WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 31 January 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE COAL DISPUTE

AT A CRITICAL STAGE. (Our Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Jan. 28. No progress has been made towards the settlement of tlie coal dispute. The representatives of the miners are insisting upon the unconditional reinstatement of Henderson, the Blackball trucker they believe to have been victimised, or the appointment of a chairman practically of their own choosing to the proposed conciliation committee. The owners, on the other hand, are refusing to accept the dictation of the men in regard to the administration of the regulations, and claiming that a stipendiary magistrate with a knowledge of mining custom and practice would be the piopei person to preside over the deliberations of the proposed committee. Air Massey is expected to return to town to-day, and to be prepared with his final appeal to the parties to avoid a resort to the brute force of a strike. CONCERN FOR THE PUBLIC.

Meanwhile the prospects of an amicable settlement are by no means encouraging. Replying through the column of the “ Post ” last evening to a letter addressed to him by the Welfare League urging the adoption of constitutional means in the settlement of the dispute, Air Arbuckle, the secretary of the .Miners’ Federation, displayed no disposition to follow the advice of this well-meaning body. He declared that tlie Federation was as much concerned lor tlie welfare of the public „ s the League was, but having a a great principle to maintain, as much in the interest of oilier workers as in the interests of the miners, it could not budge one inch from the attitude it .bad taken up. Aleanwhile the public is fearing the worst ami making desperate efforts to lav in

stocks of coal which are forthcoming () idv to tlie favoured few. CABINET ADJUSTMENT.

It seems now that Sir W iliiam Metrics will not retire from the Cabinet before leaving for England next week. It was his own desire, and the imperative advice of his doctor that lie should take this step, but his colleagues are anxious that he should retain his portfolios and leave their administration to other hands during his absence. No definite announcement has vet been made on the subject, but the indications are that his colleagues will have their way, and that Sir William will leave with the status of a .Minister of the Crown. Fife ariangcnient will not lie unacceptable to any of th e political parties oil personal grounds Sir William being one of the most popular members of the .Ministry but there is some speculation as to how the work of the absent Alinister will he distributed. A substantial addition to Mr Alassev’s heavy burden npfX'ars inevitable.

EXPORTS AND IMPORTS. A return of the imports to the Dominion during the December quarter appears in tlie “ Gazette ” issued last evening, and enables a comparison to be made between the exports and imports for the years 1919 and 1920. The figures go far to explain the present stringency of the money market. They show a decrease of CO. 898,79(5 in the value of exports last year compared with the value of those of the previous year, and an increase of £30,924.130 in the imports. The position, of course, has been plain to commercial people for somo months past, many of them feeling its pressure very acutely, and the actual figures will impress it upon the general public. They do not mean that the production of the country has largely decreased, but that the substantial drop in prices and the with-holding of wool from shipment have gravely affected the position. Individuals as well as the Government must now take note of tlie situation.