POLITICAL NOTES

Waikato Times, Volume 94, Issue 14768, 6 October 1921, Page 5

POLITICAL NOTES

♦ ■ PREMIEB AT THE HELM A GREAT PERSONALITY. GENERAL RELIEF AT HIS RETURN. (Special to Times.) WELLINGTON, Wednesday. The Prime Minister is in his old place in the House again, looking wonderfully well and sounding as optimistic as ever. The City, as well as Parliament, is frankly glad to sec mm back and is saying so without any reservation. The politicians still have their differences of opinion about Mr Massey's policy and administration, and by and by these differences may ne engaging the attention of the electors; but just now they are concerning the mass of the people very little. The man in the street, in his hundreds and his thousands, sees in the returned Minister one strong personality in the public life of the Dominion at the present time and is looking towards him for the inspiration and the impetus the country so badly needs. A fortnight of Parliament without its constitutional leader has revealed the unreadiness of ,its colleagues as plainly as it has the impotence of the divided opposition. The friends of Reform well may have some misgivings as to what would happen to their party were it called upon to find an alternative to Mr Massey. Oommonsense and ftrptlmism. The Prime Minister makes a very special appeal to the man-in-the-street by his robust oommonsense and nis splendid optimism. His first words on stepping from the train which brought him to Wellington on Monday, were of good cheer. He laughingly chided the somewhat lugubrious Mayor of the City, who appeared on the platform in his official capacity, for suggesting there still were people who never would agree with him politically. If mat were so—and be did not tbink U was—he was more sorry for these people than he was for himself. Talking to the representatives of the newspapers, and afterwards to his friends 'n private, he deprecated the tendency to magnify the financial difficulties of the Dominion. There was need, of course, for economy in both public and private expenditure, as had been realised the whole world over, but in New Zealand there was not the slightest occasion for despondency. The country had no troubles it could not surmount by hard work, cheerful sacrifice and unity of purpose. Already the silver lining was lighting up the cloud of depression and very soon would dispel it altogether. % Mr Myers' Resignation.

Members of Parliament of all party colours are expressing very sincere regret at the retirement of the lion. A. M. Myers from the House. It has not come altogether as a surprise, as it was generally recognised that his acceptance of a seat on the London Board of a great financial institution closely associated with the affairs of the Dominion would prevent his giving the close attention to his Parliamentary duties which has been the habit of ins whole political life. Mr Myers never has been able to "go slow" in any public work he has undertaken. Thoush he has not been a frequent talker in the House, he had made a practice 01 mastering every subject that has come up for serious consideration and when he has spoken has done so with rare insight and understanding. His knowledge of public finance was unrivalled by any Minister that ever has sat on the Treasury Benches and his scrupulous regard for the better observances and traditions of the House never has been relaxed for a single moment. Men of his type can be ill-spared from Parliament at a time when the best brains and sanest patriotism are needed in the service of the country. Cement. In the House last night the Hon. E. P. Lee, the Minister of Industries and Commerce, made a statement in regard to Mr R. Masters' allegations concerning the operations of the cement companies, and was followed by a personal explanation rrom tne memDer of &tr;itford. Mr Lee's statement was supplemented by a lengthy letter from Mr u. S. Luttrell, the managing director of the Golden Bay Company, which gave a direct denial to the graver of «ir Masters' allegations and declared tne arrangement between the companies in no way prejudiced the interests of individuals or of lhe community. Mr Lee himself insisted that the public had in no way suffered from what had happened and that, on the statement of Mr Luttrell, the companies had acted within their legal rights. Mr Masters' personal explanation had to do with a suggestion that he had acted througn personal pique and it must have satisfled everyone in the House that in this respect he had been entirely misrepresented. Finally Mr Massey, who had been a silent listener to what, was goign on, came to the rescue with a promise that Mr Masters would have the inquiry for which he had asked.