POLITICAL NOTES

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14613, 14 March 1921, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE INTERESTING SPECULATIONS. STRENGTH OF THE OPPOSITION. By Telegraph—Special to Times. WELLINGTON, Saturday. The special session has opened quietly, and members have little doubt now that they will be able to leave Wellington before Easter. The' various groups that sit on the left of the Speaker evidently do not intend to miss Hie opportunity afforded of throwing a few political stones at the Government, hut the House realises that this is no! a business session, and that nothing said in the Chamber is in the least likely [o interfere with the Crime Minister's attendance at the Imperial Conference. Imperial Conference. Members are wondering how much Mr Massey will he able to tell them about the communications he' has received from Mr Lloyd George. It is no secret that the important matters to be placed before the Conference include certain issues of vital importance to the British Dominions in the Pacific, but the Prime Minister may not be free to go into details. The Conference has to enter fields of diplomacy, and though the Labour parties' demand for the abolition of secret diplomacy has a superficial appearance of reason, statesmen have to, recognise that in the present state of international affairs certain reticences are essential. Strength of Parties. The actual number of members at the Liberal caucus appears to have been nine —namely, Messrs Wilford, Sidey, Forbes, Isitt, Ngata, Seddon, Horn, Masters and Edie —while three other members (Messrs Myers, Jennings and R. R. Smith) were accounted for. The official Opposition, therefore, may claim at least a round dozen members, and it need not fear being pushed out of the front opposition benches at present by the Labour party, which can count only eight heads. There are one or two other Liberals who are waving the flag of independence at present, but who are quite likely to return to the official Liberal fold when the political lighting becomes a little keener. The breach between the Official Liberals and the Independent Liberals is probably less wide than the breach between the regular Labourites and the three Independent Labour members (Messrs G. Smith, Veitch and Kellett). The Amendments to the Address. The two amendments to the Ad-dress-in-llcply, one from Mr Wilford and the other from Mr Holland—make it certain that the question of whether or not Mr Massey ■ ought to go to London, will be thrashed out during the debate. Each amendment mentions the Imperial Conference, and suggests that Mr Massey ought not to go, so that the division on cither of the amendments will serve as a test of the opinion of the House. No division is likely to be reached before Wednesday at the earliest, and the sole matter in doubt then will be the size of Mr Massey's majority. That the Prime Minister will go to London with the consent of a big majority of the members of the House is taken for granted. Mortgages Extension. Notice to introduce the Mortgages Extension Act Amendment Bill has been given by Mr R. McCallum (WaTrau). Private members' Bills are not likely to get any hearing at all during the present session, and Mr McCallum probab'ly will be content to get his opinions on record in the form of stillborn legislation. The Government intends to deal with the moratorium during the session, but its , proposals will be placed in the money Bill that is to be the chief work of the Session.