WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taihape Daily Times, 5 July 1918, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

IMPERIAL CONFERENCE.

DOMINION REPRESENTATION.

s > (Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, July 3.

So fax as can be gathered from the meagre reports of the proceedings at the Imperial Conference now in ses* sicn in London, British statesmen have a much better conception of the needs and the aspirations of the outlying portions of the Empire than they had six years ago. Thjs is one of effects of the war, one of the first fruits of the efforts and sacrifices the Dominions ha-Ve made in the common cause and one/of tho consolations offered them, in /tnis time of stress and sorrow. It is; opportune, therefore, to recall that six or seven years ago the Hon. A. M. Myers, the present Minister of Cus-. toms and of Munitions and Supplies, was urging the representation of the Dominions in an Imperial Cabinet con. stituted on much the same lines as the one now being evolved irTLondon. Of course he was not the first to suggest the idea, but he may fairly claim to be the first to indicate the shape it is now assuming. THE MINISTER FOR NEW. ZEALAND.

The prospect of the Imperial Cabinet being really representative of The whole of the Empire has provoked a good <leal of speculation as to who will be Minister for New Zealand in thai: august body. Sir Joseph Ward's name comes tripping from almost every wagging tongue, and* it is generally admitted that Sir Joseph's long association with public affairs in this country and his intimate acquaintance with a generation of British statesmen would qualify him in a very special degree for the position. But people who may be supposed to be in his confidence declare he would not think of taking up his residence in London unless it were made perfectly clear to him this was the Hbest service he could render to the Dominion. His personal inclinations all turn towards New Zealand and though.he" might be prepared to make commercial and political sacrifices to meet 'the wishes of his colleagues he would much prei far retaining his old associations here. THE POLITICAL MACHINE. Though the various branches of the Farmers' Union have "fSjScted—several of them, with a certain measure of reservation—the suggestion """tha ■£!&, parent body, should .take a hand' in politics, a number of Teinits "are down .on the agenda paper for" the Conference dealing with the pplitical system. ... The authors'" of These, want to find some .means by "which, "party"' ..will be permanently abolished from Parliament and members left to discuss every'question on its merits irrespective of the views'of leaders or Governments.. One branch goes the. length of suggesting that the Cabinet should be made elective, 1 presumably by the members, so that every shadeof opinion might bt> represented" in the. Executive. Others simply "aemand. "the abolition of Party Government" without indicating in any" way how the reform should proceed, and altogether it -seems likely that the Dominion Conference will hear more of party politics during its approaching session than it has ever done Before. DAIRY MATTERS.

The Hon. D. H. Guthrie, the Minister in Charge of Shipping and Imperial Supplies, has announced that he knows of no authority for the statement that arrangements have been made for shipping iuW whole of the butter available for export in the immediate future. The statement has been widely circulated, with the supplementary information that th© Prime Minister has succeeded in securing the necessary "space, but: Mr. Guthrie has received no confirmation from Mr. Massey and in these circumstances is not inclined to accept the statement as authentic. He also warns the dairy factories against rushing into the dried milk business without making the very closest inquiries. It would be extremely hazardous, he says, to enter upon a costly undertaking merely on the strength of the boom* prices prevailing in America, which, are due entirely to war conditions and unlkely to be maintained.