WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1918, Page 3

WELLINGTON NOTES.

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE

DOMINION REPRESENTATION

G>ur Special Correspondent)

( WELLINGTON, July J. r So far as can bo gathered from the ' very meagre reports of the proceedings at the Impend Conference now in sc«sion in London, British statesmen hove a much better conception of the needs and the aspirations of the outlying portions of the Empire that they had five or six years ago. This is one of the good effects of the war. one of the J first fruits of the efforts and sacrifices the Dominions have made in the common cause and one of the consolations ofered them in this time of stress and sorrow. It is opportune, therefore, to recall six or seven years ago the Hon. A. M..' Myers, the present Minister of ■ Customs and of Munitions and Supplies, j was urging tho representation of the Dominions in an Imperial Cabinet con- • stituted on much the same lines as • the. one now being evolved in London. ’ Of course he was not the first to suggest tho idea, but he may fairly claim to be the first to indicate tho shape it is now assuming . ! THE MINISTER, FOR NEW’ ZEALAND.

The prospect of the Imperial Cabinet being really representative of the whole Empire has provoked a good deal of speculation as to who will ho Minister for New Zealand in that august body. Sir Joseph Ward’s name comes tripping from almost every wagging tongue, ana

it is generally admitted that Sir Jo-

seph’s long association with the public ; affairs in this country and his intimate acquaintance with the generation of the British statesmen would qualify him in a very special degree for the position But people who may be supposed to bo in bis confidence declare he would not think of taking up his residence in London, unless it were made perfectly clear to him this was the best service lie country render to tho Dominion.

His personal inclinations all turn towards New Zealand and though he might be prepared to make commercial and political sacrices to meet the wishes of his colleagues he would much prefer retaining his old associations hero. THE POLITICAL MACHINE.

I Though the various branches of the j Farmers’ Union have rejected—several | of them with a certain meaesuro of reservation—tho suggestion that the parent body should take a hand in polities, a number of remits are down on I tho agenda paper for the Dominion Conj feronoo dealing with the political sysi tern. Tho authors of these want to find some means by which “party” will, bo permanently abolished from Parliament and members left to discuss every question on its merits irrespective of the views of leaders of Governments. One branch goes tho length of suggesting that the Cabinet should be made elective, presumably bv the members, so that j every shade of opinion might he represented in tho Executive. Others simS ply demand “the abolition of Party j Government” without indicating in any way how the reform should proceed, and altogether it seems likely that the Dominion Conference will hear more of party politics during its approaching session than it ever has done before. DAIRY MATTERS. Tho Hon. D. H. Guthrie, tho Minister in Charge of Shipping and Imperial Supplies lias announced that lie knows of no authority for the statement that arrangements have been made for the shipping of the whole of the butter available for export in the immediate future. The statement has been widely circulated, with the supplementary information that the Prime Minister has succeeded in securing the necessary space, but Mr Guthrie has received no confirmation from Mr Massey, and in these circumstaices is not inclined to accept the statement as authentic. He also warns tho dairy factories against rushing into the dried milk business without making tho very closest enquiries. It would be extremely hazardous, lie says, to enter upon a costly undertaking merely on the strength of the boon prices prevailing jn America which are due entirely to war conditions and unlikely to be maintained.