WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, 16 January 1919, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

RELIGIOUS OBJECTORS. • i A BOARD OF INQUIRY (Special Correspondent.) WELLINGTON, Jan. 15. The Minister of Defence, who all along has been much more tolerant towards the religious objector to military service than a majority of the members of Parliament have been has set up an official board, to advisehim in ‘the exercise cf his discretionary power in the removal of names from the defaulters ’ list. The members of the board are the Rev. J. E. Burgin, chaplain to the Forces, who has done excellent service at the front the Rev. J. G. Chaplin, a well-known Nonconformist Minister, Mr M. J. Mack, ia/ Labour representative, and Mr C. E. Matthews, the Inspector of Prisons, It is expected that if the board can advise the Minister that in its opinion a defaulter has bona fide religious objections to military service he will be released and re" lieved from the penalty of disfranchisement imposed by the law. The Baard already has commenced its work., PUBLIC WORKS. From the statement issued by the Acting Minister of Finance, the Hon. A. M. Myers, yesterday, showing the revenue and expenditure for the ninemonths of the financial year endedon December 31 last, it appciars that only £706,052 has been expended upon public works during the period. The expenditure authorised by Parliament amounted to nearly two millions, and a half and the "Dominion,” commenting this’ morning upon the figures, says they disclose a very serious -state of affairs. "The extension of roads and railways is demanded urgently,” it says, "in ordinary justice to numerous settlers and their families now isolated in the backblocks and as the only means of enabling them to take an effective part in building up the ■wealth of the Dominion and promoting its progress.” The blame for the tardy progress that has been made rests upon the Minister of Public Work, not upon the Minister of Finance, and Mr Fraser passes it on to the scarcity of labour.

LABOUR AND SETTLEMENT

There can bo no possible doubt that tyc difficulty of obtaining sutable labbour for public,works has been largely increased by the exigencies of the war Not only has there been the demand for men for the Reinforcements, but there also has been the demand for men for the various industries. But a representative of labour speaking this morning said that the difficulty in obtaining suitable men for road and railway works has largely accentuated by the. Department’s refusal to pay . the wages such men could command in other employment. “While such men ran make £4 or oven £5 ia. week in other jobs,” ho said, with some show of reason, “they arc not going to accept £3 or £3 10s a week for harder work and less comfortable conditions.” It was only the other day that a Wairarapa farmer was speaking to a similar effect and this aspect off the question might bo worthy of further consideration. ORDERS, DECORATIONS AND MEDALS. A good deal of more or less cheap witticism has greeted the instructions regulating the wearing of orders, decorations and medals and the selection of dress for State occasions and public occasions just issued in a special general order from Defence Headquarters. The average New Zealander does not set much store on this sort of thing, but apparently someone in authority is anxious to arouse him to a proper recogniton of his social obligations. He is told, among many other things, it will be “correct” for him to wear evening dress at various functions, that may occur before noon, but if ho does not possess the ,necessary garments, “it VviliJP su quite appropriate for morning dress to be worn at other than evening functions.” At evening functions it seems he must either borrow the “glad rags” of his neighbour or deny himself the privilege of attending.