WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 22 February 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE HAWKE’S BAY SEAT. SIR JOHN FINDLAY WITHDRAWS. WELLINGTON, Feb 19. Sir John Findlay’s refusal to contest the Hawke’s Bay seat in succession to Dr. McNab after discovering, the political temper of the constituency has disappointed but not surprised his intimate friends. He made it plain from the first that he had no personal deskm to re-enter politics just now and tmff if was "only at the urgent request of the leaders of the Liberal Party he bad consented to offer his services to the electors. lu. these circumstances when he found' half a dozen local Richmonds in the field anxious to step into Dr. McNabs. shoes, each receiving a certain measure of support, he felt justified in withdrawing from a contest which seemed likely to be decided on much less exalted issues than the ones hehad contemplated. It was thought Hawke’s Bay would be sufficiVntly patriotic in war time to forego local representation for a session or so in order to put in Parliament a gentleman who would have given the 1 . Jministration valuable assistance in the present crisis, but apparently the self-abnegation of the constituency was somewhat over-rated. RE-ARRANGED PORTFOLIOS. It is generally supposed that the announcement of the re-arrangement of portfolios made necessary by the death of Dr. McNab was withheld in the expectation that Sir John Findlay would be returned for the Hawke’s Bay seat and be available for a place in the Cabinet. This, however, is scarcely the case. No doubt if Sir John had been elected to the House he would have been invited to join the National Government anti 'probably he would have taken some oT the departments administered by Dr. Me Nan. But the re-arrangement was not held in suspense pending the result of the election. It was made more than a week ago on the lines announced on Saturday, and Mr. W. D. S. MacDonald was formally recognised as - the representative of Sir Joseph Ward during his absence, which means- of course, that the Minister of Agriculture is acting-leader of the Liberal Party in the meantime. The appointment appears to be giving general satisfaction to the local Liberal members of the House and Mr, MacDonald’s successful intervention in the waterside trouble at Napier suggests that it will not be unacceptable the Labour Party. ? *

j WHEAT AND BREAD. | A mild sensation has been occaslon|ed here by the announcement that I bread will be raised from lOd to lid | for the 41b loaf, delivered, from to- | day and the Acting-Minister of Industries and Commerce has directed Mr. J. R. Hart, the. only. member of the Board of Trade remaining in Wellington, to investigate the position, Mr MacDonald has expressed surprise at the increase being made, seeing the master-bakers had agreed that the price of bread should be governed by the price of flour. The price of flour had been fixed at £ls a ton, and at this rate the price of bread should not exceed Std a loaf over the counter, or lOd delivered. Even with flour at £l6 a ton these prices should hold good under the agreement as the Minister understood it and Mr. Hart’s report is awaited with considerable curiosity and interest. The ultimate remedy for the trouble would be the suspension of the duty on flour, but Mr. MacDonald is not inclined to take this step before the result of the harvest is definitely ascertained. LABOUR AND MILITARY SERVICE.

Reports from the country aretyeniphasising the inconvenience and loss being suffered by dairy farmers and others by' the growing scarcity cf labour following upon the withdrawal of men for military service. How' acutethe position is in the Walrarapa may be judged from the fact that Sir YCaltcr Buchanan and other large landowners have been compelled to takeup duties they formerly entrusted to working foremen, while smaller ow rnors have been driven to reducing their milking herds and abandoning all but absolutely necessary operations about their holdings. On some farms the wives and daughters of the holders are taking the place of the luTed help that cannot be obtained and it seems likely still further demands must be made upon female labour. It is undeft stood the Government has some scheme cl relief in preparation, but so iar its precise nature has not been revealed and predictions of a great decline in production are oeginningto take on the appearance cf probability.