WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 21 January 1925, Page 1

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE PRIME HEALTH. [Special To The Guakdian.] WELLINGTON, January 19. Although hi.s protracted indisposition is occasioning Air .Massey considerable inconvenience and a great deal of mtorin it ten t suffering it is not of the serious character some of the stories put about during the last week or two might lead one to suppose. The Prime Minister has been .subject to attacks of Sciatica- of a more or less severe description for many years past and during last session of Parliament it was obvious to everyone in the House that on occasions his extraordinary powers ol physical endurance were herns severely taxed. His medical adviser insisted, as far as a, medical adviser may. upon his laying up and taking a complete rest; hut finally the doctor and his patient compromised on a promise that the latter would take tilings as easily as he could for the remainder of the session and drop all routine work for,a time directly Parliament prorogued. Air Massey was ns good as his word for about a week after the conclusion of the session, hut on returning from a flying visit to Auckland ho found so many matters he deemed of first-class importance demanding his personal attention that hi.s compact with his medical adviser was less than half observed. The result was a recurrence of his trouble in an aggrevated form and he was peremptorily ordered off to bed where ho ought to have been content to remain for at feast a month. A d-OST FACULTY.

But the Prime Minister since he became involved in the incessant toil of departmental administration seems to have lost the faculty of physical repose. In this respect lie is an even worse offender than was Mr Seddon or Mr Ballance or Sir Harry Atkinson. Had lie kept a precise account ol hi.s years it probably would have shown that lie had been working on an average Hi hours a day since ho assumed office in 191‘_ ) , even after making allowance for a little additional leisure lie may have enjoyed while at sea. during hi.s trips abroad. This is a pace no man bearing Hie responsibilities and anxieties ''to Prime Minister of New Zealand carries in those days can maintain indefinitely. Air Massey is eight years older Hum Mi- Reddon was when the great Liberal leader collapsed under bis burden of work and worry: his official life certainly has been no less strenuous than was that of his distinguished predecessor and the conditions he has had to face have been at least as exacting as those that wore out .the most enduring of his rivals. It was pleasant- to have a message from himself no later than this morning, to the oiled that Air Massey is making good progress towards complete convalescence, but it would have been still more (gratifying had it been accompanied by an assurance that he had definitely made up his mind to spare himself by shifting more of the routine work of administration on to the broad shoulders of his colleagues. drastic control Sonic little stir has been created :n financial and commercial circles here by a report, which appears to be "cl! founded, that the Hairy Produce Export Control Hoard is contemplating exercising the authority hv which ’t is empowered to assume absolute control of butter and cheese from the factory t„ the disposal d Ihe produce in Londnn nr elsewhere. The Hoard "as given this authority by the much discussed legislation of 102:1. but it was stated at the time by the Minister of Agriculture that ii: was intended only to safeguard the interests of the producers in the unlikely contingency of a section of tin 1 shippers adopting methods that would he detrimental to the general interests of the industry. No such contingency seems to have arisen. Ihe factories have been at. liberty to sell their output in the Dominion 1.0. b. or to consign it for sale overseas. -Some hare adopted one course and some t>l:o other and the freedom allowed them seems to have operated satisfactorily enough. But it is understood that the delegation headed by Air Grounds, the chairman of the Board, which t'eiu abroad to look into oversea matters concerning the industry, has returned with the conviction that it is necessary to obtain the best possible results for the producers collectively. No authoritative statement lias been made on the subject yet. but it has been broadly indicated that Air Grounds and bis travelling colleagues arc in favour of the Board taking complete control of exports a.s regards both shipping and marketing.

PRODUCERS PROTECTING. The prospect of handing over ahsolutelv the shipping and marketing of their produce to the Control Hoard is appealing neither to the proprietary factories nor to those co-operative factories that have been performing Jicse services for themselves. "While they realise the many advantages in the way of co-operation and co-ordination the Hoard can secure for the industry I hey protest that their nun business methods have proved superior to those of the Board and that, it would he extremely unfair if not an actual breach of faith, to compel them to abandon organisations ■which have proved entirely satisfactory to themselves without m a„v way prejudicing the interests of producers who have preferred to do their business in another way. It is beilic suggested in some quarters tint the desire of the Board to assume complete control has l>con prompted by the over shipments which occasioned the recent slump in prices on the London market. But as the Board has the same nuthoritv to regulate shipments as the Meat Control Board has. and has failed to exercise it. or at any rate to exercise it effectively, it will he strange indeed, if its failure in tins instance is to he used as an argument for the extension of its authority. The .Meat Board regulates shipments strictly without creating dissensions among producers, and without occasioning any untoward results, am! there have been m> over-crowded markets and no slump in prices since it commenced us supervision. This may be merely a coincidenee. But the Board has the same power of compulsion as the Dairy Produce Board has and the fact that it has not required to exercise it is significant.