WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 8 April 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

i THE HOLIDAYS'. GOOD WEATHER AND BIG CROWDS. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, April G. Good weather lias been experienced throughout dito Wellington Province for tho Easter holidays and largo crowds have made their way to all the popular seaside and inland resorts. Many' Wellington people have seized their last opportunity to get down to tho Dunedin Exhibition and two ferry boats havo been “double-banking” their trips to Lyttelton. The, holiday returns from the railways are not yet available, to-day’s traffic still having to be taken into account; but, judging from the activities of the various motor services and from the number of holiday makers that have gone south instead of north, the figures nr not likely to show any considerable advance. The various race meetings in the North Island have been generously patronised ; but with the exception of the Wair.irapa meeting, which showed an advance. ol £15(10, they will have suffered declines in their totalisator turnovers. Feilding with £70,010 was down £30,84; Waipukurau with £22,544 down £3.315 and Auckland with £179,279 down £32.751. People following the sport closely attribute these declines rather to the increasing clientele ol tile bookmakers than to any abatement of the gambling fever. 11l the ease ol I lie Auckland meeting the reduction of then number of events on the card each day from, eight to seven accounts for part of the decline, but probably for not more than half of it. DF.CR EASING PASSENGER TRAFFIC. The railway returns just published for the eleven months ended l'cbruary 27th show a decline in the passenger trallic when compared with the returns for the corresponding period of the previous financial year. As a matter ol plain fact the number of passengers carried hv the railways has fallen from I 1.595,910 to 10,795,040, a decrease of 710,879, and this in spilt' of a subslautial increase in population and an increased expenditure on the pari, of the Railway Department. If seems that the new commercial policy of the Railway Department has signally tailed in its attempts to drive the motor buses and ears off the roads where they are gradually acquiring an in-

creased share of tin 1 traffic and extending their operations. Ii looks as if private enterprise in tho sphere of transport is heating State control, as it at present exists, all along the line. There are motor passenger services running out of Wellington on journeys up to 209 miles or more which are more convenient, cheaper and more expeditious than the railway services covering the same ground.. Tho people benefiting from these services arc remembering that the Railway Department made no effort to meet their needs till private enterprise, appeared in the field, and realising that they have no guarantee that the Department would continue its good etbees wore competition cut out of the v ay. They require assurances on. this po’nt, and meanwhile are not kicking aside the plank That carries them over tho stream. WHITE NEW ZEALAND. Wellington will only have half hearted sympathy with the proposal of R,.» Gantorbury Fruitgrowers' Ass.),-' inon Hat Asiatics should hi' prohibited from entering New Zealand during I bo next lee years. The capital citv has! sj long accustomed itself to Cb'iicse fruiterers and Chinese hiumlryinen. i a.rnl on the whole has been so well served by them, that it losti much of its former prejudice against the Asiatic races. If the nurno.se of the Association is merely to save European fruiterers from the competition of Chinese vendors il "ill receive s-an: encouragement from the Wellington public. But art organised effort to place tho fruit trade here on n more satisfactory basis would be welcomed by everyone unassociated with the present system of marketing. Fill -on years ago 'Wellington rejoiced in -b-.t abundance and cheapness of its frrrt. Now while the supply is irregular tho prices are exorbitant. It is true that Asiatics dominate the retail trade, ami seem to have prices within their own making; but there is no guarantee that the exclusion of their countrv-n°n from the Dominion would bring aln.it any improvement in the position. AY hat i-: wanted more than anything else ;o this connection is a little more activity on tho part of tho authorities that succeed to the duties of that farcical boilv known as the Board of Trade. MINISTERS OX HOLIDAY.

Ministers, like the rest of the community. have been at play during the holidays and political rumours .no at rest. The completion of the reeonsi traction of the Cabinet, for all one hears on the racecourse or in the 'street, might have boon postponed till the end of the year or even till the dissolution of the present Parliament. It is being whispered about that AD. .1. S. Dickson’s solicitor is busy writing letters to newspapers demanding apologies for suggesting his principal would he willing to accept a seat in the Cabinet, and that there is no foundation for the story of a new aspirant for Hit' occupancy of the Speaker’s chair. Bur beyond this political gossip is as trivial as the lightest zephyr It is known, however, that at this very opportune season representations are being made Lo the new Minister of Justice in regard to the growing confidence and increasing activities of the bookmakers. Possibly the Hon. J. F. Rolleston, an ardent sportsman himself. is employing part of his holiday in a personal investigation of this problem. If so. flic may he trusted to take such steps as he may deem necessary for the suppression of a notorious evil. With the administration of the existing law in his hands, the public, the racing dubs and the offending bookmakers themselves may he sure of a “square deal.”