WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 20 March 1922, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. | I MEAT CONTROL BOARD j MR HUNT APPOINTED. I Wellington, March 17. Just what was the nature of the Government’s objection to the appointment of Mr W. D. Hunt as the representative of the stock and station agents on the Meat Control Board remains shrouded in mystery. That the gentleman selected by the constituency of the Government’s own creation was not acceptable to a majority of the Cabinet, in the absence of Mr Massey and Mr Coates, there c an be no possible doubt. The delay in the continuation of the nomation of Mr Hunt is proof enough of that. But hoile of tho half dozen explanations of this mistrust seemed to fit the case. One was that representations' had been made to the Minister in charge to the effect that Mr Hunt’s occupancy of a sea'it on the board would give him all undue advantage over his business rivals, another, that his disapproval of the whole scheme would make him a disturbing element in its administration, and a third that his wide knowledge and busin’ess experience would enable him to dominate the whole hoard. The others were even less convincing than these ait.d the whole lot- were speedily brushed aside when Mr Massey returned to town. MR HUNT’S' I’OSITiON;

Mr Hunt when interviewed in connection with the matter to-day said lie quite understood the Government’s hesitancy in accepting his nomination. He had not sought the position himself and he did not expect it to pjtdve a lx?d of roses; but he appreciated the compliment paid to him by his fellow business men and he welcomed the opportunity to assist the farmers towards improving their position. The confidence of his rivals in .business was sufficient answer to the Suggestion that he was going to turn his position on the board to his oWii personal advantage or to the advantage of his firm. It was true that he had entertained doubts concerning the soundness of the schem% and that he had voiced these doubts as a. member of a deputation that waited upon the Prime Minister and the Parliamentary Committee. But that phase of the question had passed. The scheme had been approved by Parliament and authorised by law. His business now was to assist in making it a success. His belief founded on his own business experience, that it could be materially strengthened should not make him

less useful member of tlie Bon-T. PORT OF WELLINGTON. Wellington Is congratulating itselr to-day upon the official recognition t.f another of its claims to distinction. In the current number of the “Abstract of Statistics” the Government Statistician announces that the publ cation of export figures according to districts of production is to be abanloaod aril that tables are being substituted showing the trade of oacli port accord ng to its” actual business. The discarded system fixed arbitrarily districts for statistical purposes without lpfemve to tiie actual trade of the ports, and W sllington happened without reference to the actual trade of the ports, and " Ellington happened to l>e assigned a veiw small 'productive district with, the lesult that it got credit for merely a part of the trade it wa s handling. Under the new system the statistics will show the amount of trade each port is actually doing. The figures for January compiled under this system put the' capital city oh very good terms with itself!. During the month the tonnage inwards and outwards at Wellington was 547,581, Auckland 348,435. Lyttelton 260,724 and Dunedin by 87,827. There appears nothing more to be said about the shipping supremacy of the Dominion. Wellington’s long lead looks like the last word on the subject. LICENSING LAW. The committee appointed by the House of Representatives to review the existing licensing legislation and to suggest amendments is sitting here just now under the presidency of Mi* Fi Hockley, the member for Rotorua. Neither of the principal parties to the liquor controversy is expecting much to come from the deliberations of the committee and the disinterested public is taking the success of "continuance” for granted. The appointment of the parliamentary committee was rather a concession to members of the House who wished to air some new-fangled ideas dh the subject than an admission of the need for reform, aiid no one is expecting the outcome to he very startling.