WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 29 December 1928, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

j ME- ST ALL WORTH Y’ S CALL

MINISTER OF HEALTH •APPLAUDED.

(Special to “ Guardian ”.)

WELLINGTON, December 27

A correspondent of- the' “Dominion” given «a.i, prominent place yi the pages of the morning .paper, -takes to task the humourists who have been poking fun at the statement of the new Minister of Health to the effect that he regarded ■ his promotion to 'Ministerial rank as a : divine call to .needed public service. ‘ ‘ Surely,’ ’ ■ the writer says, “the surprising thing is that in a Christian country anypne should think the statement to lie remarkable. Many of the ■ voters prayed that God would direct the - last elections and they will believe that they, have not prayed ir vain. If Parliaments open with prayer, is it not a confession that all the members need and should look for divine guidance to serve the nation aright’? ” The writer names Mr Gladstone and President Lincoln among the. great, , statesmen who habitually s’ought. divine inspiration in their public labours and altogether makes out a very good ease for Mr Stallworthy’s recognition of the importance of his trust.

--v.. "HOLIDAY WEATHER. •/. •'.Delightful.weatherprevailed throughout the Wellington province bn Christ-mas:-Day, holiday makers accepting it as a good augury for the continued delights of the morrow, but Boxing Day was-ushered in with dripping rain of the cold and damping variety, which continued until the day was far spent and all its promised outdoor enjoyments gone. The annual excursion across the Straits to Picton, for which exceptional attractions were offered, was abandoned, the two or three hundred, people ready to risk the discomforts of rain and sea, not, justifying the fulfilment, of the shipping company’s programme. The promoters ot the ‘Manawatu races were even greater losers than the, shipping company, only a sprinkling of enthusiasts making the trip to Palmerston North, where all the elaborate arrangements made by, the Manawatu Racing Club to insure ‘the comfort of its patrons could not save-' them front the discomforts dispensed by the malevolent (Moments. The decline of the t-otalisator investments by over £IO,OOO tells the rest c.t the sorrjrTa'le. HOLIDAY FROM POLITICS. .So‘ farr asi the. general public is concerned-, political affairs have been set aside altogether for the Christmastide. Practically all the new Ministers are away from Wellington, enjoying a few days' holiday at", their own homes, but-xthey-i-are expected, back at/ .the. beginning of next' weea, and then they wil -begin •their- administrative.w’ork in real earnest. Sir Joseph Ward is taking ■only two or three days rest, and so long mainly for the benefit of the members..fif his staff, who*, after suffering, the toil faf a session of Parliament and iii general election now have to take a major part in the establishment .’aiid equipment of a new Government with many new ideas and. new • riiethods. The new Ministers, without iany: previous experience ot administrative work, will have -to ' rely largely upon their secretaries until they become thoroughly acquainted with the “ run of the ropes,” but their mentors report they are making -rapid progress -with their acquisition pf knowledge. LAND SETTLEMENT. Some of.his critics have got it into - their heads that the Minister of Lands being an earlyadvocate of. the leasehold land tenure, will be disposed to ■place obstacles in-the way of the acquisition, of the freehold. This is -by .no ,means,the policy of .Mr. Forbes. He Is ‘ as anxious as 'he evfer was . tc. give effect to Mr. Massey’s . slogan of “ Settlement, more settlement, an <; still more settlement ” ; hut so long as the settlement is acceptable to the occupier and fair to the State he. is not concerned about the title it may bear. Non does he wish to break up estates that are , being adequately occupied Ysilnply Tor the Satisfaction' of' breaking .them up. What, is wanted abov.e ah' other things in the Dominion, he says, ds .production, more production and still'more production, and if the Gov-.-eminent can succeed in giving effect to...this 'slogan,''-with all the advantages it would bring-to-the country, lie will not jquarrel, .with anyone over the question of tenure.