WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 April 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

((.)..r Sj ecial Correspondent;. NEW ZEALAND .MIXES. THEIR CONDITIONS. WELLINGTON, April 27. At the recent abortive conference between representatives of the Mine Owners’ Association and representatives oi the Miner’s Federation it was stated by one of the latter that the conditions in the New Zealand mines were “rotten.” Just what this oppobrious term was intended to imply was not disclosed, though its author was invited to be more" explicit, Tho Chief Inspector of Mines, however, assuming that the speaker wished to convey the idea that the statutory provisions for the protection and well-being of miners were not being observed has now issued a statement showing that such a reproach can be justly levelled neither against the mine owners nor the officials responsible for the administration of the law. The miners, he points out, are entitled to appoint inspectors of. their own, entirely independent of the owners and the Government, hut only in twelve of the 145 collieries in the Dominion have they thought it necessary to do so. During the past eighteen months there has been only one fatal accident in the mines and not a single complaint that could justify the charge of rottenness. The next word on tho subject obviously must come from tho other side. THE COAL POSITION.

So far the Miners’ Federation has given no indication of its intentions in regard to the future. Its representatives left the recent conference reiterating their determination to persist in the demands for a six-hour day, a fiveday week and tho other conditions the owners had declared to be impossible, and now, presumably, they are consulting the various unions as to the shape their persistence should take. The general opinion here is that the threatened strike will not eventuate. The time is not opportune for such a stop. Employment outside the miners is not so plentiful as it was a year ago, public opinion would resent more strongly than ever any wanton interruption of the country’s industries, and the stocks of coal in the Dominion and in sight arc larger than they have been for some time past. The authorities are making every possible provision against the temporary cessation of supplies from the local mines, but they arc not expecting such a catastrophe*. THE CENTAL BOOKMAKER.

The Minister of Justice and the police, they say, arc keeping a sharp lookout upon the genial l>ookmaker with a view to checking his operations; but so far ns can he seen by other people, the genial bookmaker is very little perturbed by their attentions. Perhaps Wellington is more unfortunate in this respect than are the other large centres of population, since it has no race meetings close at hand as Auckland and Christchurch have, and those of its people who must gamble find it more convenient to hand their half-crowns and half-sovereigns to the bookmaker round tho corner, than to send them away to a far distant totalisator. During the Hawke’s Bay and South Canterbury Mootings last week the layers of the odds were doing a particularly thriving business, almost as openly as they Plight have sold peanuts and bananas, but apparently none of them had the ill-luck to come under the notice of tho constituted authorities. The new gaming law seems to have missed fire as sadly as did the old. LOCAL ELECTIONS.

The local elections here to-dav have aroused quite unusual interest. The newspapers set out early in the campaign to persuade the electors that the good name and good government of the city were seriously menaced by the growing strength and superior organisation of the Labour Party. The La hour Party did not discourage the idea that it had reached a stage in its development when the mayoral chair and half a (low'n seats at the Council tabic were within its grasp. The outcome has been a contest of unprecedented activity. The complete results are not available at the time of writing, hut it is practically certain that Mr Wright. I the "citizens’ candidate” for the mayoralty, and a large majority of councillors of the same drab colour will he re- j turned. In that case Wellington’s good j name will he safe, but its municipal , progress will he neither rapid nor inspiring,