WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 3 April 1917, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

REDUCTION OF RAILWAY SER- ‘ VICES. A CHORUS OF PROTEST. (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, April 2. The chorus of protest against the Government’s proposals for th e reduction of railway services is even louder than the Minister predicted it would be. No great objection is raised against the discontinuance of the second expresses or the -stoppage of excursion trains or the removal of dining cars. These economies will occasion a little inconvenience to- regular travelers and to a certain number of holiday seekers, but they will not seriously interfere with the social life and business arrangements of the community. But the cutting off of suburban trains, and what are known as the troop trains will inflict a real hardship upon a large number of civilians and upon the soldiers in camp at Trenthdm and Featherston. A few years ago thei Government extended the suburban services around Wellington and Auckland in the hope of inducing workers and’ other to make homes for themselves away from the discomforts of a crowded city, and now the reversal of the policy is threatening to leave the people who took advantage of the facilities with their homes, but without the cheap and convenient means of reaching them. THE SOLDIERS’ CASE. But just at the moment the soldiers, face to face with isolation at Trenthani or Featherston, are receiving even more sympathy than are the workers lured into the country by the promise of low fares and frequent trains. A number' of officers and men, anonymously, of course, have expressed themselves very strongly on the subject, and that they have a real grievance may ho judged from the fact that the ‘ ‘ Domin'ion,” which docs not lightly question the infallibility of the National Government, takes up the cudgels on their behalf this morning. “It is right,” it says, after reciting the fact, “that the general 'public should be asked to put up with inconvenience in the direction proposed, but it is entirely wrong to deprive our soldiers of reasonable facilities of recreation and of meeting friends and relations during their few'“weeks’ stay in New Zealand prior to leaving for the firing line.” Public indignation at this part of the scheme is being increased by the announcement that Easter leave is to be withheld from the men of the Twentyseventh Reinforcements on account of no rolling stock being available for their conveyance from camp during the holidays.

MAINTENANCE OF PRODUCTION.

No one here with a proper sense of responsibility dissents from the statement of the 'Acting Prime Minister that “at all hazards we must keep up our reinforcements, ” but there is a very general feeling, strengthened by a statement made by Mr Bonar Law, and appearing in the cable messages this morning side by side with Sir James Allen ’s assertion, that food production is at least as important as getting soldiers. It is recognised that the National Efficiency Board is doing excellent work, but it was constituted just about two years later than it should have been, and so far the farmers who are calling out for labour are obtaining no relief from its efforts. Sir James’s picture of a farmer driving a plough team and. nursing his baby at the same time is admitted to be very admirable in every way, but it is pointed out by practical men that the producer compelled to divide his attention between agriculture and domestic work in this way, cannot be expected to get the best results from his land. They suggest that the Efficiency Board should furnish an interim report upon the labour question at once, and that the Government should take immediate steps to repair any ascertained deficiency either by exempting farmworkers from military service, or by organising volunteers to take their places in civilian employment. THE GO SLOW POLICY. The Hon. ’A. M. Myers, the Minister of Munition, who is in charge of the Coal Distribution Department ns well as a score of other offices entailing a vast amount of personal effort and supervision, is emphasising the temarks made by the Chairman of the Military Appeal Board at Westport on Saturday. The Minister is in full sympathy with the desire of the men to improve their standard of living and with this end in view, he wishes to keep wages at the highest possible level; but he regards the ignoble “go-slow policy” as the most certain means of defeating their aspirations. To win the war, and to estabish satisfactory conditions after the war, the nation must continue without ceasing, increase its efficiency and production* fortifying itself at every point, and to do this there must be unity and goodwill between the people, a great co-operative effort to achieve quickly and completely the victory which must come in the end, but which will be immeasurably the more valuable for every day by which it is hastened.