WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 15 July 1918, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE NATIONAL SPORT.

A WEEK OF CONFERENCES,

(Our Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, July 12,

Whether it is the Racing Conferences in Wellington tlmffhave been sandwiched in between the racing at Trenthain or the racin' ll at Trentham between the Racing Conferences in Wellington only those in the confidence of the people immediately concerned ran say, but that the ‘‘Turf Parliaments” have been busy in t tho capital city this week is plain tor every newspaper reader to see. IHe Racing Conference, the “Mother of these Parliaments, has been telling the public that the maintenance of the national sport during war time is a “boumlen duty,” the Trotting Contereii3' has been declaring that the horses its activities are producing arc a very important factor ill the winning ut the war. and the Country Clubs’ Contertnee lias been proclaiming its readiness to do every good thing the two other bodies have left undone. Ana there can be no doubt the sport, whether galloping nr trotting, will lie all the better and cleaner for the deliberations of its representatives and that Wellington lias been entertaining a nuiubei of "shrewd gentlemen it would ho glad jto welcome into the wide political ' OPENING CP THE COUNTRY Mr It. W. Smith, the member for Waimarino, and .Mr. W. T. Jennings, the member for Taumarunui, two of | many legislators whose efforts on behalf r.f their constituents are not confined to the session of Parliament, introduced a large deputation to the M inis ter of Public Works and the Minister of Justice yesterday with a request that the Government would not allow the vital lucef sities of the war to overshadow altogether the t rying needs of the Imckblock settlers. The Waimarino and Taumarunui districts were discovered, (,() to speak, scarcely more than a decade ago and yet the settlement within their borders has outrun all the original facilities for transit. During the last four years, as Mr. Laird, the Mayor of Taumarunui anil a member ol the deputation, very pointedly reminded tlie Min isters, the'districts iwv*' been living on promises anil now have reached a point at which they must have more substantial fare. J.ii the circumstances the association of Works and Justice was a very happy idea and though Sir W illiain Fraser was characteristically guarded in his reply to the deputation he did not send it nwav entirely empty. AN OLD TROUBLE.

Wellington is again in the throes ut a milk shortage, winch the papers say has reached an acute position ami which the doctors know to he a grave menace to public health and a positive danger to infant life. The Mayor attributes the trouble to the reduced train services, the demands of the military camps and the number of marble bars in the city, which in spite of the cold weather” continue to dispense drinks in which milk is the chief constituent. “To my mind”, Mr. Luke tells usy “pressure must he brought to hear upon the railway authorities to so adjust matters in connection with the city milk supply as to assure that the quantity required shall lie available.” Wellington has heard nil this before and is becoming a little impatient. Pressure upon the railway authorities in these days is just about as effective as the proverbial soft head against the brick wall. Such pressure as the citizens may he able to exercise would he belter c.uployid upon the City Council, which has been discussing this problem tor tt dozen years and still seems as far from the solution as ever. But tile acute position will pass and Wellington will again muddle along. AFFAIRS OF TilE EMPIRE.

Before concluding its armual conference on Yfcdnesday t!u' New Zealand Labour Party, wliicii, it seems necessary to iterate and reiterate, speaks with less authority than its title implies, busied itself with some of the Lipi. affairs of Empire. It adopted a pronouncement “that under no circumstances shall Samoa hold up the arrangements for peace’’ and another tv the effect that the Conference in conjunction with other Labour organisations shall take steps for the election of a peace delegate to Europe to represent the Labour movement "of New Zealand. There is much sympathy from every other section of the community for organised labour in its desire tor a lasting peace, and it may he taken tor granted that no trivial matter will he allowed to “hold up” the arrangements towards that end ; but the prospect, of a delegate being sent to Europe by the Party Conference to represent- the Labour movement of New Zealand is regarded as a bit of a jest by the great majority of the workers and probably would be viewed in a more serious light by the constituted authorities.