WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 2 March 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE HIGH COALMISSIONER. A NEW BROOM. (Special to ” Guardian.”) WELLINGTON. February 3(>. The succession of Sir ,lames Parr to the High ( ommissionersliip had been so long foreshadowed that the actual appointment, oeeasioned no surprise and little additional comment. .Sir James has many qualities that go far towards fitting him for this high office, it'.' lias an abundance of self-certitude, a wide knowledge of affairs, a gilt id speech beyond that ot most colonial politicians, an intimate acquaint am? with the Dominion and its people, a consuming desire to succeed, and years enough yet in reserve to enable him ti repair some of ilie lapses of his political youth, lie nmy lack something in tact : more in manner and much in discretion; bill he U endowed richly with courage, enterprise and a certain gift of ailiititaliilitv. which is neither lav. mag nor sen ile. When quite a young member of the Mouse, with his precise plan in tiolilics .still umlelilled. he hd the revolt against the old regime and won v. here any othci of the malcontents ol his early would have been overwhelmed. At the Education Office he profited much by the spade work done by the lion .1. Ilanuii, but to hiuiscll alone belongs the credit of having wrestled from the Treasury the money required lor the fruition of his predecessor's labours. Ilis services as .Minister oi Ju-lice and I’ostmasterGeneral have I largely those of an

automaton : but bis record, as it lies open for those who will to read, suggests possibilities in his new sphere, mostly for good. BITUAIEX AND BUSES.

The favourable weather of the last fortnight has enabled rapid progress to he made with, the bitumen paving which is being laid down on several of

the suburban roads running nut of Wellington. It is too early yet to say what regulations will have to he enforced to restrict heavy traffic on these thoroughfares: hut it is certain that the hard smooth sin hu es are going to -übstaniiallv increase the large number of motor vehicles making u-.e ol them. The local authorities that happen to be co nee rue. | in trams and ferries arc

urging the Government to save their investments from destruction, and the Prime .Minister. doubtless with a thought for the railways; seems disposed to belli them to the best of his ability : but accumulating evidence brought from overseas suggests that the mil less vehicle is winning its way to the front everywhere. Duly yesterday. .Mr li. W. Lawrence, of the Chemical Laboratory at Johsoiiville, who Inis just returned from a trip abroad, in the course of an interview stated that motor buses were rapidly supplanting tram services in England and that members ol municipalities and companies there were actually tearing up their rails to make room for the new order. It looks as if the day were not far distant when Wellington will have to signal its submission to tile inevitable in the same lasltinn. THE GEEST lOX OF SITES. A visit to Palmerston North and •Marlon yesterday in the wake of the official party of inspection made it abundantly plain that, while these two selt-eons< ions cjiie. are proclaiming their renuueial ion ol all parochialism in the 'election of a site for the proposed Agricultural College each is praying that the favours ol the gods may lint fall Upon the other. Palmerston North deelates it dot's not care

two straws, so lar it i> it concerned it sell. w hetlier l lie college is erei ted a f it - own back door or on the top of ■Mount Egnvnil : hut oil broad national groum.L ii would be deeply grieved to sco the iu-i it til ion established in the utteilv unsuitable cuvironiucni of Marion It - 0010- man' hmld-rod at , )„• lucre possibility ol simli a catastrophe. Martini, on (lie other hand, while emu luting the disinterested altitude of its imig iboiq- and deprecating any sort uf favour in connect ion with the mnt- '<>’ leu!, hound to let it be known that it the college were erected in the neighbourhood of Palmerston North ihu sit.- (Css oi the scheme Would be gravely imperilh d. In these eirenniktanees it is not surprising that the gootl people t'.l Taihape are putting in a claim lor the distinction which both Palmerston Non It "’and .Marion are ready i . renounce for themselves. dairy hoard. ,-Al its meeting yesterday the Dairy Hoard tit lout etl a s| a! omen t of its polity in anticipation of its assumption of “absolute control ' ot exported tlairv produce on August Ist. This slatemi nt will have been distributed through ike agency of the I’n.-.s A ns. mill Don before this, but its lirst parai’llj:ii nnv U> qiniiud as conveying the Otiur ol the Roald’s policy. “The Poord." ii runs. has decided to exercise control of sales „| „|| ,| a irv prodm e exported to Croat Britain and North Aimrico a-. Imm August 1 next. In do this satisfactorily it was necessary to assume absolute control under the o this ot the Dairy Produce Expm I Control Board Act. A .system of service is aimed at. not monojiolv for priec-rai-ing purpose.-.." This looks as ii Hie Hoard had spoken its last wait’d tin the question of control and that lurther protests Irom the opponents of i Hie scheme would be futile. But lite • champions of freo-maikoting have tie- 1 dared their intention to continue their activities and there is plenty of evi- , deuce oi increasing sympathy with , their eause. R being urged to-da.v ; that with datty produce -object to t absolute control any other product of l the farmers' labour may lm placed in ■ H e same position anil ultimately lie-j come ilm sheer plaything of a Com- '' muidstic Government. So far the t Pt'ime .Minister upon whom the League t rc li.•< 1. has made no move. v