WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 2 June 1920, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

(Our Special Correspondent). PUBLIC ACCOUNTS. THE YEAR’S SURPLUS. WELLINGTON, May 28. The long expected statement of the public accounts for the year ended on March 31st made its appearauco in the Gazette last night, and is chiefly remarkable for the immensity of its figures. Roughly, the revenue for the year amounted to £26,000,000, and the expenditure to £23,700,000, leaving a balance of revenue over expenditure, in precise terms, of £2,299,415. This exceeds Sir James Alien’s estimate of £478,108 by no less than £1,821,307, and in itself is satisfactory enough, but the enormous growth of the expenditure over and above the growth of the revenue does not present so gratifying a spectacle. The “ Dominion ” emphasises the gravity of the position by pointing out that while tin; permanent approbations during the five years between 1910 and 1915 increased by only £990,708, the permanent appropriations during the five years between 1915 and 1920 increased by £6,884,284. This is additional unproductive expenditure that has been met by additional taxation'.

UP AGAINST IT. This is the term Mr Massey used yesterday in announcing to the conference .of meat producers held here that the Imperial Government had positively declined to extend the commandeer. “We are up against it,” he said, “ and it is just as well to know what the position is. The commandeer ends on June. 30th, and there is not the slightest chance of it being renewed. It is just ns well to know it, so that the best arrangements can be made, and I hope the best arrangements will be made.” Non' Zealand. Mr Massey went on to say, would now have to get hack to the pre-war methods of doing business and would have to conduct its own affairs. His advice to tho producers would be to set up a finance committee that could go into the whole matter and let the .Government know exactly what they required. The representatives of the shipping companies attended the conference and gave an assurance that there would be space for over ten million freight carcases during tho year, a number substantially' above the annual production of the Dominion. WATERSIDE WORK.

Mr J. G. Harkness, the chairman of the Wellington Harbour Board, is tackling the problem of waterside work with an open mind and with a good deal of sympathy for the men who hang about the wharves from year’s end to year’s end without any settled conditions of employment. At last night’s meeting of the Board it was decided on his motion' to set up a. committee consisting of members and executive officers of the Board to consider what methods should be adopted “to increase tho efficiency of waterside work on the wharves, and to suggest some practicable scheme that will secure permanent employment to the men and be satisfactory to the employers and employed.” A movement in this direction has been on foot for some time past and though it has not found favour with all the men it is believed it would he welcomed by a majority of them and would largely increase the efficiency of the work at the ]x>rt.

FARMERS POLITICAL PARTY. The determination of the Auckland Provincial Farmers’ Union to form a farmers’ political party distinct from any of the existing political parties, does not appear to be finding much favour with a majority of the farmers who happen to be in Wellington just now attending various conferences or waiting upon Ministers. The objection most of them urge against the step is that the definite entrance of the Farmers’ Union into party politics of any colour would be bound to create dissensions among the members and intimately result in a loss of membership. The policy of the farmers all ' over the country, one of the visitors said this morning, should be to join heartily in pressing their legitimate demands upon the Government of the day, by whatever name it might bo called, but to scrupulously abstain from threatening Ministers with the terrors of the ballot box. This policy has given good results in the past and it would be time enough for farmers to talk about other means of getting their rights when tins one failed. . - ; ;