WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 160, 11 September 1916, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SHORT WEIGHT. EDUCATION AND WAR. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Sept. S. None too soon the Minister of Internal Affairs is reminding the bakers and coal-dealers of the existence of a Weights and Measures Act, which requires them to treat their customers fairly. It is notorious that for a long time past many of these tradesmen have been taking liberties with the provisions of the Act, and swelling their own war profits at the expense of the public. Bakers have been selling ‘‘two-pound” loaves that barely turned the scale at 28 ounces, and coaldealers by calculating the weight of sacks at 31b instead of 61b, have been short delivering to that extent. Mr Russell quotes a case in which an alleged two tons of coal delivered at a public office was found to be 2cwt I6lb short. He has been advised by the Crown law officers that the fradulent delivery of short weight constitutes an indictable offence technically known as obtaining money by false pretences, and he is warning the parties concerned that unless they mend their ways forthwith proceedings will be taken against them. He will be glad if persons who can give any reliable information on the subject will communicate with the officers of his department_ The Fish Supply. At last night’s meeting of the Wellington City Council, the chairman of the Health Committee presented a report upon the Auckland Corporation Fish Market, which ought to be of interest to municinalities all over the 1 / country. Wellington itself has had a corporation fish market for some years, but owing to the half-hearted fashion in which it has been maintained by the local Council it has been only a partial success. It depends for its supply of fish upon private enterprise, and for its custom upon the thrifty House-wives who have been energetic enough to discover its location. But even with these and other disadvantages it is able to sell at much lower prices than are charged in the shops. In Auckland the business is run much more thoroughly, and with /marked success. The . price of fish in the northern city has been brought down

from 4d and 5d per pound to 2d and lid, and in some cases to Id per- lb, and, of course, tlie consumption has beep, enormously increased. The gentleman who has investigated the subject on behalf of the Wellington Council, and who has special business qualifications for the task, stro Vglr recommends that Auckland *s example should be followed here. Ho' is satisfied from his own observations that the Council, in addition to providing an abundant supply of cheap lish for the city, could do a profitable "business with the inland towns when the enterprise was thoroughly established. National Education. The Minister of Education in his addresses to teachers and others during the week has been saying many sensible things, and perhaps unconsciously giving some point to the criticism he already has encountered to the effect that his -words arc more stimulating than his performances are satisfying. But it is only fair to Mr Hanan to remember that it is not his fault alone that many of the reforms he has propounded are being delayed. The Minister has enthusiasm as well as ideas, and by this time, no doubt, would bo put-

ting many of Ms schemes into practice had not the united wisdom of the Cabinet decreed that enterprises involving the expenditure of money would have to "go slow” during the period of the war. The "Evening Post” recognises this fact in its leading columns when pleading for the inauguration of an effective system of national education. "‘There arc reforms,” it says, "which the Minister would have liked to introduce at once into our system, but the determination of the Government to confine legislation to the immediate purposes of the war has stayed his hand.” The “Post” evidently sympathises with Mr Hauau rather than the Cabinet in this matter, and emphasises a point which the Minister probably would have liked to make for himself had he been free to differ from his colleagues. "The crush burdens imposed by the war upon the National Government of Great Britain,” it reminds its readers, "have not induced it to postpone the consideration of educational reform. The war has, on the contrary, stimulated the activity of the British Board of Education and all kindred authorities.” This is not the only hint the Government has had since the prorogation of Parliament that next year it will be expected to place a less narrow interpretation upon the. demand for "war legislation only” than it did last session. Small Economies. The publication of the monthly returns comparing the business of the Teegraph Department under the new rates with the business under the old rates always provokes a mill controversy concerning the wisdom of taxing the people’s means of communication. That the higher rates have .brought about a substantial diminution i#fhd number of telegrams dispatched, is

plain enough for anyone to sec, and that the higher charges have kept up the revenue is also recorded. The latest returns, for instance, show that jU July last the number of ordinary telegrams dispatched throughout the whole of the Dominion was 445,137, a decrease .of 79,434 on the number dispatched in July. 1915, while the revenue increased by £2Bl. Unless there has been a very material saving in the office expenditure in consequence of the reduced number of telegrams the public has not profited at all by this piece of economy. Under the old rates the number of messages would have amounted to about 600,000, but tinder the new rates it has fallen to 445,137, so that over 150,000 messages which presumably would have, served some useful purpose, if only in giving pleasure to their senders and receivers, have been blocked by the higher charge. The not increase in the revenue during July compared with the corresponding month of last year was only £OIO, or at the rate of about £7,320 a year —a rather insignificant gain to place against the inconvenience the public has snffered_ That, at any rate, is the way the critics of this country are arguing.