WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 19 January 1921, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

(Our Special Correspondent)

R AILW AY CONSTR UCTI ON

AUCKLAND’S NEEDS. WELLINGTON, Jan. 14. The Minister of Public Works, who is contemplating an early tour 'of the South Island with a view to the inspection of railway alul hydro-electric works in that part of the Dominion, holds firmly to his opinion that Auckland has the first claim to immediate expenditure upon railway construction. At New Plymouth the other day, in reply to a deputation that waited upon him to urge the resumption of work on the Taranaki end of the Stratford Main Trunk connection, he stated quite plainly'that lie saw-no reason to revise the proposals,he had submitted to Parliament during The recent session and warmly denied the'suggestion that his personal interests lay in the diretion of his proposals. His policy, lie now reiterates, is to concentrate expenditure oil lines that,promise to he immediately reproductive and to let other lines wait their turn. THE NEW JUDGES.

The report that the Government is experiencing difficulty in finding suitable successors to the judges who will shortly retire from the Supreme Court Bench has brought a number of irresponsible suggestions, hut no very useful guidance, to the perplexed Ministers. It is stated, apparently on good authority, that Mr A. Gray, K.C., one of the first rankers in his profession here, has been offered a judgeship and .declined the distinction, politely hut firmly. A daring (suggestion, coming, one may 'presume, from sympathisers with Labour, is that Mr I*. J. O’Regan should be made a judge and appointed President of the Arbitration Court. Mj O’Regiin is highly qualified professionally for such a position, and there could he no objection to him on personal grounds, but he is a very ardent politician of an extremely progressive type and probably it would be difficult to induce him to forego the liberty of speech he exercises on occasions. SHIPPING FREIGHTS. Neither the Government nor the producers are greatly elated by tie result of the High (‘onuiiissioiier’s efforts to obtain a reduction in the freight rates on frozen meat and other produce- between the Dominion and Great Britain announced some weeks ago. The revised rates represent a reduction of 5 per cent upon those originally fixed, but they still amount to a very large increase on pre-war rates, out of. all proportion, the local authorities say, to the increased cost of running ships. The Government has again <onimtiiiicated with the High Commissioner on the subject and a further reduction may he obtained, but the Prime .Minister is not .very sanguine on the subject and it looks fairly certain that the pro ilueers will have to face substantially higher fieights in addition to- other, disadvantages they are suffering just now, RAILWAY TRAVELLING. The Prime Minister’s congratulations to tile members of the railway service uiior, the manner in which they handled the holiday traffic have not stayed the flood of complaints the condition and equipment of many of the carriages have provoked. Tin* main protests are against the insufficiency of the seating accommodation, many travellers it is said, being compelled to stand or sit on the arms of occupied seats, and against the filthy state of the lavatories,

.-Inch according to one indignant passenger, are a menace to public health and an offence to common decency. Refreshment rooms and lighting arrangements also are roundly denounced and the only redeeming feature anyone mentions is the general courtesy of the guarils and attendants who admittedly do what they can to make “the best of a bad job.”

MORH GOAL TROUBLE

CONFLICTING EVIDENCE

WELLINGTON, Jan. 17

Just as Wellington bad begun to congratulate itself upon having reached the end of its coal troubles another difficulty with the miners at Blackball Was reported and now is threatening to develop into a general strike. The bother was occasioned by the use of had language certainly by one of the truckers at the colliery and allegedly by one ol the deputies. The trucker confesses his fault, but pleads that he offended under grent provocation. He declares' t.lmt tlie deputy also employed bad language and 3eiminds thftt his own admission shall ho followed by an apology from llint official. The deputy denies the charge and refuses to apologise for an offence he did not commit. The Undersecretary of Mines has investigated the f ae t lS .so far ns lie can ascertain them, Imt in his report can recommend only that the matter shall he settled in the Magistrate’s Court. And so the publ c is to be the chopping block again. , A STORM IN A TEACUP.

The “Dominion,” referring to the matter this morning, maintains what has happened at the mine, whichever version of the facts may be correct does not justify a national hold up. The Secretary of the Miners’ Federation asked for the Under-Secretary’s report and now be has got it, the local journal contends, be ought to see a better way out of the trouble than the one be and bis colleagues appear to be favouring. “The public finds the whole conflict, it says, “to be a two-penny half-penny storm in a teacup that with any tact and forbearance would have been settled directly between local union and the mine manager, or failing agreement should have been referred to a magistrate under the had language clauses of the Mines Act.” Everyone will agree with this—no one more heartily t)han those people whose coal bins are well-

nigh empty—but unfortunately tact and forbearance seem to be lacking on both sides of the dispute.

The representatives of the fruit growers here are very far from being satisfied with the statement made by the Minister of Agriculture in regard to the Government’s attitude towards the control and suppression of fireblight. They contended that the Minister lias failed entirely to realise the gravity of the situation and that lie is leaving the door wide open to- the establishment of a .scourge which may wipe out- the fruit industry of the Dominion. They characterise his statement as a long drawn out excuse for the Government’s inaction. Among Mr Nosworthv’s chief offences are quoted -the retention »f infected trees in the Otahuhu district for experimental purposes and the removal of Mr W. T. Goodwin, a thoroughly capable and experienced officer, from the centre of the infected area, where his advice and service's have been oi much value, to Miotueka, where, it is understood liis duties will consist of superintending the packing of apples. The Department of Agriculture is not in favour with the malcontents. PRICE OF BENZINE.

The high ipriee of benzine is not an item in the cost of living that greatly concerns the .mass of the community, but most .people have been interested in the outcome of Mr T. -M. Wilford’s demonstration that he was able to import motor spirit from America at a) much lower figure than the one ivt which it was being sold by the local dealers. The Minister of Industries and Commerce has now investigated the tacts at the instigation of the Manawatu Executive of the Farmers’ Union and lias reported that Mr Wilford had procured the oil at a iiinicli lower cost than that oi the usual shipments coming to the Dominion because -lie was not called upon to pay a number of charges such as storage, demurrage, State tolls, oliarteiing commissions, cost of credit and so forth, that fell upon the ordinary importers. The Manawatu Executive has referred the report to Mr \S iltor«l and meanwhile the users ot benzine me wondering why a monopoly of the importation of this article is not conferred upon the member for ilutt in the public interests.