WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 11 June 1926, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE PRIME MINISTER, BACK FOR THE SESSION. (Special to “ Guardian.”) WELLINGTON, June S. The Prime Minister returned from his northern trip yesterday and immediately applied himself to preparations for the opening of the session of Parliament next week. He was not particularly communicative to the reporters who waited upon him for •‘copy” during the day. His department, officially known as the Prime Minister’s Department, of which Mr F. D. Thomson is the permanent head, has now taken up its quarters on the ground floor of the now portion of Parliament House, and the corridors leading to the “holy of holies” is to fie partitioned off so that casual visitors will not fie allowed to“ blow in” upon the Minister in the free and easy fashion that had boon in vogue since the clays of Bell and Sowell and Fox down to those ol Seddon. Ward and Massey. This arrangement, it is hoped fiv those immediately concerned, will ena file the Prime Minister and his stall to carry out their work with far fewer interruptions than has been the ease in the past. It is announced afresh that a special officer is to he appoint, eel to attend to fnipiiinl and external affairs arising out of communications and consultations between the British and New /calami Governments, fiat apparently Mr F. I). Thomson cannot lie spared from the Minister’s right hand to till this important office. LICENSING MATTERS.

At the annual meeting of the Wellington Licensing Committee yesterday several matters of more than passing interest were mentioned in the customarc police report and commented upon ( by the Chairman. The report referred to the fact that in some of the city hotels a certain amount of drinking by women was going on, and the commit-1 tec expressed the opinion that although licensees were entitled to serve women with a reasonable quantity of liquor, j they should discourage drinking hy women in hotels as far as possible. The committee did not indicate the form the discouragement should take. After mentioning two particularly striking instances the report staled : there were other hotels “ fairly old and to some extent dilapidated.” As the j city grows, the report continued, it was essential that adequate public ac-1 eommodation should fie provided, hut , that would probably only fie carried out when the Licensing Act had been brought up to date. Possibly something might lie done this year fiv Parliament. The chairman referring to this suggestion said he understood that nn amending Licensing Act would fie submitted to Parliament during the approaching session with a view to removing some of the existing difficulties. This is being accepted ns further confirmation of the current story that amendments of a far-reaching nature are to fie made in the licensing law tliis year. AS wE SEE OTHERS. A letter received hy the “ Maimganui ” to-day from a New Zealander now on a holiday visit to Sydney .gives a doleful account of the condition of affairs in New South Wales. “Politics here.” a paragraph reads. “ are in a deplorable state, and there is a perfect orgy of borrowing and spending. While the Commonwealth is over two millions ahead of its expenditure for the year New South Wales is nearly two millions behind, and still wants to borrow another twenty millions. This is leaving it to posterity with a vengeance. 1 There will fie a washing-up sortie day, and then this State will fie bankrupt. Although the strike for a forty-four hour week has been practically settled in the melt’s favour, the engineers and metai workers have not yet returned to work as they do not like the terms, while the building tradesmen are now clamouring for a forty hour week. The corruption in both public departments and private linns is simply awful and most barefaced. New Zealand is pure by comparison. Building is going oil at n. very rapid rate and most of the lug houses are either putting up new premises or extending their old ones skyward. The accommodation for shipping is decidedly behind that of Wellington. The tram service will i.c.ii n 4.000 cars cannot cope with t !.«■ traffic and with the opposition of over .‘5,000 buses.” All this it must he >cmoinbored. is through New Zealand eyes A TASTE OF ABSOLUTE COXTR Mr George Ji. Xortlicroft, of Matainni, South Westland, writing to tfio “New Zealand Times" tliis morning gives a discouraging account of the result of the application of absolute control to bis honey crop. “ For years,” lie says. ' T exported my honey through a Dominion company and was more than satisfied with the attention and results obtained. On account of other producers using Toolev Street firms and not returning sufficient to cover the cost of production, I, with others, was compelled this season to ship through the Control Board. Through tile Dominion company the charges amounted to only 14 per cent on honey that realised 7Ss per ewt., returning to me 7;* cl f.o.b. When shipment was made, I obtained a liberal advance, the honey was sold, and the surplus paid over within three _ mouths from date of shipment. I was compelled, however, to send my shipment this season through the Honey Control Board in September, lf)2b. eight months ago, and have not yet received any advice or returns of it being sold.” One of Mr Northcroft’s neighbours, however, has received account sales for his shipment last June and has found the returns to work out at ojd f.0.b., but bo lias not yet .received his surplus. Through the Dominion company Mr Northoroft’s charges amounted to 11 per cent; through the Control Board liis neighbour's charges amounted to 30 nor cent.