NEWS AND VIEWS.

Waimate Daily Advertiser, Volume XXI, 18 April 1922, Page 5

NEWS AND VIEWS.

FROM THE CAPITAL CITY. SHADOW OF ELECTION. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, April 13. The approaching general election is foreshadowed by the elaborate arrangements being made for the preparation of the rolls. The Electoral Department is the chief agency in this activity, hut during the next six or seven months it will be making big demands upon other departments, particularly the Post Office, for assistance. It is certain now that Parliament will open at the usual time in June and that the session will run into at least four months. This will leave members little more than a month to woo their constituencies on the spot, even if they are lucky enough to get away so early, and as there are bound: to be a number of new candidates in the field the sitting members may be sure of a strenuous campaign. The Reform Party has its organisation well in hand, and Labor, of course, is always on the alert; but the Liberals do not yet appear to have made much progress towards effective consolidation. Mr Wilford may have something to say on the subjeeet shortly, but at the moment he is not seeking undue publicity.

BOOKMAKERS’ PETITION. The bookmakers, whose calling Parliament has solemnly announced to be criminal, are out nt the open with a petition as solemnly asking the same Parliament to put them on side with the law again “It is common knowledge,” they say in one of their advertisements appealing for signatures to their petition, “that the suppression of the' bookmaker has been more or less of a farce.” In this there is a good deal of truth, but the fact remains that there is gambling and gambling and that the variety encouraged by the great majority of the bookmakers in New Zealand is not good for society or for the State. However, that it is not the point for discussion just here. A matter of more immediate consequence is that numbers of people are signing the bookmakers’ petition under the impression, that it is being promoted by the Sports Protection League, a body subsidised by the racing clubs and other sporting bodies for the protection of their interests and entirely opposed to the prayer of the

THE NEW LOAN. Mr Massey’s announcement at Whangarei of his intention to float a new loan for public works in the immediate future took no one here by surprise. The few people -who imagined that its economising efforts were going to save the Government from the necessity of going to the London money market for the next couple of years now realise that it will’ be as long as that before they begin to materially affect, the. financial position. The popular impression obtained from Mr Massey’s announcement is that the new loan will be for five millions, which t Would satisfy the pressing needs of the Treasury, but the Government, in addition to the authority ft took last session to borrow this amount, has outstanding authorities to raise some fifteen millions and it is quite possible, should the market prove favorable, Mr Massey will take the opportunity to make provision for other needs than those indicated in the latest legislation. The financial authorities expect all the money required 1 to be available at 5} per cent, at most, and at thia rate the Dominion can make profitable use of a considerable sum during hte next year or two.

THE POLITICAL HORIZON. Ministers are letting it be understood that. Parliament meet this year at the usual time in June, and that they expect the session to be a long one, probably not terminating tilj the middle of November, unless members refrain from superfluous talk and factious obstruction. Mr Massey may reasonably hope for the best on this occasion, since the various sections of the Opposition are more anxious to get to the constituencies than Ministers and their followers are, and may be trusted to facilitate, within reason, the progress of business. There is much talk, particularly in Auckland), just now, of electoral reform, Liberals and Laborites alike being anxious to find some escape from the votesplitting of which they are the victims; but though the Prime Minister has made no definite statement on the subject, it is safe to say there will be no egislation in this direction during the mpending session. The Government rill introduce none, and it will permit, lone introduced from the other side of he House to become law.