WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 August 1925, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

Til E NEW LiRERAI. LEADER. A RORELAH SELECTION. (Special to WELLINGTON, August 17. The. selection of Mr George Forh.-S successor to Mr T. AI. Milioid in ;]:<• L-iul«Tship "I tin* Liberal Party a|>is in lid meeting with tiio general .ipprt)\ii 1 dt members ot the party inside and out 'ide of Parliament. A promim-lti member in the |<arly, i!| ( ,tight m have had ambition himseli in the direel mu ol the leadership., speaking of the appointment to-day described the member lor ITttrunni as “the vorv man wanted lor t.lie job jusi „„w. lie hits knowledge, experience, .-imrage, tenacity and endless good humour.” this authority went on to ,;, v . ' and lie is trusted by everyone to play the game areording to the rules aml without personal bitterness of any kind.” Similar testimony to the qualities of the new Liberal leader is borne by politic al opponents as well as by political friends, and in this respect lie takes tip bis predecessor’s work under the happiest of auspices. Whether or 1,0 he can re-unite the scattered forces t ,f his narty. a task which would tax iiic courage and resources ot any man, remains to be seen; but. \\liate\ci the issue, he may bo trusted to emerge from the elfinl with hi* own faith in ihe rigi icouxiiess ol his cause unshaken and with the respect of lii> political friends and political opponent- unimpaired. The good folk who are assuming that Iho retirement: of Mr Wilford and the accessison of Mr Forbes will smooth the way towards the consummation of fusion, said one ol the active participants in the movement this afternoon, do not understand the nature ot the obstacle towards that end which has arisen. Mr "Wilford, according to Ibis authority, who had no party sympathies with the retiring leader, was real!v anxious to bring about an arrangement acceptable to both parties; but be could not see bis way to throw i ; i his lot u ill l the Reformers l ill thov. like the Liberals, sank their old identity amt became the National Party. Ills point was that the Liberals could not become Reformers, committed to supporting the "Massey policy ” to which the l’rime Minister had bound himself t ill be re. cited a mandate of bis own from the electors--ami so flout the pledges tbey had gi\en In their constituents. Mr W illord lot it be understood that so lar as his party was eoneerue.l the present Ministers might be re-appointed : but limy would have to be re-appointed as Nationalists, not as Relormers. M r I-or-lies, this autiiorily added, prcsiimahii ■lulled Mr Wiit’ord'-- view ol the mailer. and could not lie expected so soon in renounce the decision id his lornier chief. THE AMERICAN VISITOR-'. It Would seem after all that the weallier was mainly to blame lor the partial failure of Wellington’s good inlentions in euteriniuiiig the men HuAmerican Fleet. The officers. and those of the rank and tile who happened to pick up friends in spite of ihe persistent min. fared well enough from the first, having their shore leave pleasantly and pmliinhi, occupied, lint hundreds of the men wlm n.ix-ed those advantages wandered about the streets without friendly guidance, and what with wet clothes and depressu.r 'Uirouudings totiinl the city no better li an its weather. That one ot the wits among them summed up Wellington as being on!v hall the size ol New Turk s retneterv and twice as dead was not surprising. To the credit ol the men turned loose under Mich conditions their behaviour was exemplary, and to stop a little group of them in the street and oiler them a friendly welcome wits to discover a party of cordial and interested friends. Yesterday t li • stm simile out. changing the whole fare of (he • ■ ity and suburbs, and the visitors were about everywhere, enjoying themselves and giving enjoyment to everyone they met. There had been blunders of omission and commission in the ollieial at laltgements chielly ill failing In take account of the winter weather lint these all were repaired yesterdav and the I’nited States and the Dominion came to understand and respect one another as they should have done at the beginning. CROWING EX RENT) TIT RE. The absence of Sir .lames Rarr in A uck in ml. where the Minister is representing the (Government at the various functions in connection with the visit of the American Elect to the Northern city, probably has delayed the. presentation of the Estimates for l 1 e Education -Department', which tire being awaited with some interest by a number of memliers of the House of Representatives. til late year- there have ceen very large increases in this \ute. hi 1915 the actual expenditure by the Department was £ I .199.992. In HHS) it had arisen to X1,9*7,939 : in 1922 to iitcltii. 1 l.'i and in 1021 it had been reduced only to £3.259,272. These figure-. represent an iiu-rea.se in cost per head of population from Cl lis 2d to .02 Ills oil and per scholar from £* As Pd to CIA fis lid. The drop in expenditure between 1022 and 1021 was due to the loans raised during the latter year being smaller than ilmse raised during the former year. Of course the Minister may have some good explanation of a million and three quarters, well over 200 ucr i-ent, being adder! to the expenditure between 101.1 and IO2E Imt meanwhile the figures ap|H*nr a