WELLINGTON NOTES.

Hokitika Guardian, 25 February 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON NOTES.

THE convalescent prime

MINISTER. HIS PROPOSED HOLIDAY. (Special to “Guardi"n”.) WELLINGTON", Feb. 23. ' His personal friends arc suggesting to the Prime Minister that he should 1 abandon Ins contemplated trip to Australia for the present, and, instead of crossing the Tasman Sea in search of quiet and rest, should spend a few weeks in the South Sen Islands in whien the Dominion is interested, where he would he “far iroin tlie maddening crowd” ami free iroin the social obligations and public functions which would beset him ill the Commonwealth. The suggestion is a very sensible one, having regard to all the circumstances, and probably will appeal to Mr Massov, who will not he strong enough for some months yet to accept all the hospitality that would he offered him in Svdnev or Melbourne. One ol the reasons for the change in the Mmistei s programme is the tragedy which Hof ell Mr Seddon just 19 years ago, when, after occupying the office of Prime Minister just a lew months longer than Mr Massey has, he passed away on his return journey Iroin a health visit to Australia. Mr Massey himself has neither superstitions nor nerves, and smiles tolerantly at their manifestations by other people; but just now he is better fitted for the seclusion of the Islands than for the publicity of the Australian capitals, and it will not he surprising if he conforms with bis friends’ advice. Meanwhile the daily bulletins imply that ho is making good progress towards restored health. Rut the good progress is disappointingly slow. TOTALIZATOR PERM ITS. The Hon E. F. Bollard, the Minister of Internal Adairs, is being bombarded with letters and telegrams in I'egai‘d to his distribution ot the new totalisator permits authorised hv the legislation of last session. Most of the communications, even some of those Horn disappointed applicants, commend the manner in which the Minister has performed his task, hut a proportion of them are less complacent. Tim trotting people, are making few complaints, but some of the galloping people are intensely dissatisfied. The chief hone of contention between the Minister and his critics is the principle of diffusing rather than concentrating the racing ol the Dominion. Air Bollard, find, presumably, his colleagues in the Ministry. hold the view that country clubs, which provide wholesome sport once a year for isolated communities are better entitled to consideration in the distribution of totalisator permits than are metropolitan and suburban clubs, which serve people who can reach a dozen meetings or more during the year, if so inclined. It is to this principle the Minister lias given cllect, and naturally there is some il iII ere nee of opinion as to the propriety ol its application. Mr Bollard claims to have followed a mandate given Him by Parliament, and it is true that while the Gaining Bill was under discussion in the House of Representatives the needs of the smaller clubs were repeatedly mentioned by country mem hers, hut no actual restrictions were placed upon the Minister’s judgment.

GOVERNMENT HAS LAST WORD-

The local papers continue to discus: the question of dairy produce enntro

as if it were the most important issue before the country at the present time. They all three comment upon the disinclination of the “absolute coulrulisls ’ to disclose their full policy and urge that anv decision of the Dairy Hoard involving great national interests should lie subject to public review before being put into practice. The Board will moot on Wednesday to resume the discussion ol ihe points leit in dispute between the members at their three-da.v meeting a fortnight ago. Both sides ha"c keen engaged during the interval in an active newspaper campaign, lull so lar as can he judged from available iidnrmalion no very tangible result has followed Horn their efforts. Just what either side expects to achieve from this kind of propaganda is not easy to see. The decisions of the Dairy Board are not subject to review by the factory suppliers by whom the members were elected, and of course, the general public has no

Biiy in Ihe mailer. Thu Government, however, rclnin:. the power "I vole. .mil probably both suk's have been anxious to impress it. by a display oi their Id*; battalions, if only in the earrospniidonce cui mi ll is of tlm ik a spa pars. Tn-ilay a majority of the people wlm slmnld know what is happening predict that little progress in the direction o! absolute control will be made at Wednesday's meeting;. It is reported that a majority of the members of rke Cabinet lire dison.-c-i! t.raimls a more ndei|iitite course. tdCHOOI. OF AllltrCl'l/n'iiK. This morning the “Dominion” taker Professor Perrin, the occupant of the Chair of Agriculture at Victoria I’mveasily College, mildly to task tor having modified his opinion, that the authorities should concentrate their efforts upon the establishment of a single central school of agriculture for the whole of New Zealand, to the length of admitting tlmt tn view of tlm differences in the nature of the farming in the two Islands there is room [or one in the North Island and one in the South Island. The local paper thinks that the Senate when approving of Victoria College being recognised as a School of Agriculture “might well have affirmed the policy of developing one such .school to the highest pitch of efliciency as a preliminary to any duplication.” And the shortcomings of the Senate in this respect are emphasised. “In virtue of its central .situation, and as the headquarters of CovernmeiU Departments, whose activities must lie in greater or less degree, co-ordinated with those of the School of Agriculture. Wellington,” the. “Dominion” insists; “is plainly marked out as the most suitable site for this institution. Its pre-eminent suitability will be disputed only by those wliu are so far influenced by parochial considerations as. to disregard hr overlook national interests.” This .surely is centralisation in its most pretentious mood. Wellington by its geographical position enjoys many advantages. It, is necessarily the political capital oT the country, the commercial capital and the financial capital. Hut these advantages give it no special claim to an “Agricultural College for the whole of the Dominion” "'hu h would he altogether misplaced on the shores of Port Nicholson.