WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, Issue 220, 1 August 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE REINFORCEMENTS. A BALLOT FUETPONED. (Special Correspondent.) The postponement of the drawing of the tenth ballot, though officially attributed to “an extraordinary pressure of urgent business” in the office of the Government Statistician, is generally regarded as a concession to the public opinion which has been calling out for a reduction in the strength of the file Minister of Defence denies it is anything of the sort, and declares the postponement will not affect the rate at which the men will reach fne - front. The country members of Parliament who came to Wellington .with a mandate from their constituents, as they put it, to mate strong representation to Sir James Allen in respect to the scarcity of labour in the rural districts are claiming to have effected quite as much as they expected to accomplish at the present stage. . ;. THE REASON WHY. People who have been following the course of the war closely however, place a widely different interpretation upon the Minister’s readiness to tolerate some delay in the dispatch of Reinforcements. They take the gloomy view of the Russian failure that it has removed all possibility of the war being terminated during the present year and argue from this that the Minister is justified in holding back men who will' not be required in the firing line till seven or eight months hence. Their ' theory seems to fit in with various happenings of the last few weeks, both here and within the war zone, but it is fairly safe to predict that if Sir James Allen for some good reason he cannot disclose elects to go slow in the dispatch of Reinforcements at the present juncture he will not hesitate to make them up to their full strength w'hen the proper time arrives. HOTEL EMPLOYEES. The deputation representing the hotel employees of the Dominion which waited upon the Prime Minister on Monday very properly refrained from expressing any opinion upon the merits or demerits of the liquor trade. It concerned itself solely with the effect early closing would have upon the position of the hotel workers. Mr. Massey showed his appreciation of this attitude by promising the deputation the interests of the employees would be very carefully safeguarded in any legislation that .might be introduced. In this assurranfce many people are finding confirmation of the popular opinion that 8 o’clock closing will be the restriction decided upon. This would entail no very great change in the hours of employment nor, it may be hoped, any large reduction in the hands employed or in the wages paid.

SHOUTING. The statement reiterated by the spokemen of the deputation representing the various interests of the liquor trade which waited upon the Minister the other day to the effect that the prohibition of “shouting" had reduced the business of the trade by 25 per cent, was not generally accepted at its face value, but an examination of the annual return showing the consumption of liquor year by year suggests there may be more in it than appeared at first sight. During' the year ended December 31 last during which the anti-shouting regulation was in operation for only a few months, the con- . sumption of New Zealand beer inci’cas■ed from 13.7 gallons per head, the rate for the previous year, to 14.5 gallons, but the consumption of spirits, wine and imported beer showed a marked decline. Spirits fell from 2.75 gallons per head to 2.34 gallons; wine from 0.21 gallons to 0.18 gallons and imported beer from 0.34 gallons to 0.30 gallons. If the tendency to eschew the more ardent liquors is continuing the statement of the representative of the trade may be correct. THE NATIONAL CABINET. For sometime past members of the Liberal Party have been feeling they and their leaders are not getting a lt square deal" under the party truce and Mr. Forbes’s protest in the House yesterday was simply a symptom of the dissatisfaction that is becoming Both Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward have been occupying extremely delicate positions and perhaps the very nature of their offices has made it more difficult for the Prime Minister than for Sir Joseph Ward to invariably observe the spirit of the compact. Even in a coalition Government there must be a supreme head and by the right of succession and the force of agreement Mr. Massey occupies this position. That he is, after all, only human may be judged from his heated retort to Mr. Forbes and . that a National Cabinet, though in these times a highly desirable expedi-

ent, does not satisfy all the , needs of the Democracy, is open for everyone to see.