WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 29 March 1922, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE MEAT POOL. ELECTION OF CONTROLLING BODY SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. WELLINGTON, March 27

Mr Massey assured the represent?.- • tives of the newspapers on Saturday that the members of the Dominion Executive of t'ie Farmers’ Union who had accused him of interfering with the election of the Meat Export Control • Board were entirely mistaken in their | assumptions. One of the sir gentlemen ) had asserted that the election was “a hole-and-corner business,” another ’’ad declared that the voting was ‘ fixed np in advance” and a third had denounced the hoard as a “Government body.” The accusations did not seem so very grave to people taking only a casual interest in the meat pool, since everyone realises that the Government, as the custodian of the people’s interests, must exercise a very large measure of control over the operations of the boar l and see it lands the country into no Serious liability. *But the disgruntled unionists seem to have thought that t' e whole business should have been handed over to a board representative of the farmers alone, and that the Government’s interference should have been restricted to the labour and cost of floating the sthenic and-tht privilege of footing tie bill in the event of its finances going wrong. A FARMERS’ BOARD. As a matter of fact the Board, wnatever its critics may say about it, is much more of a farmers’ hoard than anyone expected it would be. When the Bill making provision for its constitution was before Parliament Mr Massey said there was no reason why all thosfe selected should be farmers, and, intentionally or not, be conveyed to many of his hearers an impression that he would like to see a leaven of business men on the board. But' when five farmers had been elected by the combined Producers and Parliamentary Committees lie forthwith proceeded to nominate two farmers as the Government’s representatives, and as Mr W. D. Hunt, the nominee of the stock and station agents, is a successful farmer as well as a business man the whole board may be described as representative of the producers’ interests. Whether this is desirable or not remains to lie seen, but meanwhile it will he satisfactory to the public to know that no extensive operations are likely to be undertaken this season and that the Government has the power of vet 6 when the interests of the country are iirectlv concerned. OFFENDED TEACHERS.

The Minister of Education, with all his good intentions ulld his genuine concern for the public welfare, has an unhappy knack of getting oil the nerveof people. His exaction of an oath of allegiance from School teachers is arotising more merriment than indignation among the tile tube is of the profession, hut there is a serious-minded person here and there that looks upon the demand as a personal affront and a reflection upon his loyalty. The really disloyal person, of course, would take tl.e oath with mental reservations and J go merrily on his way, hut the conscientious person unable to reconcile 'himself so readily to the new order might find grave difficulty in making so sordid an expression of his devotion to the Crown and Constitution. That, at any rate, is the view that quite a number of the coerced teachers are taking.' They are loyal to the core, they declare, and have demonstrated the fact again and Again, but they object to being treated as aliens and saddled with the suspicion of insincerity. liber'al-labour PARTY.

Mr T. M. Wilford returned yesterday to Wellington from his organising tour in the South Island, well satisfied with the ivceptioit accorded him everywhere and the support promised the ite v Liberal-Labour alliitnc!e. He had be n actually embatrafesed, lie said, in the course of a hurried chat this morning, by the number of people that had offered their active Assistance In the approaching campaign. There certainly wouid lie no lack of local workers when the proper time came. The Reform papers along his route had demanded that he should deliver spri' -h. s, but Talking was not the purpose of i.is tour and he was not disputing Mr Massey’s right of precedence in this respect. He had noticed that during h.s absence from Wellington insidious suggestions bad Been put about to the effect that the new party was making overtures to extreme Labour. This was utterly contrary to fact and it was not fair fighting. Mr Wilford will start out on n visit to the East Coast of the North Island shortly arid hopes to complete his preliminary organising tour by the end of next month.