WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, 31 December 1918, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

rijßLiavwoßKs

SHORTAGE OF LABOUR.

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, December 30 v In anticipation of the early conclusion of peace, individuals and local bodies throughout l ilhe country tore urging upon the Minister of Public Works the vigorous prosecution 'of a number of undertakings within the sphere of bis department which were either “slowed down’’ or suspended altogether on account of the war. Sir William Frcscr is not forgetting his promises in connection with these undertakings, and on the whole is meeting his promises very reasonably. The question of money is not troubling him so much as the question of labour. Sufficient funds have been provided for all urgent works, but the supply of men is still far below therequirements of the department. 'The Minister does not expect any marked improvement in this respect for five or six months, as practically all the men capable of doing pick and shovel work are employed, and their number isnot likely to be materially increased till hale men begin to return from the front in their thousands. t OPEN CONFESSION. The investigations set on foot during the influenza, epidemic have brought Wellington to the confession that it is not so clean as it thoguht it was. For years it had pointed to the vital statistics and boasted of having ;a lower death rate than any other city in the Dominion. It gave no credit for this happy distinction to the cyclonic winds that tear through its streets and alley ways, nor to the torrential rains that wash its surface dirt into the harbour. It was all due, according to the testimony of succes- f

sive mayors and councillors to the excellence of the municipal government. But the discoveries .of the health authorities of many unofficials workers during the epidemic revealed the city in all its naked sordidness. The present 'mayor and councillors fumed and protested for a time, but all to no purpose, and now have, come to admit the plain facts. This is the repentance the citizens are hoping will lead on to reform.

OFFICIAL LABOUR. Official Labour is coming to congratulate itself oupon the successes o its candidates in the Wellington Central and Wellington South by-elec tions. It s leaders are talking much of “the signs of the times,” the “writing on the Avail.” and the other portents they see in the return of one additional member to Parliament. They do not expect, it seems, thesecuring of a majority at the next general election, but they hope to return a sufficient number of members to the House of ReprescntatiA'es to place the balance of poAvcr in their hands—to bo able in fact to determine whether the Reformers or the Liberals shall occupy the , Treasury benches and on what terms. But Avhile talking in this fashion they profess to believe the best thing that could' happen for their party would be a permanent coalition between the twoold parties and Avhat N they call a straight-out fight between capital and Labour.

A SANER VIEW. That the rank and file of the Labour Party—using the title in a broad' sense—arc itching for a fight between Capital and Labour no one acquainted with the facts will believe. A gentleman unofficially but still very closely associated with the Labour movement' referring to the subject this morning/’ said the vast majority of the workers of the Dominion never were less inclined towards industrial strife than they are to-day. What success they have achieved in the political arena has made them better disposed towards constitutional means and has placed in Parliament men who instead of instigating them to fighting with the old barbarous weapons of the strike will induce them to put their trust in the ballot box. This view is endorsed by several prominent “firebrands” of a year or two ago and is not dis ;la ; meT by others of the same type wh"> still hesitate to subscribe to the policy cf peaceful penetraeijn.