WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 219, 4 January 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE HOLIDAY SEASON. *$M A GAY CHRISTMAS. (Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Jan. ?„ The holiday season ended as it began, with records in every direction—record receipts on trams and trains, record attendances at race meetings, record investments on the totalisator, record crowds in tea rooms, record audiences at places of entertainment—r.nd so far as the Wellington people are concerned, there is no occasion for them to shout to the German Kaiser and the world at large that they are downhearted. They never have seemed in gayer mood. But perhaps in this respect the capital city has Teason torappearing less sedate and subdued in war time than have the other big centres of population. It always has a large number of soldiers on its ha;:ds, and though many of the men got avay to their homes for Christmas, a la gc number remained behind to become the guests of the city and of private friends. The soldier cannot take his pleasures alone, and many a khakiclad lad found himself the centre of »*- whole family group in the pursuit of amusement on his behalf. The spirit of true hospitality was abroad and for its sake the rest may be forgiven. THE WHEAT PROBLEM. The proverbial little bird has whispered that there is a difference of opinion among the members of the Board of Trade in regard to the price to be guaranteed by the Government for wheat and that a majority and minority report, will be presented to the Minister of Industries and Commerce in the course of a few days. If this is really the case it is tolerably safe to predict that the majority report will recommend a figure slightly below ss. a bushel, and a minority report one substantially higher. The Minister was not inclined to give any further information on the subject when seen this afternoon, but in discussing the general outlook he conveyed the impression of having thoroughly digested the various representations that have been made to him on the essential point in dispute. He believes that plenty of farmers would be prepared to grow wheat at 5/- or even at a shade less, and that if Canterbury were not satisfied with this price under a State guarantee some of the other provinces would think seriously of taking up the industry on alarger scale than they have donjvin. the past. It is understood the of Agriculture has asked to be allowed' a word on the subject, and probably it will confer with the M in i stcr and thc '. Board of Trade early next weekRECRUITING. A big tax is to be placed upon the military organisations at Trentham and Featherston during the next ten or twelve days, when some 5000 recruits will enter upon their training, and the 24th Reinforcements will change camp in order to make room for the' 25tli Reinforcements. An enormous amount of work will fall upon the Staff in clothing, equipping, accommodating and' allotting to units the new drafts, but the Minister has no doubt of it being performed satisfactorily. Mr Allen's optimism, which is, by the way, a growth of recent years, is Infectious,, and the officers at Trentham and Featherston are awaiting the test of their ajrrangcments as Confidently as tho ' civil head of their department. The delay in mobilising the 24th Reinforcements gave many people the impression that the Minister was skipping one of the monthly reinforcements, but tho arrival of the 25th Reinforcements only a week later will practically make up the lost time, and fulfil the letter as well a s the spirit of the Dominion's undertaking

THE BALLOTTED RESERVISTS. Both the Twenty-fourth and Twentyfifth Reinforcements ivill! infcl-ade f certain number of ballotted Reservists, and it i s pleasant to hear of the ness of the men already in camp to ! welcome these recruits as cordially as they have their other comrades. Thanks largely to the Minister's insistence on the"true military spirit being observed, the men who waited for the call and responded promptly will be treated no differently from those who anticipated it There are still a few Reservists who have not reported themselves to the authorities, but probably some of these have not been reached by the notices despatched to them when their names were drawn in the ballot. If there are others anxious to test the realitv of the compulsion which Mr Allen has wished to keep in the background, they will be discovered when their draft is mobilised, aud will be relieved of any doubts th'cjH may have on the subject. . The has been very patient and considefatc in introducing the new system, but he has no intention of allowing any Reservist to escape his obligations by 9|mply ignoring them. ■'%"■ '">••'