WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 April 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

The Efficiency Board. Partisan Evidence. (Oar Special Correspondent.) Wellington. April 5 Mr William Fe<gneoo, ibe chairman of the National Efficiency Board, ia still in Wellington taking each evidence as is offered to him in respect to the propriety of continuing, reducing or abolishing during war time Bgrionltural shows, picture entertainments, horse-racing and “other exhibitions, amusements and sportß.” Naturally the great majority of the witnesses that appear before him are strongly biased one way or the other and though the enquiry is being conducted in camera the nature of tbeir testimony may be easily imagined. Agricnltmal shows are not being seriously attacked, except iu so far as they tex the resources of the Railway Department, but picture entertainments and racing are being roughly handled by some of the witnesses and, it may be presumed, stoutly defended by others. Raoing seems to have fewer friends than the piotnre entertainments have, but publio opinion is inclining to the idea that the stoppage of excursion trains and fares will be sufficient corrective to the excess of sport and that the racing clubs may be trusted to do wbat else is required.

TIS ORDER OF REFERENCE There is a wide-spread feeling abroad that the Efficiency Board is placing a very generous interpretation on its order of reference and casting its vigilant eye very-far afield ia its efforts to strengthen the economic condition of the coautry. Some people profess to see its hand in the drastic measures taken by the Government in bringing the contumacious miners to their senses and in some of the conditions the Military Service Boards are imposing upon balloted men to whom they grant provisional

exemption. Yesterday the local Board required a farmer who was supporting the appeal of his son for relief from military service to sign an undertaking to send bis milk to Wellington, instead of forwarding his butter-fat to a factory in Palmerston North, if be were ordered to do so by the Minister of Agriculture, The man submitted to the condition cheerfully enough, but it is doubtful if the arrangement was quite in keeping with the letter of the law or if the occasional application of the principle would be the most equitable way of reaching national efficiency.

THE RAILWAY SERVICE. Protests against his proposals for a wholesale reduction of trains in order to release a number of First Division men for military service continue to pour in upon "the Minister of Railways. The latest cornea from the Wellington City Council, which ia specially concerned for the eold’ers in camp and their relatives and for suburban residents,

Last night it set oat on the motion of the Mayor to condemn the whole of the proposals, lock, stock and barrel, so far aa they affect these sections of the community, but on the suggestion of a councillor, who wanted to hear the other side of the oase, it restrained its dennneiation to the leogth of expressing its approval of the. Government’s intention to “ out down unnecessary train service,” without, of coarse, abating one iot its indignation at the contemplated treatment of the soldiers.

What with the protests from the critics and the complaints from the oonntry districts Mr Herries is likely to have a lively time during the next week or two, but so far ha has showu no disposition to materially amend his proposals. THE WAR LOAN, The preliminary puff* for the second war loftD, if suoh a frivolous phrase may be applied to suoh a serious business, are beginning to make their appearance, and this morning ing the Hon A. M. Myers, the Acting Minister of Finance, publishes a table showing how the various centres have helped the soldiers at the front, as the placards ran, by purchasing war bonds.

Blenheim on a capital basis heads the list with the very creditable sum of £2 0 10 for each man, 1 woman and child with its boundaries, while Wellington, whioh probably receiver, more than its share of outside contributions, comes next with £1 15/2 and Nelson third with £1 14/1. Perhaps theie is something more than a mere coincidence in the faot that Blenheim and .Nelson Btood first and third, respectively, on the list showing the places least' affected by war prices published in this column a few weeks ago. They were separated by Dunedin and, kb it happens, the southern city is fourth on the present list, a long way ahead of both Christchurch and Auckland. It may be there is some arithmetical relation between a community's expenditure upon food and clothing and its ability to snbseribe to war loans.