WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 8 February 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

(Our Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Feb 5 THE NORTH AUCKLAND TOUR. Ths southern guests of the North Auckland Development Boird who have t etm neJ frcm the great advertising tour spesk in highly appreciative ter-ne'of toe hospit li y they received and of much of the country they traversed. The cc mme i ial side of th 6 enterpiisa was now and again, some of them say, a little too conspicuous, but the objict of the promoters was frankly utilitarian, and there is no ground for se ioua complaint oa this score. North Auckland wan‘ed to be better known and it adopted a very delightful way of achieving its purpose. The southerners, among whom must be included visitors from Manawatu, Taranaki, aid WelliDgtou, are enthusiastic over the country they saw. «« A second Taranaki in th 9 making is the verdict of a visitor from the batter province; "a lot of the land as good as any we have in Canterbury and all of it has a better climate ” is the opinion of another of the tourists, and without exception the travellers express surprise that the country should have remained practically unknown so long. The Development Board at least has got the advertisement it sought, and it will be disappointed if its efforts do not further accelerate tha drift northward.' THE WATER-i’RONT The trouble on the waterfront seems to have resolved itself for the moment into an exchange of letters between the various parties concerned The position fs scarcely so hopeful as it appeared to be at the end of last week, but the men still profess a spirit of sweet reasonableness and a d33ire to carry on tha work of the port to the best advantage. They have adopted, however, a rather unfortunate fashion of giving expression to their admirable sentiments, and the intervention of the Employers, Farmers and Citizens’ Dafecce Committee, so far from throwing oil upon the troubled waters, has drawn from their Union a letter that is anything but conciliatory..

/ The geneial feeling here is that, while there are faults on both sides, the men have put themselves in the wrong by refusing the assistance of the Conciliation Council in settling the dispute and that in the case of an open rupture they would obtain little sympathy even from disinterested people who stoid by them in the unhappy affair of three years ago. The public would have ro patience with a strike over a trivial difference of opinion at such a time as this. WOLFE’S SCHNAPP3 Tlie National Drink of Australasia.