The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1923. THE GOVERNOR’S SPEECH

Southland Times, Issue 18968, 15 June 1923, Page 4

The Southland Times. PUBLISHED EVERY MORNING. Luceo Non Uro. FRIDAY, JUNE 15, 1923. THE GOVERNOR’S SPEECH

Parliament opened yesterday a session which promises to be interesting, but it cannot be said that the Governor-General's speech gave very much information concerning the Government’s intentions. Actually there was nothing unexpected in it, its references to coming bills being confined to ’points that had previously been made known to the public. The GovernorGeneral might with propriety suggest that the speech prepared for him by his Ministers might without difficulty be made a little more interesting The compilation of the Statutes has been delayed owing to the pressure of work in the Supreme Court, but there is not likely to be any discussion on that subject. The most interesting portion of the speech is devoted to the soldier settlers. In it the Government’s difficulties in giving relief by way of reduced valuations without affecting the interests of mortgagees are touched on, but the only indication we have of Cabinet’s intentions is that something is going to be done. It is fairly obvious that the matter is still under consideration, and the Government’s hesitancy to say anything more definite may be pardoned. Mr Wilford has rushed in to forestall Mr Holland by giving notice of his intention to move a vote of no-confi-dence, drawing attention to the omission of various topics from the Speech. If Mr Wilford liked he could compile a long list of omissions, but actually the reasons for his Itkek of confidence in the Government are of small concern. Mr Wilford is out to challenge Mr Massey’s title to office at the earliest opportunity, and it' - is to be hoped that the decisive vote is not long delayed. As soon as the temper of the House is discovered it will be possible to proceed with the business which has to be transacted, but it is to be hoped that the Leader of the Opposition, if he fails to unseat Mr Massey, will not follow the advice of his journalistic friends and proceed to obstructionist tactics in order to compel the Government to accept his political proposals so that the Prime Minister may attend the Imperial Conference. Mr Wilford is in duty bound to challenge the Government at once, and if he can bring his own motion to a vote before Mr Holland, he will know his fate before he and his followers march from the Chamber to avoid going into the lobby with the Labour members. If Mr Holland elected to copy Mr Wilford’s timid tactics of previous sessions, the Leader of the Opposition would be left with a no-confidence motion overwhelmingly defeated, but Mr Holland, whatever other faults he has, is not troubled by political timidity. The session will be interesting for a while at any rate, but it must be admitted candidly that the key to the situation is not in Mr Wilford’s hands: it is held by one or two members of the House who are not wholly in accord with Mr Wilford’s ideas, and who will not support him if he is going to be dependent on the Labour Party for his occupancy of the Treasury benches. During the recess the parties officially have not been drawn any closer, but the need for some form of fusion is as necessary to-day as it was last

session. An early vote should show us how opinion in the House is divided, and until that point is reached the talk of the parliamentarians will be of small importance, however great it may be in volume.