WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 15 June 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

ALTER NINETEEN YEARS. JIO.MACE TO MU SKDDON. (Special to “Guardi-vTV; WELLINGTON. .June 11. The gathering around the statue of Mr Seildnn in tlie grounds of Earliaiiieiit I louse yesterday morning iviu one ot the most impressive oi the annual assemblies at which the personal friends of the dead Liberal leader have paid homage to his memory. It was afold. cheerless morning. with a light southerly rain drilling in Ironi the sea. and no one was there save to pay a tribute of affection and appreciation to a orcai. personality. The Most (east of the South Island, the scene of Mr S. ddon's early political achievements, had sent up a largo contingent of white-haired veterans who bore themselves with the sweet emit entment of personal possession and alterwaids were the guests of Mi's Sedilon nil:! her daughters at the customary “ lamily reunion." The speakers at. the teiemony at ti e feci of the statue were the 1 101 l 11. McKenzie (who apologised for the unavoidable absence of Sir .Joseph Ward and Sir .fames Can-oil). Mr T. M. M'ilford, Mr 11. E. Holland, and Mr J. McGrath. The words pro-

per to the occasion were spoken with obvious feeling and were* as obviously echoed in the hearts of the faithful attendants at ihe shrine. Mr Holland was particularly happy ill his suggestion that those who sought to perpetuate the memory ot .dr Sedilon -huuld . licrish in their own hearts the great humanitarian principles far which H eir love'll leader stood. It seemed to he the word, most lilting to the occasion. AN Aissrui) STORY.

led on apparently by disgruntled couple in Auckland, certain busy-bodies here seem bent upon spreadin : abroad an impression that .Mr I. M. M illord. the leader of the Liberal Opposition, has his eye upon an appointment abroad, either in London or Ancl'iea. which is within the gilt nl the Government. " Notwithstanding the denial of the leader of the Liberal Party. a

correspondent wrote in the " Host." last evening. " there is a rumour in the host-informed political circles that, through some third party, i.e In s I teen consulted about taking either t be post id' High Commissioner or a Gowrumotii commercial post at \\ ashingion. f** order to give some colour to tin- daring story the writer adds that lie has the assurance oi a member oi HuTiaiii'.iif as to its m-cuntcy. In face oi Mr Milford’s specific denial of the rumour if may appear a little ungracious, as well as superfluous, to mention the matter at all; hut there are quite a number

of people in Wellington who think tlm I.if,oral leader would make' a very oxccll mi, High Commissi.our. lie is comparatively young, as occupants id th.' office go: is a good organiser. talkllueiilty, if not very profoundly; knows his New Zealand well, and is not easily e.Jiashed. Rut the suggestion is. oi course, that the new Government is anxious to get Mr M i I till’d out ol Dominion polities and is prepared to give offence to half a down of its own followers in order to do so. I hat. it is scarcely necessary to say, is absurd. M’ORI.D'K MOM.EX. Letters are arriving here from several of the delegates that attended the great conference of women in Mashingtmi last mouth, and without exception they go lo confirm the opinion already expressed in mint by Mrs Eraser, ol ( I risti hTircli that the w< m-n of Amer-

ica have gone, far ahead of tlui'C in New Zealand in asseitiug whai may he called their political rights. Mrs Ere-.er found that in tie I nitotl Stales ii was as.-unied that tu won on o! New Zeal.;n I. having enjoyed the IramTic- - so much longer than had those ol America, would he correspondingly further advanced towards the goal ol coinplot • " emancipation." Hut she had to a-lm.it to her hosts that this was far Ironi being | lie ra-w I hey seai'cely u i:i;IvI believe- the! the I > - 111 .'!i ,111 h.ni no women jiisl ice-., no women m.igis--1 rates, no women police and no woim-n in the .Instil«• Dcpar! uicui. Instead ol bon'ling of übai New Zealand ha I done in tills rcspi I 1 she had lo apologise for what it had h-J!. undom-. loot l.cr humbled ( ori cspoiid ‘Hi ill , a - inti In r la ie. '■ Thera are umlimi m mercia c’mlieiigjng man in every walk of life thiil permits a fair light." she writes to a friend. "The most wonderful of those I have met so far is Mrs Milehraiidl. She is Assistant Attor-ney-General of the I’nitcd Stales and ionly i hirl,--live years of age, dust laney Sir Eratn-is Hell as A tlorneyGeneral with a dashing, attractive, brainy and altogether woiuliTu! woman ol thirty-live a- l-.is essi-ie o! a.u.l next ill sill l-cssiei: y Tj-e 'llgg.'slii'll ec| tainly does (on.iuiv up a sitnati, n tin;.', would I" 1 lull ii startlittg possibilities. Tl-e A l loi imy-C meral lies adapted himself to many changes dui-ie-- hi- long term of nil'll e. hut the arrival ol Mrs Wilehralicit on the scene probably would he the lasi -ira-.v. H A It HITS. An ciiU rpi-ising firm ol Wellington stock and station agents recently despatched a member of its .stall’ to Australia to as-cco-tniii by aeiual inspection what, was being; accomplished by the ('oniilionwealih in the wav ol rabbit des-truction. The visitor has just returned from a lour through many of the rabbit infested areas in New Smith Males after personally engaging in the work of destruction himself, and is Hilly satisfied that the authorities in the -Mother Slate have the pest well, in hand with every prospect of freeing a large pari of The country front its ravages within the next year or two. The trouble already has boon very largely reduced and landowners all over the Slat.' are taking a much more cheerful view of the situation. The visitor had letters of introduction to various Stale officials and was I'ortiinal enough lo obtain an interview- with the Minister of Agriculture, who is as optimistic as are the officers of his department in regard to the ultimate result. The process being employed requires hearty co-operation between the Government and the landholders and acceptance of the doctrine that rabbits are to be destroyed, not spared tor their skins. With these conditions given in the visitor believes the ruin worked by rabbits in New Zealand could he speedily ended.