WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 13 February 1917, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

HAWSE'S BAY SEAT. DP, McNAB'S SUCCESSOR. (Special Correspondent). WELLINGTON, Feb. 12. The announcement that Sir John Findlay would be a candidate for the Hawke 's Bay seat in the House of Representatives rendered vacant by the death of Dr McNab, came as a surprise even to his intimate personal friends. It was known that he continued to tako a keen interest in public affairs, and that lie wag frequently consulted by his old friends remaining in Parliament, but it was never thought that he would be persuaded to make the sacrifice entailed in his return to active politics at the present time. It is taken for granted that if lie is accepted by the constituency —and on that point there appears to be little doubt —he will succeed to D> McNab's position in the Cabinet, and be compelled to largely curtail his very lucrative practice at the bar. The Reformers, in accordance with the agreement made between the parties when the National Government was formed, will not contest the seat, and it is understood that the great majority of the Liberals in the district are prepared to give Sir John their hearty support. CABINET CHANGES .

Sir John Findlay's readiness to return to politics and the prospect of the Hawke 's Bay constituency accepting his services have revived in slightly altered form some old speculations concerning impending changes in the National Cabinet.. A month or two ago it was believed in many quarters that Sir Joseph Ward would remain in London as High Commissioner and member of the Imperial Council, and that the balance of the parties in the Cabinet would be maintained by Mr Herdman taking a seat on the Supreme Court Bench. At that time Dr McNab was to be a new leader of the Liberal Party. Now the story is that Sir Joseph Ward will come back to the Dominion a little in advance of Mr Massey, hand the leadership of the Liberal Party over to Mr W. D. S. Mae Donald, and return to London to fill the positions that hav* been assigned him there. The distribution of the portfolios, nominally at any rate, would be the prerogative of the Prime Minister, and it is suggested thaf Finance would remain permanently with Mr Myers and Post and Telegraph go to Sir John Findlay. This would leave Dr McNab's portfolios to be allotted to the other Liberal members of the Ministry, and Sir John Findlay free to accept the Attorney-Generalship when Mr Herdman retired. ■ STATE INTERFERENCE.

The Government's notice of its intention to take over the control of the Wellington wharves, unless the dispute between the employers and the waterside workers is satisfactorily settled within the next twenty-four hoars, is -ruined in somewhat obscure, legal phrasology. and it is impossible to say with any certainty exactly what it means. Tli"e men are hoping, however that the Government intends to give effect to their own suggestion that the State should direct the work on the wharves just as it directs the work on

the railways. They are ready to negotiate with the Government for all the labour required, but they positively refuse to have anything to do with the Employers", Fanners' raid Citizens' Committee, a body which played a prominent part in the strike cf 1913 without finding any favour with the watersiders. All sorts of rumours are afloat to-day, seme of them of a disquieting nature, but the position is developing- too quickly to allow their discussion here to he of any value. SCARCITY OF LAB'OUR. Though the scarcity of labour at shearing and harvest time proved less acute than was generally expected, there is throughout the North Island an unsatisfied demand for experienced and capable farm hands. Iu the Taranaki milking districts the withdrawal of men for the Reinforcements is seriously threatening the production of dairy products, and in quite a number of cases farmers have been compelled to reduce their herds. In one'case a man who is milking fifty cows Tvith the assistance of his son and daughter is about to lose the son by the operation of the ballot, and Is unable to finds a man to take his place at any price. If the boy goes into camp without leaving a substitute behind him the farmer will have no alternative but to get rid of fifteen or twenty of his cows, and this less, he declares, will extinguish all the profit he has~T)ee«i making from his incessant labour. The case is typical of scores of others reported from the dairy districts.