WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 6 July 1921, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

)r CIVIC SERVICES. A QUESTION OF PAYMENT. (Our Special Correspondent;. WELLINGTON, July 4. The “Evening Post”, which rushed in ~ forgetful of some of its previous pro fessions, to support the new Alayor ii ( his policy of sparing the ratepayer ■ at the expense of . the users of tin civic services, is not finding it ar easy matter to reconcile its new atti tude with its old traditions. A corros pondont reminded it the other dai that cheap trams and cheap electricity recreation grounds and public parks adde to the value of private property within the c itv and, therefore, in part were a legitimate charge upon the ratepayers. Tin’s is axiomatic with most i economists of the present day. But the “Post” has its doubts upon the , point, arguing that cheap services make r , for waste and extravagance and that, j in any case, the will of the hanker must be tTie deciding factor in shaping tho . City Council’s financial policy. The banker laughs at this suggestion of his omnipotence, and it seems probable ho just- as soon would have rates as he would have services for his security, hut in these days the part of the scapegoat i is not the strangest of the roles he idays. | WOOL CONTROL. The members of the newly constituted Wool Committee spent an anxious hour or two in conference representatives of the the wool buyers on Saturday. The buyers at a meeting on the previous day has resolved that they would not bid at the approaching sales unless the limitation of offerings were abandoned, ml on .Saturday morning it looked as if ■ very serious crisis had been reached ! t was reported that the American buyers, arguing that they should 1 ave ail opportunity to satisfy the full requirements of their principals, were : t the bottom of the trouble, and Unit they had persuaded the other outside buyers to stand firm. This was t ic position when the Committee, and tle representatives of the buyers met on Saturday morning, and it was not till well on in the afternoon that a b tier understanding was attained. Then it was announced that the buyers’ ultimatum had been withdrawn so far a the sale being held to-day was concerned, and that further sales would be the subject of negotiation. THE PRIME MINISTER SCORES. Mr Afassey’s political supporters and personal friends are naturally gratified by the eulogy bestowed upon him by tie National 'Review, which i.f not the most reliable echo of public opin- j irii in Hie .Mother Country is at least t e reflection of a large school of politi- ( I thought. The Prime Minister’s robust commonsense and vigorous personality are deserving of all the recognition they are obtaining from the British public and tfic British Press. But here there is a growing feeling even among the Prime Minister’s friends that the publicity officer attached to his retinue is somewhat over anxious to do , j: stiee to his.chief. No doubt Af. Clen.'.’iiceau, Alb' Alassay. and Air Hughes would have managed the Peace negotiations somewhat differently from the ; manner in which Mr Lloyd George and , President Wilson managed them, but c mparisons of this kind, become ill- i mannered, if not absolutely odious, when the British Prime Alinister is dubbed Faeing-Botfi-Wavs and the exI’resident the Highbrow from Washing-

ton. Mr Massey certainly would not wish to be magnified at the expense of these gentlemen. SPORT. Probably the majority of New Zealand sportsmen and sportswomen are i -king a good deal more interests in I lie doings of Hector Gray at Home than thsy are in the performances of the Australian cricketers or than they did even in the Carpentier-Dempseyl fight. They will fie disappointed, therefore, to hear that the Dominion’s premier jockey on the very threshold of .what seemed to he n highly successful campaign on the English Turf has attracted the unfavourable attention of the stewards. Race riding is much more strictly supervised in England, than it is here, and it is to lie feared Gray lias not quite realised the different state of affairs, ft is for the exoerts to say whether or not Gray is the most capable jockey that ever has ridden in this country, hut even the layman can see lie stands very near to tile top of his profession, and it will ho a thousand cities if in his efforts to secure further laurels in the birthplace of sport lie should tarnish those ho already holds.