WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3347, 27 November 1919, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

v INFLUENZA. ‘ NO NEED FOR ALARM. « (Special Correspondent , WELLINGTON, Nov, 25, The increase in the number of cases of influenza in the Wellington district during the last week or two has created much uneasiness in some quarters, timid people fearing ‘a. recurrence of the epidemic of twelve months ago, but the District Health Oflicer states mr.st emphatically there is no need for alarm. “Out of t'he sixty-two cases of influenza reported,’ ’he says, “only six are pneumonie, and there is nothing to indicate the presence of an epidemic in any place. The type of disease that we are getting at present. is, generally speaking, very mild,” and only a small proportion -of the cases are pneumonic in nature. During the whole of the winter months there‘havc been very few cases of pneumonia, and, though there has been an occasional death, there has been no increase in the fatalities.” The health authorities have the position well in hand, and with proper precautions on the part of the public and prompt notification, they are confident of keeping the disease in check. R-OWDY ELECTORS. The members of the Labour Party that think elections are to be won by preventing their opponents speaking from the platform are continuing their operations with unabated vigour. Just iiow they are directing their well organised forces chiefly against Mr I'l- - who has -had the temority to c-one in from Fcilding to" oppose Mr Fraser, the ofiicial Labour candidate for Welliington Cen"t‘ra.'l. They have 51nis);) taken their man. There is many a politician that would have been driven out of the fi_eld by the outburst of noise and disorder and personal abuse that greeted the Liberal candidate on his °fil'st appearance in the constituency. But Mr Pirani is not made -that way. He seems positively to rejoice in his encounters with the crowds that follow him from place to, place, and though he never loses his temper, he hits back smartly and incisively. Even his opponents are beginning to realise‘ that “by his pluck and’ persistence he has put himself well ‘into the running for the seat. THE WELFARE LEAGUE.

It has been commonly supposed that the Welfare League was dead, but from an “open letter to returned soldiers, their relations and friends” it publishes’ in the papers this morning, it appears it has only ‘been sleeping. It has awakened to tell the public what the Ofiicial Labour Party was doing during the “grave crisis from which, the Dominion, the ‘Empire, and the world have just emerged. “Where was the Labour Party,’ ’. it asks the returned soldiers, “when you were at the front?” “Spending most of its time,” it replies for itself, “shielding the shirkers.” “When the Red Cross Societies and kindred bodies were helping the sick and W011El(i(3d soldiers and caring for their dependents,” it inquires from the community at large, “where Was the Labour Party?” “With very few exceptions,” i't answers again, “its members ‘Vere mainly conspicuous by their absence.” In all tlris, of course, the League is on sound ground, and both the old parties will be glad -to see it remaining awake to continue its -activities in the same direction. INDEPENDENCE. As the election campaign progresses it is becoming» more and more apparent that it is the independent members of the new Parliament, and not official La-bour th"at is going to decide the fate of the two main parties. Several of the professing independent candidates have had to confess they are not strong enough to stand: alone and have returned to‘ the sheltering Wings of one or other of the party leaders. But: there still are enough genuine independents in the field to largely outnumber the‘ Social Democrats likelgy to :be ~rct.urned to the. House in any conceivable eircum—stances, and the country would feel much safer with these exercising the balance of power than it would be with Mr Holland and his friends turning the scale one- way or the other. The Independents, in ‘fact, may be , its saviour from the very embarrassment the Social Democrats are anxious to bring about.