WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, 21 January 1918, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

PARTY TROUBLES.

DISSENSION IN WELLINGTON

NORTH

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Jan 17

As the time draws nearer for the Hon. A. L. Herdman's retirement from the representation of Wellington orth in Parliament the Prime Minister's difficulty in finding an acceptable successor to his colleague is not lessening. There is no great body of electors in t-ie constituency inclined to dispute Mr Massey's right to nominate the official candidate in the terms of the party truce. That is generally conceded on all sides. But a large number of electors, Reform, Liberal and Labour, are objecting to the Mayor, Mr J. P. Luke, being foisted upon them in opposition to their repeatedly iterated wishes. The Reformers insist he does not belong to their party and the Liberals declare he deserted theirs, while the Labourites retain a lively recollection of hi attitude during the strike of four years ago But at the moment Mr Massey seems determined to have his own way and unless Mr Luke helps him out of his difficulty by retiring, very embarrassing complications may arise.

UNINTENDED HELP

The Labour Party has clone its besc to help the Prime Minister over this awkward stile by nominating Mr 11. E. Holland for the vacant scat. The Liberals, who, as far as can be ascertained, are not meddling in the business at all, and certainly will not forward a candidate of their own, woulc not be very eager to go" to the poll to secure Mr Luke's return if a sane Labour candidate were in the field. But with the extreme leader of the extreme Social Democrats contesting the seat a large majority of them will feel it their duty to support the lesser of tbe two evils. Mr A N. Polsoms

appearance on the scene as an Independent Liberal is not being taken seriously and will not add to Mr Massey's perplexities; but if an Independent Reformer acceptable to the members of his party should come forward the Prime Minister would have tc capitulate with what dignity he could.

THE MILK MUDDLE. In the meantime the Mayor is held responsible for the milk muddle and it having it quoted against him as-a reason why he should not be entrusted with the representation of a constituency in Parliament. As a matter of fact he had rather less to do with the abortive attempt to establish a central distributing station than had several of his councillors, but in these times any stick is good enough to beat a temporarily unpopular politician The Health Committee of the City Council is sitting as these lii»3 are being written, at 4 o'clock in tbe afternoon, and it is understood it will adept a report which at least will justify the Mayor's action in shutting up the station tuter one day's trial. This has not saved the city from a very grave deterioration in the quality of its milk, but it has givoc it hope of ultimately returning to the mediocrity it had endured for years. THE NATIONAL GOVERNMENT. The publication of a telegram from Wellington in one of the smaller southern newspapers a week or ago implying that Sir James Allen had been "suspended" by his colleagues, has given rise to a good deal of loose talk in regard to the relations between the various members of the Cabinet. That Ministers are not altogether a happy family goes without saying, their varying temperaments as much as their conflicting politics making that impossible, but there have been no personal quarrels among them and no differences that could not be settled or tolerated in a friendly way. Sir James Allen holds certain views nipon defence administration from which h!s colleague differ quite independently of colour, and if a break ever comes it will come here, but. at present there is little indication of the predictions of the gossips being realised. The National Government owes its stability to the war that created it and it will endure just as long as the war endures. When peace Comes the politicians will be at one another's throats again.