WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, 5 February 1918, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

LAND FOR SETTLEMENT.

SOLDIERS' FARMS.

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, Feb. 4

The statement made by Mr. Massey on Saturday in reply to the criticism that has been levelled against the Go-* vernment's land settlement policy, particularly in its application to the needs of returned soldiers, was merely* a recapitulation of the information hehas supplied to the Press from time to time. Roughly 14,000 or 15,000 men had come back from the front up to the end of the year and of these 600 had been settled on the land and were in occupation of their sections. This does not represent a very large proportion of the men, but it must be remembered that the great majority of the discharged soldiers are not yet ready to undertake occupations. The Minister, however, is looking ahead to the time when thousands of hale young fellows, imbued with a desire for the open life, will be returning and is keeping the Lands Purchase , Board busy looking out for sections I suited to their requirements.

CIVILIAN SETTLEMENT,

The complaint that the Government in its anxiety to provide for the returned soldiers is retarding ordinary settlement by locking up great blocks of land against, men who have not been to the war, would not outain a great deal of sympathy even if it were wellfounded. But as a matter of fact there still are considerable areas of land in the North Island available for civilian settlement and large areas in both islands waiting sub-division after the war. Mr Massey and his colleagues realise that the great need of the Dominion in the years to come will be increased production and that this can be obtained only by inducing more. and more people to settle on the land under the very best possible conditions. Sir Joseph Ward, the Minister of Finance, and the Hon. W. D. S. M&eDonald, the Minister of Agriculture, haye been emphasising these truths wherever, they have travelled and pledging v the Government to do its utmost towards the desired end.

MOEE BEER

; The announcement that the beer duty collected in the Dominion during last month was substantially larg<*i. than the amount collected during January, 1!)17, the figures being £23.861 and £17,523 respectively, has come as a; surprise to people unacquainted with reqent changes in the bar trade. They; had expected that with six o'clock closing there would be a diminution in. the consumption of liquor of all sorts. But just before, the initiation of this war experiment there had been a rise of ;50 per cent, in the retail price of spirits and a'tconsequcnt decline in the demand for the more ardent beverages. Hotel frequenters who had been accustomed to drinking whisky took to ordering beer with the inevitable result that while the consumption of one across the bar, went down the consumption of the other went up. TEMPERANCE REFORM.

The figures showing the duty col< lectedon spirits during the respective periods are not available at the time of writing but presumably they will show a considerable decline in the consumption. If they do not, they will suggest grave doubts in the minds of unbiased people as to the efficacy of six o'clock closing. There certainly has been less drunkenness in the streets of Wellington, since the institution of the experiment than there was before; but if promicuous whisky drinking in. the bars has been simply exchanged for deliberate drinking in the homes the Prohibitionists will not be persuaded there is any remedy for the evils of the traffic short of their own panacea. As it is many of the more moderate among them admit the police reports are not helping them in their campaign.