WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Hokitika Guardian, 26 May 1922, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

DUNEDIN NORTH. j THE BY-ELECTION. | SPECIAL TO GUARDIAN. I WELLINGTON, May 23 I Strangely little interest is being displayed here in the Dunodin North byelection from the purely party point of

view. It is recognised that whether a Government supporter or an Oppositionist is returned it) succession to the late Mr Kollett, the new member will make little difference in the course of events during tiie approaching session, of Parliament. There is, however, a good deal of curiosity being felt in jxditical circles as to the attitude of the Liberal, the Liberal-Labour and the Independent Labour parties towards the contest. Mr Statham and Mr Kidey are in Wellington to-day, conferring with Mr Wilford in regard to the choice of a , a.aiid ite. and it is being whispered aboil' that there is a prospect of the three sections of the Opposition joining hands for the occasion. If this arrangement should he brought off it would make the return of the Opposition candidate fairly certain, and, more important still from the coalescing parties’ point of view, it would be a good augury for a similar arrangement being made at the geneuil election a few months lone.’. TOWARDS UNITY.

An Auckland visi'or to Wellington discussing this aspect of the position today said that very considerable progress had been made in the Northern : ity towards a good understanding he- i tween the various sections of the Liberal and Labour parties which at least 1 would prevent a recurrence of the whole- 1 sale vote splitting of three years ago. H ' wi s taking no active part in politics himself, hut lie was in a position to know what was going on in political circles, and he thought he was justified in saying the Liberal and Labour forces were closer together to-day than they j bad been at any other time since the ' election of 1911. There is no obvious «tcrn of such a rccunciliation being mi- ( mincut in Wellington and judging front Mr H. IC. Holland’s recent speeches lie : and his friends are not nnxums to bring ; it about. They, naturally, will prefer to reach tlieii goal without being in- J debted to any other party than their j own, and while they imagine there is any prospect of their doing so they are j not hkcly. to view any compromise with j fat our. TEMPERANCE IN SCHOOLS. The Moderate League, probably by way of keeping itself in form for the approaching licensing poll, sent n deputation to the Minister of Health and Education yesterday to protest against the biased teaching of a pamphlet dealing with alcohol admitted to the public schools. The spokesmen of the deputa*ion wore Mr I). M. Findlay, the president of the League and a well-known local solicitor, and Mr W. Perry, another member of the legal profession. Both these gentlemen represented the ] League as fully approving of the teaching of temperance in the schools and desiring to see the children grow up sohed r-umtable citizen-. Hut the League objected. as they did, to the children being taught that Hie pa em who used alcohol even in "small dose-” was weakening Lis self-control and pursuing the way to perdition. Mr Pair smiled | blandly upon his learned brethren and thought they were stretching somewhat the language of the pamphlet. It had been caiefullv prepared by the medical officers of tlie Education Department and had been approved by the Health Department. However, he would look into the matter. i WOMEN’S HEALTH.

Inaugurating last night under the auspices of t'o Young Women’s Christian Association a women’s health campaign, Dr Truhv King addres-ed words of wisdom to working girls. “Buy an alarm clock,” he said, “and set it lor 0.30 n.m.. When the alarm sounds jump s'might out of bed, and have a cold hath or col 1 sponging, followed by an active-rub down with a rough towel. Dress rapidly, and take at least a quarto'- of an hour of really active exercise in the < pen air—quick walking, running, skipping or similar exercise. Come back warm, with a keen appetite, and take due tine over a good wholesome breakfast. Put up a good lunch, and walk to work if not far away. Restrict eating to meal times. Give up morning and afternoon tea, and limit the taking of chocolates and sweets to strict moderation, and as far as possible to meal times. Take some further outing and exercise between leaving work and going to bed.” Bv such Spartian service the individual and the rare are to he exalted.