WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, 23 November 1918, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE PARTY LEADERS. THEIR MISSION HOME. WELLINGTON, Nov 22. It is-now understood that Mr. .Massey and Sir Joseph Ward have realised the futility of attempting to bring the session to close before their departure for London early next month, and that they will leave Sir Jumes Allen in charge to complete the business for which members were called together. It is hoped that when the House resumes on Tuesday the Liquor Bill, which is said to have assumed somewhat ponderous" dimensions, will he ready for consideration, and that the Budget and the demobilisation and the repatriation schemes will be produced during the same week. With these'cul of the way and with one or two minor controversial matters settled it is thought the Minister of Defence would have no serious difficulty in handling the remaining business. The House is much better disposed towards Sir James Allen than it was a year or two ago and he would not be likely to encounter any of the old factious opposition. .....

- THE COST OF LIVING.. In other circumstances the failure of the Government to stay more effectually the advance in the cost of living would have been' the Subject of much drastic criticism. But in the absence of the Prime Minister, who is regarded by disgruntled members as the chief offender in this respect, probably the hard things that were to have been said will be reserved for a more, opportune occasion., Meanwhile the critics are discovering additional reason for protest in the fact that while the Minister of Industries;; and' Commerce deprecated .'interference with food prices during, the period of the war he now has-fixed: the prices of fish, fruit and vegetables-'to meet the needs'of the influenza epidemic. Of course, the cases-are not exactly parallel, the' bpiddmib presenting conditions which did-not exists before. but the critics are finding 'plenty of Sympathy in making their point;

EXORBITANT DEMANDS/ The'effort of the Minister ‘of ’Marine to remove the grave inconvenience to thS' public. and particularly to the ■business community, by the dislocation of the ferry service between Wellington and Lytteltdn7 have so far failed. Mr. Wilford proposed to use ; <thc Government steamers in maintaining the service, and it was expected yesterday that one of these boats would fall into the running; but when all the arrangements were completed the available seamen demanded pay at the rate of 20s a day and 2s an hour overtime, equivalent to 30s a day. The Minister refused to pay this exorbitant rate and at the time of writing the men have shown no disposition to modify their demand. The Government already pays its men on a higher scale than the private companies pay theirs, and probably would listen to any reasonable proposal for a guaran tee of employment, but it positively refuses to allow the country to be exploited in this fashion. THE LIBERAL CAUCUS.

The outcome of the Liberal caucus to be held as e'arly as possible next week is being awaited "with much interest by all parties in the House. Sir Joseph Ward has made it quite plain to his supporters that while he is determined to continue his loyal support to the spirit of the party truce he is in no way committed to such an arrangement as was suggested by the resolution adopted by the Reform Caucus a week ago. He is quite prepared to join with his friends bn the other side of the House in promoting a sound and patriotic policy, but he is not inclined to hamper the legitimate aspirations of his friends on his own side in regard to domestic affairs. He may find the course he propose's to fallow a somewhat intricate one, but there is no reason to suppose that the differences between the two-old parties are going to bring about an embarrassing crisis just yet.