WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, 10 June 1919, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS

TRIBUTE TO MR. SEDDON. ‘ THIRTEENTH ANNIVERSARY; ‘ (Special Correspondent.) ' Tomorrow will be‘the thirteenth anniversary of the death of the Right Hon. R_ J. Seddon and the occasion will be marked by a number of private and semi-public. tributes -to the memory of the great statesmen. A memorial committee, consisting chiefly of young people, who recognise they ow§"" much to Mr. Seddon’s concern for their welfare, has invited the Hon. W_ D. S. MacDonald to place a wreath on the Seddon Statute in the grounds at‘ Parliament Buildings, and other silent tributes of the‘ Eime kind will be offercd in other parts of the city. this recognition of the deceased leader’s services to the Dominion and the Empire has no party 1101' political significance, but it is felt that the absence _ of Mrs. Seddon and Miss Mary Seddon who are on a visit to England, provides a "special reason for the intimate observance of the anniversary by their friends. PERIPATETIC MINISTERS.

- One sign of the approaching general election, which cannot be delayed beyond :the end of the year and may take place in the course of a few months, is the activitv of Ministers on both sides of politics, There is "a '1 “running up and down the \:oun‘.'l'yk” now—to say nothing of trips .to Lon—don——than ever was the case in the days when “constant absence from Wellington,” was being denounced as one of the most heinous offences of certain energetic members of the Cabinet. Happily no reproach of this kind is being thrown about in these times and no doubt the country is reaping much advantage from the Ministers’ travels, while the capital, to all appearance, is sufiering little from their perambulations_ . v

WAR TROPHIES. Speaking at Ashburton last Week the Hon. ‘G. _W. Russell. the Minister of Internal Affairs, promised the good people of the wheat metropolis that ifthey would sent an application through him for a share of the war trophies coming to New Zealand he Would see that it was forwarded to the Minister of Defence and that they obtained a representative colelction of these tangible fruits of victory. Hoy many promises "of the same kind [have been made -by Mr. Russell and other Ministers and members of Parliament it is impossible to trace. but it is safe to say that if they areall discharged twa or three fair sized ships will be re»; quired to carry the scrap iron and other things to the Dominion. Several of the provincial towns in the North Island are demanding they should be. at least as Well treated as Ashburton NEW ZEALAND BANKING.

A leading financial authority referring this morning to the criticism of the large profit made by the Bank of New Zealand last year cla’inled that a great deal of credit was due to the banks for the manner in which they had conducted their business (Turing the war. ‘Whatever commercial men and tradesmen had done, the banks,at ally-rate’-'lla.d not been guilty of profiteering. They had stood -by the country and by their customers loyally, and by example -and precept had given vast assistance in preserving the financial equilibrium throughout an extremely trying period_ Bank rates had been kept down to pre-war rates, while mortgage rates had materially increased, and bankers had considered the public in every way. They had done their “little bit” admirably_