WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, 24 March 1919, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

MUNICIPAL ELECTION,

A TRIAL OF STRENGTH

(Special Correspondent.)

WELLINGTON, March 21.

■The Wellington municipal elections premise .to be of more interest significance than usual this year. The. appearance of Mr Weston, the president of the Employers' Association, as a candidate for the Mayoralty, is regarded by organised Labour as a challenge to a trial of strength in the smaller field of politics, anjd it is highly probable the gauntlet will be taken up- The unions /already have put forward a' "ticket" for the City Council, and would have no difficulty in persuading' one of its champions to undertake the more ambitious enterprise. Their difficulty, in*dced, would be to mako a choice from eager aspirants for the chief magistracy.

TROUBLES AHEAD. It is understood the business men of the city arc taking an unusual interest in. the municipal elections this 1 year because they fear in the near future a variety of troubles with labour. They do not admit as much as this, but they confess to being gravely concerned by the restless attitude of many of the workers. The "go-slow" policy, they say, is almost universal uilong the waterfront in a greater or less ' degree, the men are showing less and less respect for agreements an'd are seizing upon every possible excuse for demanding more pay. Just how the 4 noinin.ee of the Employees' Association ' is going to deal with these matters when elected Mayor is not disclosed. THE COST OF LIVING.

It was rumoured son*© weeks ago that the members of the Board of Trade were employo|J upon the preparation of ja "a reply" to the statements made by Mr Justice Stringer, the President of the Arbitration Court, in respect to the cost of living. His Honour, it will he remembered, expressed the opinion that till the Government discovered some means of staying the advance in the prices wages woullfl have to go on increasing. This implied, of course, that all the Government r s efforts in this direction had failed and the congenial task .of answering the criticism was handed over to the B'oard of Tr-ide and speedily completed. Now. however, Ministers are divided as to the propriety of '* talking back" to a King's judge, and it seems at the moment that those op' posed to sunk a proceeding are in thejj majority. london representation. Little has been he«rM h'tfly. even in the way of speculation, in regard to the future representation of the Dominion in London. The public appear to be taking it for granted that Mr Massey will fill the position of Resident Minister, land the friends of the Prime Minister a,-e talcing no trouble to contradict the general assumption. But the story of Sir Francis Bell succeeding Sir Thomas Mackenzie as High : Commissioner has ben revived and has obtained additional colour during the last day or two from private sources. Sir Francis is the son of one of New Zealand's most capable .representatives in the heart of the Empire, and though he lacks the commercial experience of the present occupant of the office his appointment would be entirely satisfactory to the business community.