WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 3 August 1921, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

BOARD OE TRADE. NOT COMMITTING HARA-KIRI'. (Our Special Correspondent;. WELLINGTON, August 1. There was something like rejoicing at tho meeting of the Farmers’ Conference on Friday when the newly-electd President, Air E. J. Poison, stated that the Board of Trade was about to commit “hara-kiri”. For one reason and another the Board is no more popular with farmers than it is with the townspeople, the general opinion being that it lias failed to realise the purposes for which it was appointed. On behalf of the Board, it is said by its few friends that its good intentions have been restrained by the Government. However this may he, it has hastened to make it known that it Ira’s no idea of extinguishing itself. Tt is a statutory body and will remain in office till Parliament decrees to the contrary. The impression that it was contemplating resignation appears to have arisen from a statement made by its chairman to the effect that he expected by this time next year sugar would be released from Covernmejnt control. r Pho chairman has explained since that the price of sugar is not the only matter concerning himself and his colleagues, NOT SO BAD. The startling feature of the public accounts for the .Tune quarter, published last week, was the enormous increase they showed in the railway expenditure. Tt. was set out in plain figures, and without any explanatory comment that during the three months the expenditure had mounted up to £1,976.000. an increase of no less than

' 01.047,316 upon the expenditure during the corresponding quarter of last ! year. It was not until Saturday the Acting Minister, or the General Manager or whoever else is responsible for | the supply of siieh information, thought • fit to explain that the position was not really so bad as the figures suggested. A large part of the additional ! expenditure was" due to heavy pur- , chases of coal at high prices which had 1 stocked the Dominion’s yards ae they had not been stocked for several years previously. ’Phis will be a relief to people who worry themselves a lout • such matters, hut it still has to he 'explained how the hording of coal af- . feels the accounts between the two islands. Tt may throw some light upon the poor showing made by the South Island linc-s since the beginning of the ' year.

RACING COMMISSIONS REPORT The Minister of Internal Affairs still is being deluged with protests against the repbm mend ations of the Racing Commission for tho extinction of certain total isn tor licenses and the variation of others. Of course it, is the friends of the clubs threatened with demolition that are being heard just now. hut those are so strong in favour and apparently, so considerable in numbers they are bound to have more than a passing influence upon public opinion Another section is wnrmlv denouncing the nronosnl to largely increase the number of licenses to trotting clubs, whose sport, they declare, does nothin*' towards improving the breed of utility horses and largely augments tho minimi volume of gambling. These sections added to the section that disapproves of racing altogefhep will make a very formidable opposition +o the acceptance of the report by Parliament, and at tho moment it looks quite possible that the Government’s attempt to shift its responsibility on to the Commis'sion will fail. Tf the report is disapproved hv either the House or the Conned the Government will nav to assume full responsibility for tlm •’next stop.

STATE SHIPPING AND SHOPS. A delegate to the recent Fanners Conference still in Wellington snvs his enthusiasm for a State aided shinping line and State-aided retail shoos in London for the sale of New Zealand produce is by no means damped hv the report of an interview with Mr Masse*.on these subjects published in th morning’s papers. On the contrary, h,> thinks that, what, the Prime Minister said to the Australian Press \ssociation is distinctly encouraging to Die advocates of the schemes. Air Massey could not he exported to talk State Socialism in the commercial heart of the Empire, where the tenets < f individualism still persist, but it is obvious from the summary of his words that he has not- abandoned the views he expressed before leaving tho Dominion, and these were very largely in accord with the. views of the fanners. “Anyway,” reiterated this authority, “we must have a reduction in the cost of transit and if we cinnot get il one way we must get it aen’her.”