WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 21 December 1923, Page 1

WELLINGTON NOTES

DEPARTMENT ’OF MINES. GItA YE CHARGES, t- , [Special To The Guardian'.] G WELLINGTON, Dee. 19. 1 Some uneasiness has been occasioned 0 here hy the grave charges made by n the secretary of the Miners’ Federae tion, during the course of an inters view with the Minister of Alines on p Monday, against the mining companies and the authorities responsible for the administration of the law. The most serious of these * charges were, that despite the order of i tin' Inspector of Alines that not more s than eighteen men should he sent ini to a new shaft, it was a common praei- tire to send as many as thirtv-six; that if the quantity of oxygen in one mine was increased hy 10 per cent, it would he sufficient to blow New Zealand into Ihe air. and that the Government was preventing the inspoe--1 tor from enforcing thy regulations : framed for the protection of the miners. Even more disturbing than Mr O’Rourke's allegations was the Alinister’s inability to give them a prompt and definite denial. The Hon G. J. Anderson could say only that lie could not credit the statements Mr O'Rourke bad made. The secretary ol the Federation declares that be is ready with his proofs and is impressing a number of people whose sympathies already fire with the miners. THE PRICE OF WHEAT. Mr G. W. Headley, the chairman of tile Wheat Board, appears to have been in a less bellicose mood when he was discussing the price of this season's wheat with representatives ol the Christchurch newspapers than he Imd been when suggesting a scheme r>l coercion to the North Canterbury Farmers’ Union that they would ’lie quite justified in reducing their next season's sowings by 50 per cent, il they did not get the price they required. and apparently be offered no objection to their discontinuing wheat growing altogether if they thought such a. step necessary to the attainment of their end. Tint in bis statement to the newspapers on Alonduy lie mainlv emphasised the point that- “it would be deplorable if wheat-growing was abandoned altogether by New /calami, and if the country bad to send abroad initially two millions sterling for supplies which could be produced loc.aliv.” This is much saner talk than that in which Air Leadley and Ids friends were indulging a week ago. but they still have to show that it would he economically sound or nationally desirable to beep up the I price of bread hy levying a tax upon the consumers. “BLIGHT.” During his recent- visit to the Gisborne district. -Dr Henkes, the Direc-tor-General of Agriculture, devoted special attention to efforts that are being made hy the local officers ol his Department to get, rid ot the sweet- | briar which is threatening to ovei- j run large areas of rich land along the | East Coast of this island. On the . completion of his investigation he was aide to report that experiments made with various methods of hamll- I ing the problem in a cheap and cflect- I Ive manner had been most encourag- I ing and that the officers of the Do- | part men t thought they had found the j solution. They were introducing a j blight. Dr Realms explained. which . killed the briar and yet did no harm to any other species of vegetation. They wore carrying their experiments | further with a. view to ascertaining if « the blight could lie employed in sab- [ doing the blackberry posl. This the g Director-General admitted. was a very a big problem, and furtla-r experiments jj would have to he made . but he was very hopeful of success. '.lbis' all is I verv satisfactory so far as it goes, a ! Mnmivatu farmer commented to-day. I but. there are so many blights abroad j alreadv that the man on the land will t |, L . a bit alarmed by any addition to J their number. i AN APPRECIATIVE. VEIN I The “New Zealand Times" this J morning makes generous amends loi | having strongly criticised Mr .Massey I for having taken sides in the recent jj general election at Home. “Air Alas- g M>v's popularity throughout the l nit- g oil Kingdom.” it says, “was brilliantly jj retlected in the farewell treatment accorded him hy the people of the hotel H in which he had spent most ot Ins S time. A much more important re- 1 minder of Ids popularity is the g article in the “Daily Chronicle ' which a eulogises the public statements made g by Mr Alassey since the election. r !o . the Dominion he is representing such | eulogv of Afr Massey’s work in Bondon 'is very pleasing. The ‘'Chro- | nicle” went, even further, declaring 3 that Mr Massey's speech at \\ olvur- B liampton was ‘very acceptable, milk- g ing one feel what a great advantage a il, was lor the Dominions to he repre- g rented periodically by their political heads. Before the election the “Chro- g nicle" was too heated to do unv thing . but abuse everyone speaking on the l other side—that is. advocating Imperial pre fere net with the consequent Its- _ col eventualities. After the election - the fumes of political ran.oiir mid cone oil', leaving the “Chronicle s head clear to see facts in their true colours. The alisusive- critic of Mr Massey, therfore, naturally became his political eulogist.” It. is the softanswer that should turn away wrath.