WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1918, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(Our Special Correspondent) THE BOOJvMAKIXG NUISANCE. POLICE ACTIVITY. WELLINGTON February 22. II is a little unfortimnto for Mr ,1 uslico Hordman that the police raids upon the haunts of the bookmakers followed so quickly upon his retirement from the Cabinet. He was the Minister in charge of the Police Department, and his critics, not without some appearance of reason, are saving the present proceedings might have been taken years ago had he boon really desirous of suppressing the hookmaking nuisance

Jlut ns a matter of fact Mr Herdman had been moving in tin* matter long before he left office.' A year ago he hoped to get amending legislation through Parliament which would have made bookmaking an indictable offence punishable' by imprisonment without the option of a fine, hut his colleagues thought the time inopportune for the

introduction of such a drastic measure, and he was left to do the host lie could with the existing law. Tt is the inadequacy of the Gaming Act rather than and lack of sincerity on the part of the late Minister that occasioned the delay.

/ THE SHORT SESSION. /--'As was to be expected there is much talk of trouble of one kind and another that is going to overtake the Govern, ment during the short session previous to the departure of Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward for London.

According to current gossip, there is going to he an organised attempt to oust the. National- Cabinet, a demand for Parliamentary committee to investigate the general administration of the Defence Department—which of course, would involve the resignation' of- -Sir James Allen—a proposal to free the Board of Trade from Ministerial domination and many other demonstrations of the “independence” that has been growing up among the party politicians during the last year or two.

Ministers make light of the opposition with which they are threatened. They are satisfied that a majority of the members of the House though critical, as they have a right to he, are loyal to the National Government and strongly adverse to tile revival of the

old party issues during the course o;

(lie war. THE MINISTER AND THE SECOND DIVISION-.

In spite of ministerial contradiction of the most explicit description the story which has been going the rounds lately to the effect that the mobilisa-

tiou of the .Second Division lias been indefinitely postponed on account of the opposition shown by the men is still obtaining credence in many quarters. This, the Minister sitys emphatically is fair neither to the men nor to- himself. lie has found it necessary to differ from members of the Second Divisionon questions of policy and administration—perhaps with more knowledge of the needs of the situation than the men possess—hut he never lias doubted their desire to serve the country to the best of their ability. The mobilisation will proceed just as rapidly as is required for the maintenance of the strength of the Reinforcements, and if it is delayed it will be because fewer men are needed than was at first expected.

| WELLINGTON NORTH, j Writing only six days before the poll i ing from the very heart of the constitiu | eney it still is a little difficult to preJ diet- the result of the Wellington North j bye-election. The friends of Mr Luke J profess to be confident of securing a nia jorit-y of at least 1500, but they are working as if success depended upon bringing up every elector to he found within a hundred miles. Mr Holland’s friends' profess equal confidence, but even if it is sincere it doesjnpt reston the same demonstrable facts. The other two candidates can hope to do no more than reduce the support Mr Luke would receive if they were, out of the field. The extent of their success in this direction will he the deciding factor in the contest between Mr Luke and Mr Holland. Tf they poll 3000 votes between them Mr Holland may he returned. If they poll substantially fewer the Gfovernment’s candidate will succeed with a decent margin to spare.