WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 16 November 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES.

DAIRY CONTROL.. ELECTION OF HOARD. [SimciAi, To The Guardian'.] ~ AVELLIXGTOX, November 13. Tiierc- appears to he a good deal of dissatisfaction, especially among the ’ dairy farmers in the- South Island, in * i regard to the arrangements made for ’j the. election of the Board to he eon- ’ j -fifl »il under Hie provisions of the ' Dairy Export Control Act, wliieh recently was confirmed by a vote of the suppliers. It is implied that with ’ some ulterior purpose tiie Government I is unduly hastening the polling to the groat prejudice! of tho interests of iarmors at a distance from the centre of administration. Referring to the matter yesterday, tho H<>n. W. Xoswurtliv gave an emphatic cent radiation to flu- stories that ere m circulation. "There ha- hern no desire.'' he said, “(o unduly ha ten the election of members of the Control Board. It has: be -u ope tl to daily farmers to select candidates at any time since the result of the previous poll was announced nearly four weeks ago. There is no need for them to wait till the day of closing j before taking this step. They can put tv-ward ’whatever candidates they I phase new.” Aft impression lias got abroad that the Minister inspired the nominations made by the Dairy Council. hut Mr Xos-.vortby declares indignantly that he. has done nothing of the kind. A WORD OF WARNING. In the course of an interview yesterday Mr -I. Fraser, the general manager of the .Meat Producers’ Board, who lias just returned from a visit to Great Britain, deplored a deterioration in the finality of the New Zealand mutton and lamb supplied In the London market. “The quality of our sheep and lambs fell considerably during the war.” lie said, •■an-! ha- not yet reached the level of the pre-war standard. Tt is time farmers bestirred themselves and this is a mailer v.hirh should hi- taken up by all the A. and I’, so; i.-ties and larnicrs’ unions. The average farnnv will probably say. “Why should we worry: wt- are at pre-cut getting a good price foi our lambs." This may be so. Init the position is that mans of the buyers are uoi satisfied at all with the article they me (laying such a high price for. and if farmers do not Inved bet ter quality lambs, and pay more attention to the finishing off. they may find that buyers in Great Britain are not interested in their lambs, as they are able to get lambs at a lower figure." This, of course, is not the first word of warning on this point. Other visitors to the Old Country have had the same tale to tel! and the farmers here ought to lie listening;. FOR CANTKRBI'KY IN I’ARTIC TEAR. From this general survey, Mr Vrrscr proceeded to particular detail. and while commending sen:-- cf the North Island ni-at. had little to say that v-f flattering to the Canterbury pra--ni "On Dniithtield." he vent on - , "i was pm lieukiilv -.truck ■•-. i: i I i ros- lamb.-, which came from t!-.• North island, especial!’ - -me v hi; h were fattened near Palmerston Noith.

These lambs were ahead of the present average Canterbmy. and realised higti- • t prices. If the (’a ni eriui ty farmers do net p y more attention m breeding and io the pro) erly flushing off in tin inlieumg. the\ will one -lay awaken In tin: fact that the hr -I prime ('a tile: only qua lit v I - i'ii v. pfi dm ml in I lie North l-laml. I -aw ev- c! I-!-; ;-f land's hinging on Smiihlie!,! marked quite liuisli.-d iff. Titov were lorlaialy above’ the second quality standard, lint ig ‘prime’ till'd' quality had nothing ser meni toned r imnild i-r of other matters of inlere-t ta producers, emphasis, mg the lie- d for the r«-..'iilii:ien of shipments ill suit lie- lequf- inen! ; of the ll igllesl no-rib!,- qutliii v lo meet I lie bA Iu iW OF TDD ELECTION. The o'aviou -I;. organised deputed imt which ailed mon Mr Data! .I.mein Gii i-tchur.-li la-i wee!; in urge him to !r"";nic tt eiiudidate for the 1 .lle 1 - nii-ie seal at the next general elect ion litis an'-m-e! much inlercsi in political eirele-. The deputation recalls the fact: that when eoitlestiug this seat in December last, Sir Herd<m Rhedes an-no'iitec-d Ids inientioii to retire on the expiry of the t.-nn of the- I'.frliament ih'-n about to be elect.-cl. Sealemonts of th'd kind have been made by oilier eniulidates in similar LireinusDniecs. am! duly forgot leu : Du r the present member for Ellesmere has a better memory for his obligations than has. -.he average politician, and it is feared l he count r.v will loose his services when the next. election comes round. Whether this will be two years lienee or earlier, is a question which rr-ls willt the Government. and Mr David Jone-'s tippaaranec' 1 on i lie scene ltn« etu-otifiigod

tile nation that air Ala m.i’v lias warm-n his supporters to lie prepaiml for eventualities. li is in fact regarded as the shadow of an impending early gene, in| election. Judging from the reports ol what occurred at the interview between the deputation and Mr -tones no great omiiti-iasm was displayed hv the former, hut Mr Jones has cert ain claims upon a. rural constituency which doubtless would lie remembered at the poll. Ellesmere, however, has been held for Reform by the persona! popularity of its sitting member, anil it is difficult to say bow a stranger, without this asset, would lave.

