WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 9 November 1921, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

the racing commission, a WASTED REPORT. SPECIAL TO CiUAKUIAN . ( WELLINGTON, Nov ,7. Perhaps it would to too much to snv that the labours of the »“> » L Commission were entirely u ;', sU ‘ l . admirable report of the Com prepared still stands and -cto c becomes altogether out ol da e a a.lMment with a better conception of ts dutv to the publie than tl.crono tba.t rejected Mr Massey's Gamine Amendment Rill last week may U ■ able to turn it U, amount. Mcanab.e the c-l 000 or £o,ooo spent upon, thej Commission seems so much good mom , • ,1I to the four winds. IHe Prime Minister has let it he known tint he is sick and tired ol the whole business and that be will waste no more lime in attorn,,tint; to oil cot a eon, 0,„n,. ,„n,. between the contending paitus. T,„. rule hope that remains for immediate reform rests upon Ibe rumour thn* ,1m Minister of Internal Allans. wit 11 the eoneurrenee of bis ebu_f. determined to deal with sene of the worst of the evils that beset Hm spo C -iiioro is n vPrv wklo field ioi tm Minister's nativities, and if Mr Dowme Cit.uvart. “lr'idel do no more than root out tin- last suspicion of the evidence ~-f proprietary clubs he will deserve well of the community. GRAVE ADf.EG .VTTONS. ~\l| last week there was talk in the loM.ies of tile strenuous eftorts being employed i„ certain quarters to compass tin- defeat of the Gamine Amendment Rill. It was roundly stated that the \„c klaud members bad determine.l irrespective of political creed or party attachment, to stand firmly together .n opposition to any steps likely to imperil the existence of totalisator permits in tlieir district, and that the strange .compact between Mr Leonard Tsitt ail cl Mr Vigor Jlrown was signed, sealed and delivered on the understanding that the. forces behind them would !>,. emploved in maintaining tile status cpio n.s acm inst the increase of permits sug,„>sted lev the Racing Commission. Rut it was left for Mr Mc-Lcwl, the member for Wairarapa. to declare that large sums of money were being distributed in ecmneetiou with the campaign and to implv that the honour of Parliament was involved. Wl.at truth there is m these suggestions, no one can say. but the' general opinion in the' Douse is that. Mr Mi l ci'icl has lemt a too readv to the stories of some enVc’pnsing scandal-monger. CIVIL SERVICE AND LARGER

AI.LIANCT

Some people attached more importance than others did to the fact that, three of the representatives of extreme Labour in Parliament and the president and secretary of the Labour Alliance were among the hollowed gnosis at a recent “smoke concert” promoted here by the officers ot DePost and Ti’le-rapb Department. Hut Ibo incident had given rise to a gtsid deal of comment and dK-nssion wbiih has not altogether uninteresting. It is slated now. with some semblance ol authority, that a very good i-mlerstnnd-jug lias been eslablished betwe.’ii til* exe"utives of the various Civil Service organisations and the executive of tile Alliance of Labour, and that already they are prepared to act together in certain eventualities. The story runs that the tendency is towards still closer relations and that- the ..xoeuth'l’s <sf the Civil Service organisations have intimated to the Prime Minister that they could not recommend the acceptance of any drastic cut in salaries without a very serious protest. Just what this means it would he bard to sav. but Mr Massey’s obvious reluctance to touch civil servants’ pay gives colour to the inference many people are drawing from the story. TDK PRIME MINISTER.

Tn thanking him for the courtesy with whieli ho had received the deputation of business men that waited upon him on Thursday of last week. Mr Sbailer Weston, in a very happy little speech, urged upon the Prim,, Minisor the great importance of looking after bis own health. “Your health.” he assured Air Massey, “is of more consequence to this country just now than would ho an advance of a penny or twopence in the price of wool.” Air Afasseo laughingly promised to take care of himself, at any rate till the financial crisis was over and the eonntrv was in smooth water again. But in snifo of his light speech it was plain to even- member of th ■ deputation that Air ATasscv was not sparing himself. Tlte truth of Die matter is that bis colleagues are allowing him to bear far more than his fair share of lit,, burdens of ndminisiration and to take liberties with bis health which Nature will not tolerate indefinitely. There are a great many people who would reconcile them selves to ATr ATassev’s resumption of his labours as the most nersistenf and eottrageons leader of (lie Opoesifinn the Dominion has ever known, hut no one wants to see him ('(impelled lo retire from public life on account of illhealth.