WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 17 November 1920, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE DOMINION’S FINANCIAL POSITION. A REFUTATION. (Our Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Nov. 15 ■Though the fact that the reflections cast upon the Dominion’s financial position by the Canadian banks liafj! no reasonable foundation, tlie Prime Minister is not pretending to ignore the damage they may do to the credit of the country among financiers, traders and investors. In addition to authorising tlie messages sent to the Canadian Government averring that the financial affairs of New Zealand were never in a sounder condition than they are at the present time, he lias dispatched proofs of bis assertion to all the big financial centres and lias taken other steps to overtake the misrepresentation that unfortunately got a couple of days start. He hopes that in the long run the story instead of injuring The Dominion will really help if by directing world-wide attention to its people. HASTY LEGISLATION. Since the end of the session last week, political discussion, which as a rule, anomalous as it may seem, is less intense and personal at the scat of government than it is in the other big centres, lias concerned itself chiefly with the Supplementary Estimates and the “Washing-up” Bill. Its tone generally bus not been altogether complimentary either to Ministers or to private members. Both the Estimates* and the Bill were rushed through at such lightning speed that it is far to assume that private members, at any rate, knew very little about their contents and that .Ministers were not over-aiixious to instruct them. Votes involving the expenditure of thousands of pounds were passed by a half empty House and gicat questions of policy were determined without a comment from either side. There seems to be very good ground for the universal murmuring. SOUTH TRUNK RAILWAY. The “Dominion” this morning publishes a message from its Blenheim correspondent in which it is implied, apparently under official inspiration, that the suspension of work on the uncompleted portion of the South Island Trunk Railway is due to the authorities considering an important diversion of the route. The suggestion is that from the present southern railhead the line will go inland to the Tophouse and thence by separate lines to Nelson and Blenheim. This, of course, would be a reversion to one of the proposals contained in Sir Julius Vogel’s original railway scheme and probably would be welcome .both to Nelson and Blenheim, as well as to Wellington, but would considerably delay the completion of the through connection between the two ends of the South Island and would not satisfy the settlers along the present route. STANDARDISED BOOTS. Now that leather is down and the price of boots has begun to drop, the Board of Trade is beginning to direct attention to standardised footwear. It announces this morning that the standardised boots, giving due consideration to quality and other relevent circumstances, are the cheapest in the Empire and that with the Government specifications and regulations are “a guaranteed bargain for the buyer.” Many licenses, it is said, have been issued for the manufacture of the hoots, and buyers have only to “insist upon having them,’’ as tlie patent medicine advertisements run, to secure a cheap and durable article. The comment of cynical people is that the Board of Trade is three or four years “behind the fair,” that the manufacturers and dealers have made their money out of the public and only now are encountering serious State competition.