OVERSEAS MAILS. .QI’ICXEIt DISTRIBUTION. WELLINGTON. Nov. 1-1. At- the instigation of ihe new Secretary of the Rest and Telegraph Department. Mr A. T. Marknmu. the system ol employing mail agents on the Pacific mail steamers, which was m vogue fifteen or sixteen years ago was restored yesterday when the Niagara left Auckland lor San Frruiam aboard. The duties of tho-e oin-

cere will he to sort the outward New b Zealand mails on the way to San Prnneiseo. and have them ready for handing over to the American postal authorities on their arrival there. The agent and liis assistant will come back by the Niagara on her return voyage and deal with the inward New Zealand mails in the same way. It is expected that 'ey this arrangement the earliest possible connection with the [• Atlantic mail steamer at New York ami the earliest possible distribution of the mails in New Zealand will he 1 assured. Dnder the cumbersome system of sorting the mails at the (tort of arrival, which now has Ijocn superceded. mail matter for England frequently was delayed two or three days in getting across America and mail

matter for New Zealand 81 hours or more ’in distribution here. Ibe restored service will cost a considerable sum of money, but to tlm business people at both ends it will be worth while. \Yi IH (AYS' IX AD EQU ATE I’EXtsTOXS. In acknowledging a pres.mint ion made to him by tVc staff of the Dost Office on his retirement on superannuation Air 11. A. Huggins protested strongly against the inadequacy of tiepensions awarded to the widows of civil servants. “There are adequate pensions provided for men,” he said, “hut the miserable pittances provided to>- their widows is simply scandalous. Fancy a man going out on a pension of £3(K) or .C-lif!> a year, while bis wife in the event of his death, which may happen only a week or two after liis retirement., receives only £lB a year! T have a scheme devised l>v myself that would remedy this flagrant injustice, yet year after year the Government says it has too much on hand i-o take up such a trifling affair.” Mr Huggins also complained of the popular assumption that civil servants are being handsomely pensioned at the cost of the rest of the community. “As a matter of fact,” he stated, “the incomes of the superannuation fund is £-180.000 a year, and of tiiis amount the State contributes only one-liftli. The rest of the money comes out of the pockets of the civil servants themselves.” Clearly some better provision should lie made I'm- the widows of civil servants, hut whether or not it- should he a further charge upon the State is a debatable <l i! - - - i ion. KIMDiR OF EARLY EL EOT TON. 1 1 seems now that there is some ground for the suggestion that -Mr David Jones’s precipitate appearance in the held as a candidate for the 111 lesinere seat is due to the prospect of an early general election. In the ordinary course the present I’arlia-nn-nt would endure till December 1825, when, if not- earlier dissolved, its term would expire b.v the elliuxion of time. But it is stated to-day on wlmt appears to be very good authority that before liis departure for Loudon Mr Massev lei it lie known among his most intimate friends that lie would not continue to lead the House with so narrow and unstable a minority as tiie one be was leaving behind. Tin- position ear, s.-nrcely have improved during tin- Prime Minister’s absence. ID- will ri-lurn. of course, with the kudos of having represented the Dominion e-rv capably at the Imperial Conference. Hut lie will lind no restored cut busiasih among the rank and tile of liis own party, and no striking achievements l> the credit of his colleagues. The Acting Prime Minister has not been courting popularity and tie- junior members of the Cabinet have I devotug themselves almost entirely 'to administrative

affairs. i THE NEW PARTY. The "New Zealand Tim;--." v. hit h iueeo'-sfull.v launched tin- story ol a j new political party. publishes tinmorning an interview with Mr C. R. Sykes, in which the member for Musterton i- represented as deriding the idea of any additional opposition to Die Government arising. lie also iinad.e to discredit the suggestion that Mi- .Massey wa< lkolv to appeal to the country on his rid urn Irout the Imperial ' Confer -m e. "There are no eiii-landiug <i i tli<-Hll i > •-■ in tie- way lor him to earrv cm.” he is reported ns -aving, with a cheerful disregard for Hie nicer points of -vuiux. "Ihe !-o----\-i-nimeni has not been defeated oil rnv p.iliev matter yet. and it does lad at-per-r a- it tb-*\' will be.'' Mr t-vkes i- convinc'd that the Prime Minister ha- a sulla-ent majority to carry on. end that He- present Purlin will fniiii it -; natural term. Mr Sykes, it v.ill b- i-enieinber. d, generally to his eyedil. made an attempt to o-lablish himself as an 'H m U-tienc!ei:t ” at the general election of 1818: but le- came -o perih'iislv mar to dele.it that he subsequently returned to the party fold. It is possible that his repent.,nee ha- not yet fully restored him io i lie e.inlich-nce of his chief.