WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, 18 March 1918, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

■WHEAT PRODUCTION,

NEW ZEALAND’S PART. V

(Special Correspondent).

WELLINGTON, March IK

While the Minister of Agriculture and the Board Trade were discir.-,-ing in Christchurch on Wednesday tim price to be paid for next year’s wheat crop, the members of the Cehtral Chamber of Commerce were debating in Wellington whether or not it was in the best interests of the country for farmers to grow wheat at all. The subject was introduced by Mr. W. J. Gaudin. who, while claiming no practical knowledge of farming, insisted it was necessary to the existence of a nation that it should produce its own essential foodstuffs. Towards this end he would have a protective tariff sufficiently high to produce a regular supply 0 f wheat at an assured price and would largely extend the State’s effdfts iu the way of attracting capital and labour to the soil and providing a sound agricultural education for the young people of the boontry. He argued from the Protectionists’ standpoint that a protective tariff, so far from increasing the price of bread, would ultimately have an exactly opposite effect by bringing about 1 better methods of cultivation and sostimulating production. FREE TRADE. Mr. T. Moss, a member of the Efficiency Beard, a farmer himself, but net a wheat-grower, took another view of the question. He resented the suggestion that the New Zealand farmers as a class did not know their business and declared there were areas in the Dominion where wheat could not be grown profitably even at 12/6 a bushel. On the other hand, there were districts where wheat al- ( ways would appear in the rotation of crops and give a good return so long, as proper methods were adopted and effiicient labour could be obtained at reasonable rates. Mr. Catton, a baker, speaking as an out-and-out free-trader deprecated the idea of the State attempting to defeat the inflexible laws of nature. He was satisfied that in a few years -wheat-growing would he a thing of the past in New Zealand and ithat a saner generation'would be consent to draw its supplies from Australia, and turn its own lands to the uses for which they were apted - Judging from what one hears about the matter a considerable vol-

Time of public opinion is tending in this direction.

CONSCIENTIOUS OBJECTORS. ,

The resolution concerning- conscientious objectors to military service adopted by the Congregational Union is finding a good deal of favour here, even among people who recognise the. need for the rigorous enforcement of the law against slackers and shirkers. No sane person realising tne gravity of the struggle in which the Empire is engaged has the slightest sympathy with the man who would evade his responsibilities in such a crisis. But there is a growing feeling in the community that the Government’s war policy would be strengthened rather than weakened if the ‘honest conscientious objectors” the Congregational Union has in mind, instead of being, subjected to the indignity of imprisonment with hard labour, ‘were employed at military pay and under military conditions upon some of the public works for which there is such crying need at the present time. Of course if the wrong-headed Reservists refused to accept this alternative they would have to be sent to gaol, but they would go there with no grievance that could be fairly laid to the charge of the State. LICENSING REFORMReports that have been made lately by responsible -officers throughout, the country show that the closing of the hotels at six o’clock has been attended by more satisfactory resultsfrom the temperance point of view than even the most sanguine supporters of the movement expected. A. striking feature of the reports is their practical unanimity in acknowledging the strict observance of the new law by the licensed victuallers. Many publicans have refused to, take advantage of the regulation by which they are at liberty to supply liquorwith meals up to 8 o’clock and have absolutely stopped all sales, except to boarders, after the hour prescribed for closing the bars. The result has been a very marked diminution in drunkenness and disorder and, it maybe remarked, a significant weakening in the demand for further restrictive .legislation. watching 'tlje signs of the times believe six o’clock:? closing is going to Reduce substantially the vote for total prohibition.