WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 24 February 1917, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Railway Rolling Stock.

Commissions.

(Oar Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Feb 21 In those stirring times the community is not easily interested in any question unconnected with the war, but many people in Wellington are beginning to take notice of a commission that has been sitting here for a week or more enquiring into the condition of the rolling stock on the Government railways. This commission was set up in consequence of some remarks made by Mr Wilford in the House of Representatives last session implying that much of the rolling stock had fallen into a sad state of disrepair and was becoming a menace to the safety of the travelling public. The Minister promised to obtain a departmental report on the subject, and in clue course the House was assured that the rolling stock was m excellent order and that every provision was made for maintaining it in this condition. But apparently the general manager wanted further vindication of his administration, and the appointment of the commission was the result. Now the commission is being flooded with iterated and reiterated official statements in support of the report presented to tlie House, and its members are about to start out upon a comprehensive tour of the Dominion in search of further evidence of the same character. Of course, the personnel of the commission is an assurance that the enquiry will be exhaustive, but it is occurring to many people that the appointment of one independent expert to make a personal examination of the rolling stock and the work of the repairing department would have obtained equally good results at about one quarter the cost of the present arrangement. THE HAWKES DAY SEAT. It seems now that the demonstration of rather narrow local feeling which led Sir John Findlay to renounce his intention of contesting the by-election for the Hawkes Bay seat was of very little real significance, and that nothing now stands in the way of Sir John re-entering the field as the accepted Liberal candidate approved by the National Cabinet under the arrangement between the parties.

He will return to the constituency at once and will spend most of the time between this and the polling—whether there is to be a contest or not—in making himself better known to the electors.

Apparently the only danger that would confront hint in the event of a contest would be the apathy of the voters ou both sides. This danger was unpleasantly exemplified at the Pahiatua election, where an independent Liberal candidate, who insisted upon standing in spite of the strongest discouragement from the party leader, ran the Reform candidate approved by the National Cabinet to within a few hundred votes, and probably would have beaten him but for the obtrusion of a Labor candidate.

But it is improbable anything of this sort will happen in Hawkes Bay. The attempt to oust Sir John Findlay from the field has put his friends on their mettle, and they are not likely to spare any effort in returning him by a substantial majority. LABOR. The position on tbe water-front is still far from satisfactory, the existing relations between the employers and the men being rather of the nature of an armed truce than of a friendly armistice, and no one can say what the next development will be. The men on their part declare they are anxious to work the port without unnecessary friction and are ready to abide by any reasonable agreement that may be reached in a regular way.

The trouble in connection with the “ Burton block-tackle,” which seemed likely a day or two ago to bring matters to a head, has been submitted to the arbitration of a special dispute committee consisting of two representatives of the employers and two representatives of the men, with a chairman selected by the four nominated members, and the decision of this tribunal is likely to be made known this evening. Meanwhile the shipping in port is being worked with rather more goodwill than was the case a few weeks ago, and the general outlook is less disquieting. Many of the men profess to see in the war regulations, giving the Gov-

eminent power to take over the control of the wharves, a disposition on the part of the authorities to deal directly with any trouble that may arise, and their contemplation of the prospect does not appear to be lessening their desire to maintain the peace. FARMERS AND THE WAR. Numbers of farmers called up by the ballot are finding considerable difficulty in making arrangements for the management of their properties during their absence from the country. The matter has been discussed by many branches of the Farmers’ 1 nion and various suggestions have beer made for giving the men assist-

ance, but none of the suggestions

appear to meet the needs of particular cases, and Mr J. A, Young, the

member for Waikato, has come to Wellington as the representative of the Awamutu Farmers’ Union federation with a proposal that tao Government should purchase the propelties of men going to the war and re-sell them to returned soldiers on terms that would be fair to both

parties. In the absence of the Acting-Prime Minister, Mr Young interviewed the members of the Industrial Efficiency Board yesterday and learnt that the Board already had submitted a scheme on somewhat similar lines to the Government. This scheme .aims rather at keeping the farmer-soldiers in possession of their properties than at putting new occupiers in their place. If this is the caso it will meet with more general approval than will the proposal put forward by Mr Young’s principals.