WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 January 1917, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS

The Wheat Question FurTher Delay (Our Special Gr re? pendent.) Wellington, J in 12

The Acting Minister of Industries and Commerce had hoped that by this time he would be able to make a definite announcement in regard to the wheat question, but tho conference between the Board of Traae and the Board of Agriculture on Wednesday revealed soma wida differeocis oi opinion and it. new seems unlikely a settlement will be reached this W3ek.

The Board of Agriculture takes much the same view of the question B 8 did the farmers who met the Minister in Chris,'church some weeks ago, while the Board of Trade holds rba Government should stand between the publio and excessive prices. The fiual decision, of coarse, rests with the Cabinet, but it is gathered from what has tranopired that Mr MacDonald favors the view taken by the Board of Trade and that a ,«<aj irityof his colleagues will support. him in giving effect to its recommendations.

The Minister is emphasising the need for an early sett emeut in the interests of the farmers and be is determined tbete shall be no avoidable delay. BALLOT DEFAULTERS. There has been a good deal of comment here, not all of a sympathetic character, npon the extremely patient attitude of the Minister of Defence towards those Reservists who have been drawn in the ballot and who have failed to report themselves for medical examination.

Technically these defaulters are guilty of the very grave offence of being absent without leave or of the still graver one of deserting, and in the ordinary military course they would have beeu summarily arrested and reminded of their duty in an extremely unpleasant way. But instead of ordering this Mr Allen has contented himself with reiterating his"hope that tha defaulters w.ll “ loss no time in carrying out the instructions that have be9Q given to them."

No donbt the explanation of the Minister's patience is that he wishes to avoid anything in the shape of physical compulsion—“ I would hate to doeo,” he said yesterday—but there is the danger of his forbearance being misunderstood by men who di not appreciate the admirable spirit in which the great majority of tho Reservists are taking up the burden of service. patriotism and profit. Mr D&tton, the British Trade Commissioner, who spares neither himself nor the resources of his office in his efforls to promote closer trade relations between the Dominion and the Mother Country, has arranged with the South Taranaki Winter Show Company to display at its exhibition at Hawera a collection of Biitisb manufactures whioh onght to make a Bpecial appeal to consumers all over the country at the present jancture.

The Commif-sioner’s enthusiasm is infectious. He looks for an enormous development of British trade after the war as a result of the vastly improved organisation and methods that have been forced upon the manufacturers and, indeed, upon the whole nation by the great crisis through which the Empire is passing aud he wishes New Zealand to participate to tho fall in the advantages of this new order of thing?.

Possibly the exhibit he is now getting together with the assistance of manufacturers at Homo end merchants here might' ba made available for other shows aud enterprising secretaries would do we.l to corauiuuioate with him on the subject. For ontims vdon of d«# see fourth NoTpLATOON »H ” COY, 13th REGIMENT.

FARM I.ABOUR. Reports Lorn all parts oi tho North Island tend to eonfivm the statement of the secretary of tho Agricultural and Pas:orai Uuinu that there is a g,->- .t riiarth of far no 1-b mt iu this pst 0' rt-e t) mtirnot?, hi foot that there ate about tsve- t? harv«.«ters on the of the Labour Buieii, however, is qanti d by cno of the local rit j.eta “a” fc»n io*r auother vsy." Thors are aLo, it seems, five men requiting employment in Aackland, three fa m l»bo;es od't of woik in Timaru ai d four men oo the books of the L ibor Bureau at Dunedin.

When these facs ware.oommuci<ntcd to the Secretary of the Union this rooming be greeted them with a broad smile. “I a l oald like to see tho.e three farm laborers in Tirana,” he said “If they are competent men and can be spared from one of the largest agricultural districts in tho countsy, let them come along and I d ,fir.d them a job in ten minutes.’’