NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL

Taranaki Daily News, 10 July 1929, Page 2

NEWS FROM THE CAPITAL

“SPOILS TO THE VICTORS” A PERENNIAL PROTEST. DISTRIBUTION OF FAVOURS. (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington, July 8. During the first working week of the New Parliament there were in the House of Representatives several sinister allusions to “Spoils to the victors," implying that the present Government, or one or another of its predecessors, had distributed its favours without due regard to the deserts or the services of I their recipients. The Evening Post deals but lightly with the matter. “No Government,” it says, “can be expected to overlook entirely the proof of superior intelligence and judgment which are demonstrated by approval of its policy, or tho capacity indicated by vigorous support of the party at the polls. Moreover there is a reason for taking this support into account. It betokens sympathy and knowledge, and where the nominee is expected to be the representative of the Government and the interpreter of its policy on some board or council he may be expected to discharge his duties better because he is in agreement with the policy.” This view may be perfectly sound so far as the appointments of Government representatives on local bodies are concerned, but it scarcely ■holds good in some of the eases that have been cited in the House. SKELETONS IN THE CUPBOARD. Tho complaint of Mr. Kyle, the member for Riccarton, that the present Government has supplanted the previous Government’s representative on some local body in Canterbury by a gentleman known to .be personally well disposed towards Sir Joseph Ward and his policy is sufficiently answered by the contention of the Evening Post. The Government is given representation on such bodies in order that its views may bo adequately expressed to tho representatives of other interests. Just whether tho Hon. W. A. Veitch, the Minister of Labour, in replying to the remarks of the Right Hon. J. G. Coates upon the South Island Trunk Railway, was justified in implying that the leader of the Opposition had not dealt with the matter impartially is open to question. The Minister, however, had he wished to deal with “spoils” at all, might have found more obvious material on which to base his criticism. No Government after sixteen years of office can be without skeletons of one kind or another in its cupboard. Those of the Reform Government were all available to Mr. Veitch and ho need not have gone so far afield for the doubtful* specimen he produced. “NO PETTY TACTICS.” One of the most pleasing contributions to the talking in the House of Representatives last week was a frank statement by the leader of the Opposition of the attitude he and his party would maintain while the new Government was framing and developing its policy. “As I see tho position, and as honourable members around me “see the position,” Mr. Coates said, “we think that the political situation in New Zealand today is not such that party tactics should be resorted to. This is a time when the whole-hearted thought of men who have their country’s interests at heart is required. Further than that, wo arc •anxious to see whether the new. Government can put into effect the promises that it made. If it is able to bring back prosperity and a condition of affairs that is in the interest of our community in the very widest sense, then I personally shall be quite satisfied.” All this, it must be admitted even by Mr. Coates’s political opponents, is characteristic of the man, and whatever may be tho outcome of the session just opened, it is certain it will not be marred by party wrangling. VETERINARY SCIENCE. The annual conference of the New Zealand Veterinary Surgeons’ Association held here last week demonstrated the fact that the organisation has made very considerable progress during the year or so of its existence. At the luncheon, which. marked the social side of the gathering, members of Parliament, including the Minister of Agriculture, tho president of the Scientific Research Department, members of the medical profession and other high authorities, bore testimony to tho value of tho Association to the agricultural and pastoral industries and indeed to the country at large. Among the speakers was Mr. C. S. Hopkirk, tho officer in charge of Wailaceville laboratory, -frho, in proposing tho toast of “Scientific Research in New Zealand,” declared that tho dissemination of knowledge was the greatest problem confronting his profession at the present time. Wireless, newspapers and journals all were available, generously, but the difficulty was to g'et the farmer to listen or to read. If tho farmer would do neither of these things —if ho would not do both of them if he had tho facilities—it was a great loss to himself, and might be an ill service to the whole community.