WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 19 July 1929, Page 10

WELLINGTON TOPICS

SOUTH ISLAND TRUNK. CONTINUED OPPOSITION. (From Our Own Correspondent). The Dominion continues to pour out its daily denunciation of the Government’s determination to span the gap of some eighty miles in the South Island Trunk Railway and on paper makes out a very good case against the undertaking. But so far no one —except, of course, the half-dozen members of the House of Representatives, who have mentioned the matter in the course of the Address-in-Reply debate —has tackled the subject very seriously. “A special representative of the Dominion,” the paper itself states each day, “was deputed to go over the proposeu route and also to collect facts and opinions bearing on the subject, opportunity being oilcred those favouring the line to state their side of the question.” The morning journal has been as good as its word in this respect, but few friends of the railway have come forward in support of the Government’s decision. The Prime Minister’s colleagues, however, are standing firmly by their chief in the matter and the preliminary work is deliberately proceeding.

ADDRESS-IN-REPLY.

The debate upon the Address-in-Reply probably will continue for the greater part of the week, possibly until Friday night. So far it has been by no means a dull formality, even if it has been, as all such debates are, a somewhat unprofitable one. A majority of the new members who have spoken —all, practically, on the Government side of the House—have acquitted themselves quite creditably, one or two reaching the front rank on their first attempt. The Hon. VV. Downie Stewart has not spoken at the time of writing, and folk who follow parliamentary debates with any relish are awaiting his reply to speeches from the treasury benches with much interest. Sir Joseph Ward is more fortunate than Mr. Coates was in the sup-

port he is receiving from his colleagues, three or four of them being among the best dozen speakers in the House and already familiar with all the formalities and procedure of Parliament.

DOUBLED DEPUTATIONS.

The Post last evening had a somewhat alarming allusion in its leading columns to two deputations which had presented themselves at Parliament House to plead the cause of certain objectors to military training. “The first deputation,” the Post told its readers, “was received by the Minister of Defence, who gave a considered and soundly-reasoned reply. The second deputation appealed to the Prime Alinister. Sir Joseph Ward did not reverse his colleague’s decision, nor did he support it. He promised that the question would be considered by Cabinet. To this promise probably little exception could be taken, but unfortunately it was accompanied by remarks from which the inference might be drawn that the Prime Minister himself, if approached in the first place, would have given a decision different from that of the Alinister of Defence.” Presuming upon the analysis of the position by the evening paper gossips arc building up a misunderstanding between the Prime Minister and his colleague for which there is no adequate foundation. No crisis in the Cabinet is anticipated.

LEADER OF THE OPPOSITION

The Right Hon. J. G. Coates, the leader of the Opposition, who has taken up his residence in Wellington for the session, is probably the most care-free member of the House of Representatives at the present time. This is not to say that he is taking lightly the responsibilities of his new office. On the contrary, he probably is working even harder to-day than he did when he was at the head of the Government, “with plenty of assistance,’’ as *ie parenthetically observes. The world has forgotten him no more than his political supporters have done, and his correspondence alone is enough to keep him employed the whole day round. But even to “an ally of the enemy,” as he laughingly dubs his visitor, he can spare an hour to talk horses and fish, the bush and open spaces, luxury in London, and hard work at the front. It is a merry soul that can enjoy all these recollections in the sombre atmosphere of politics, and with that merry soul Gordon Coates is blessed.