate Bank, for an increased graduated land tax, and for a revision of the whole system of raising revenue, while th© extremists delivered their tnurider on th© same subjects to almost, (empty benches.