WELLINGTON TOPICS

Waikato Times, Volume 89, Issue 13894, 21 October 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

IMS PARTY LEAOtRS. Pc!. ITICS AN 11 I'll' MiI,K.MS. (Special correspondent.) WKU.INOTON, l'ri 1., v. Sn far as I.ik a I polities and ilonie.vl.ic affairs are concerned, Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward have proved rath t unsalisl'aelory subjects for (lie persist - ent inlciAii-wer. They have decline J, and still are declining, to discuss the business of the approaching session, to indicate the Minister that will ne sent, to London, to say whether or nul the life of the present Parliam 'it, will he further prolonged. Within a few hours i I' his arrival, the Prime jVlitiM. J. in :• i»tv 1 •• a ijueslioti suggested by the ri■ > i 111 > of the Wellington Central and 'Paranaki by-electii.ns, ssid be was ready to tneel, any challenge llial might be thrown down to Piiri inside or outside of the House, but Ibis bra\e declaration did not appear very illuminative when it, came io lie analysed. Challanges from within, to speak frankly, h.tve few terrors for a Nalional Cabinet, and challenges from witboul, in war tune, do not fall on particularly sensitive ears. The Business of the Session. Still, by putting two and two together, by weighing what the party loaders say and what they leave unsaid. it, may be possible to make a pretty shrewd guess as to what is in their minds. They are both hoping, for instance, that the session wilt be over before the Christmas holidays. This end could lie achieved only ny concentrating Hie attention of the House upon two or three absolutely urgent measures —supply, another war loan, a liquor proposal of some kind or another, and perhaps an amendment of the land laws with a view to facilitating soldier settlement —lhiL even with a programme reduce 1 to the slenderest dimensions, members still would have endless opportunities to talk unless Mr Massey put on the big boots and resorted to driving tactics, which would be a somewhat perilous proceeding in the present temper of the country and with a general election looming. Tho Life of Parliament.

At present the life of the exislmg Parliament stands prolonged till the end of next year; but of course it may be terminated earlier by the will of fit e Government expressed through His Majesty's representative. The impression one obtains from people who may be supposed to be more closely in the confidence of Ministers than the man in the street can be, is that while Mr Massey would welcome an earlier election on personal grounds Jie still holds firmly to the view that the parties should not be set at one another's throats while the war is on. Sir Joseph Ward is in agreement with his colleague in the latter respect. Had lie had his way there would have been no general election in 1014, and, it may be worth recalling, no National Cabinet, but merely a party truce whi'li would have left the Government of the day unhampered in ils war efforts. He still thinks this would have been the better course. The Liquor Question.

Hut whatever the intentions of the Government may be, and whatever its settled policy, Parliament will have to face the liquor question in one shape or another. Even in the very improbable contingency of Ministers not moving in the matter themselves, the problem still would be bound-to mii:e its appearance on the floor of the House. The petitions to be presented to Parliament by the New Zealand 'Alliance and the Moderate League will bear an enormous number of signatures and will justify any private member moving in the matter in the event of Ministers failing to do what be conceives to he their duly. It will not be a party question, though the party leaders may bold different vi-r.vs as to the .proposed reforms, and for once the House will be found voting on a great national issue without the interference of the party whip. 7he result is a matter only for speculation. Al the moment the popular opinion is that a referendum on a broad basis will be granted.