WELLINGTON NOTES

Hokitika Guardian, 9 January 1924, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES

THE SAMOAN MANDATE. NEED FOR REFORM. [Si*i-:ciAt, To The Gcaiihia.v.] WELLINGTON. Jan. 7. i i: i- generally thought here Hut: . Gi-ueral Richardson'- report ami re I eonueenrki i lens ill r-'gard to toe ,-x , isting stale ol ailnu- in Samoa amou r j fo a restraint d rebuke of He- Govern ■ niCilt. It has been to: 1 all tdott;: o’, | people acquaint -I wit b i be p" " 1 • j i |i;ti Hu- ( biv,-rene-ii r. hi]e Intß | teali-iitg the cavity el the respbnsi I Itililies it. assumed under G:e .Mandate [ has iteeii making only a KeMe atj tempi .to tii-.i barge ! Item . ;< ml inn the nanve popilhitu b.as e-’-’it obt-'- !n tog little real advantage from the mi- ■ iderable sums of money which !.a ment of it - condition. Tl el’e habeen :io .suggestion of eornlj .i ion inn of imdadmiui-u ral ion. lull Here ha: been a shrewd rti-nieion that tin* g" ' : intentions of the (fo-, emnn-nt and t-i Parliament have not been I'eetive. It was on ltd- a.-count tb it. ; a! “iehard-oii wa- iudtteed ii take eliarge ol the rdm inKi rat ;.ei ai d his lir.-t report show- Ena, i- ur.-ein inn! for i-idorm ei l oth i,o!e-y an ’ nuthod... It -eems tiiat Itotvh ol tin m.-ii'e bope! Stale l reding • ft i i e. in nm in l a ini up, i 11-c-ou-n’-w i d ei 1 k m- - it t .-ehemes. A’eilf it re - ot ilit- Urn! Imie failed when iliridv lied.' the ot tin Gove.-i It:, ot.' e'l.l tit, if f:,.,. v t e -' t •• be i- < IDD It'S CO'MP MilwO.V:-. A j tarty of four uadot-e; eh-: - vHm left Dun.'din ju-i ! r fore Ckr: imeDav on a trip northward through : ho two islands i- now oil ; v ay Immc. Th * travelk rs nu-de tle-ir way from Dunedin in l.viflton iiv read an I thence took the ferry simmer to V»'* !• lillglon. w la-re 1 1m■ returned to th - read. proceeding by way of the AA'e : Coa-t. na.s-.ing i hrc.iigli AA'amutaui and on to the Taranaki bitumen toad . which they deM-rlho its ideal. They left Auckland on t'e- return journey on Friday !a-u, pas-ieg Ihroiigh Hamilton. Rotorua, Taupo and .Napier with the intemion of leaving, the hen ten ti'tu'k at AA’wtidville and <■•(' -- ing the lliiiiutaka iliil to Wellington. The comparisons they draw belli - m the roads of the South Island and He' roads of the North Mam! are u eouiplimeiilary b> the hit lee, extent, of eotn-.e, in the ease of I he Taranaki sealed highways which always come ui for the highest eulogy from travellers After leaving New Plymouth they found the “dirt track-" growing worse and worse as they advanced aim

by tho time they reached the “Queen City” their machines were enveloped in an armour of dried mud and they themselves were begrimed from brad to foot. They had thought the South Island roads had in parts, but they were as park parades besides those in the North. LABOUR PREFERS REFORM. Probably no one is better pleased than the Hon. AA'. Nosworthv is to learn that Mr AA'. Cooke, a well-known Socialist, who occupied a seat on Die Christchurch City Council, is to 1.0 hi- opponent at the next general dc'tion. The Minister of Agriculture is one of the twenty odd minority representative- in the present Parliament, ami probably he would have been beaten at the last general election by either a progressive Liberal or a moderate Labour opponent: had there liven only two candidates on the field; but. fortunately for hint, there were two aspirants for his seat, a Liberal a.ml a Labourite, who divided the nrogressive votes between them sufficiently evenly to secure his return. It 1euriouv to read in the announcement of Councillor Cooke's selection as lux party's champion in this constituency that Labour did not oppose the Dairy Control Bill. ot' course it did not. Labour'- compact with the Govern-

ment over this measure was the striking nnomnly of the session. But .Jr Holland and his friends scent to have abandoned their insistence upon but ter for local consumption being kept down to a reasonable price, which was thought to be their .-hare of the bargain. It looks as it they intended r u onto eon-i.-lent in their efforts to keep the Liberals in -objection. THE COAL DEAD-LOCK. Though at- the time of writing there i- no definite news of the settlement of the coal dead-lock on the AA’ost Const of the South. Island it is being taken for granted that the conflict between the mine owners and the miners is ended for the lime being. People in the street are saying that the men having enioyoil the ( hri-tmas holidays to the full - more sumptuously that they had done for many a long day--nrc now ready In return to work md make provision for another long holiday at tut appropriate season. It is to he hinted, however, that a tnajorkv of i he miners regard the po.sni.ei more -erioti-1v than loi- gibe would suggest. It is true (In' public lias uni -ulfcrcd as it would have done from :. eon -a! 1 riho or miner-, but it becxperieiieetl a considerable amount of ioeom sot Cm o, ami tie- employers, ri 1 1 \ » r v.ronejy. have managed t 1

give it the impression that tho Jrvm nro alor.o to blame. This, of course, is not wholly justified, but tho pression will remain with the publla and the cause of the workers will bn proportionately prejudiced. The men should at least see the advantages to themselves in assisting in a speedy settlement.