WELLINGTON TOPICS

Hokitika Guardian, 19 January 1931, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

UNEMPLOYMENT.

DEMANDS FOR MORE FUNDS.

(Special Correspondent)

WELLINGTON, Jafiuary 15

Three members ,of the Unemployed Board, Mr G. Finn, Mr AV. E. Leadley, and Mr P. J. Small, were at Johnsonville last evening telling the residents of the district that ‘unless the Unemployment Board, has the hearty support of the people it can do nothing.” Other districts are to visited with the same intimation and no doubt many of-them will be stirred to action by the boards implication. The public, would be paying mote attention to the appeals of of ; the board, however, if it were kept, more closely informed as to what was be ing done to relieve the prevalent distress. There are stories throughout the country of large proportions of gangs of men giving very poor service for their, “dole” .of fourteen shilling a day. A considerable proportion of these stories iterated and reiterated rest upon irrefutable evidence and are largely responsible for a certain slackness in contributions to the relief fund.

EAST COAST RAILWAY.

The Hon E. A. Ransom, the" ActingPrime ina doubt wil be'glad when his chief, the Right Hon. G. W. Forbes, returns to his office, next week and takes over a share of the worries and difficulties his colleague is hearing Yesterday a-story was put about to the effect that the rails laid/down, for the, continunace of the GishorPC-Waikoko-pua section'of the E'hst. Coast railwaytowards its destination had been torn up' by the direction of the Government and that all prospect of the line being completed even in the remote future Jmd disappeared. The story being Conveyed to his ears, Mr/Ransom explained that all that had been' done was to place-under cover-rails and other: material that would ■ suffer deterioration if left to the exposure of the. weather.- In Wellington the general felling-is that the Government’s determination, to suspend the completion of the-work is justified.

THE RETURNING PREMIER

The returning Prime Minister is timed to reach Wellington on Tuesday and though no elaborte arrangements are being made for his reception it is certain he will be greeted by a large number of friends and spectators. By someivtnejjrfis or another—dlit in the same gafne mo doubt—Ml' Fbrbes has suceedfed in obtaining hi We genuine recognition at Home then have any of Ids pfe[decossors since the days of Mr Seddon. . Jgst send off in London six or seven ago, appears to have been a jhiritablte celebration, in which the ; |j|ji.t’ish Prime Minister, the Hon. RamIp MacDonald, and his henchman, Mr '<•s§ H. Thomas, Secretary for the Do- ■ pinions, 'took a prominetn part/ Mr pFbrhes’ from all accounts, privately as /.•well as publicly, rapidly won the goodwill and appreciation of the Home, folk And. is returning not only with a large the wrm regrd of my ew friedsETAO store of useful information, but also ith the warm regard of many new friends.

HIS COLLEAGUES.

At the send off gathering just ment-

joined Mr Forbes paid well deserved tributes to his colleagues. ’ “I.want,” he said, “to pay a tribute to Sir Thomas \ Sidey. There is no man in the Do-. . ’minion Parliament held in higher res- . pect than is Sir Thomas.' All parties have a kindly feeling towards him and jin absolute trust in his words and his : doings. At the Imperial Conference he did invaluable work in the intrests oi b New Zealand and indeed in the inter-. ’ ests of the Empire, I must also express . jpy appreciation of the assistance our vifigh Commissioner, Sir Thomas. Wil■ford, has offered me during my stay in ; this good old country, both in work. and in play. It is pleasant to bear nothing but praise of my old friend, and to know that the interests the . Dominion are safe in his capable hands.” Mr Forbes bad kindly words for other members o fhis retinue and a smile for the world at large,