WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 1 October 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE COAL CRISIS.

AN ULTIMATUM

(Our Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, September 29. The statement made by the Prime Minister in the House yesterday in regard to the coal position, amounting to an ultimatum to the men employed in the State mines, surprised no one. Mr Massey lias been protesting for some weeks past that the irritating tac-

tics of the men could not be tolerated

indefinitely and apparently the reported insistence of the miners at Runanga upon travelling first class on the train that carries them to their work with second class tickets has finally exhausted his patience. lie has given the men to understand that if they will not maintain a.reasonable effort to obtain the coal the Dominion requires then other arrangements will have to be made. This is taken to mean that if the men do not abandon their present tactics they will he “locked out” and given no opportunity to work in the mines at all. A GRAVE POSITION. The determination of the men is awaited with much interest and some anxiety. There is an impression abroad that the Government has made better arrangements for carrying on public services and industrial concerns in the dvent of a' stoppage of Supplies of coal from the mines than is generally known. But if stocks of fuel have been accumulated they are not visible to the casual observer. Only last week it was reported that a cut in the railway ser

vices would have been necessary had not a cargo of coal arrived opportunely from Australia. But against this is the fact that excursion trains continue to be run to race meetings—two were dispatched to Otaki only yesterday—and the further fact that no special economies have been imposed upon •large /consumers. That the position is grave, however, everyone admits. RIVAL PARTIES.

/ Mr McCombs was quite serious when claiming in the House yesterday that

Mr H. E. Holland should be dubbed Leader of the Opposition and that the members of the Official Labour Party should be awarded the benches now occupied by the Liberals. The member for Lyttelton, who as Whip doubtless spoke by direction of the other members of his party, based his claim on the assumption that only seven members voted for the appointment of Mr Wilford to the position he now occupies and that the difference between the views and aspirations of the Liberals and those of the Reformers -was simply the difference between tweedledum and tweedledce. But the Speaker had been officially advised that Mr Wilford had been elected Leader of the Opposition and he could not see his way to go behind behind this authority. Apart from this ruling however, Mr Wilford’s following in the House puts Mr McCombs’s contention out of court. LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL REFORM.

The Legislative Council Act of 1914 which was designed to make the Upper House elective and so give effect to Mr Massey’s election pledges, was again before the Chamber immediately concerned yesterday. This time the proposal was to postpone the date on which the Act should come into operation so that Parliament might have an opportunity to further consider its provisions. Some of the Councillors were suspicious of the course outlined hv Sir Francis Bell, fearing that its adoption might commit them to its main principles, but the Attorney-Gen-eral was able to reassure them on this point and the proposal was put down for discussion on the following day. Hie present position of the Act, is becoming a iest in Parliament, as : t probably is in the constituencies, and unless Sir Francis Bell firmly intervenes the measure may disappear from the Statute Book altogether.