WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 April 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(Our Special Correspondent). THE NEEDS OF THE CAPITAL. THOROUGHNESS. WELLINGTON, April 14. The conference held yesterday to consider the needs of Wellington and the neighbouring districts and to devise means of galvanising the Government into action was not a very impressive assembly. Mr J. P. Luke, the Mayor, presided and was supported by four or five members of Parliament and a score of gentlemen representing various local bodies. The outcome of the deliberation of the delegates was a resolution urging the Government to push on with the Mangahao electric power scheme and another calling upon it to determine its policy in regard to railway deviation and road improvements as early as possible. These are old, old stories. The Mayor warmly repudiated the suggestion that it was the- activity of Auckland that had moved Wellington to assert itself, hut other speakers frankly admitted the greater vigilance and larger vision of the Northern City. One of them went to tiie length of declaring that what ■Wellington wanted more than anything else was thoroughness.

THE JOCKEY’S STRIKE

So far the “jockey’s strike” is occasioning more amusement than alarm among the people who take only a spectator’s interest in the doing of the young gentlemen who are flouting the authority of the Racing Conference and the racing clubs and all the traditions of their own profession. But the Wellington Club, whose Autumn Meeting opens to-morrow, and some of the provincial clubs would find themselves in an extremely awkward position if the jockeys should insist upon having their grievances remedied before they resume riding. Their main grievance is that the Racing Conference has not yet officially recognised their association and if they should insist upon this being done before they “return to work” they would create an extremely embarrassing position. , DEFENCE AND DEFENDERS.

Even those without much knowledge of military methods will have gathered from the lists of appointments, promotions and transfers that have been gazetted since the armistice that a very considerable number of officers remain in "tlie service and, persumably, in tbe pay of the country. As a matter of fact there are several hundred of them kicking their heels in various parts of the country waiting for the defence policy that may give them employment and a purpose in life. Some weeks ago Sir James Allen gave the p’uhlic to understand he was about to issue a policy, hut probably in view' of his impending departure for London lie - thought better of the matter and decided to leave tho task to his successor. Now it is whispered about that if Mr Hine is successful in the Stratford bye-election he will he the new' Minister of and will prepare the new policy. Meanwhile tho army of officers, paid and unpaid, continue to kick their heels and wait for something to turn up. PAPER SHORTAGE.

Representatives of the metropolitan papers are hero again to-day discussing the paper shortage and seeking escape from an extremely difficult position. It already has been announced that some of the smaller journals will have to adopt drastic measures to conserve their supplies of paper. Locally big advertisements, and profitable ones have been declined and reading matter has been reduced by one third.. Unless the position improves during the next w'cok or two this will not be the end of the economies and it may come to pass, as one of the proprietors said this morning, that tho leading dailies .will revert to their size of forty years ago.