WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taihape Daily Times, Volume XI, Issue 3375, 2 January 1920, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

I T . -————-0--—~—— , ; THE HIGH COMMISSIONERSHIP. 1 ————e § AN IMPENDING CHANGE. , __ ' (Special Correspondent.) A WELLINGTON, Dec. 31. The Hon. J_ B. Hine is the only Minister in town to-day,‘ and he having lost his seat" in Parliament at the recent election, naturally is not inclined ‘to discuss the latest rumour in‘ con,ection with the impending change at ;the High Commissioners oifice. It is, [generally expected here, however, that [six James ‘Allen will be Sir Thomas‘ Mackenzie’s Successor and that he will go Home early in the New Year with Lomewhat extended representative sta[tus and authority. Mr Massey’s fistatement in Auckland contains no hint to this effect, but the Prime Min!ister’s reticence is taken to mean only zthat the time is not ripe for the anlnouncement. Sir Thomas ‘Mackenzie has held the office under a four~. ‘monthly tenure——at -his own request, it is authoriatatively stated—and obviouslyhe should be the first to learn of .the determination of “the ',Governiment. ‘ _ Probably another reason for the (lee. lay in: making the ,_Government.’.s in-i tention in this matter known is the necessity of accompanying the anouncement with some indication of the constitution of the reconstructed Cahinet._ As it happens the Reform Party is not strgng in financial talent, none i of its meinlbers, vclitli, the exception of 'Mr Massey and Sir James Allen, hav—ing specialised in this department of administration, and it is quite likely the Pl'inl_e_ Minister will take charge, of the Treasury himself:.. There are seve ral supporter-s‘ of the: Government in" the Upper House with the necessary qualifications, lnotably Sir, Francis Bell, but there is no’ recent precedent for the portfolio being held in that chamber. The suggestion put forward in certain quarters that Sir Joseph Ward again should be called to the rescue is regarded as a clumsy and untimely jest.

| EDUCATION REFORMS. i In her presidential address at the jannual conference of the Woiiien i’Teachers’ Association held here ‘yesfterday Miss Chaplin of Christchurch, ‘rnadeone of the most stirring app'eals'>‘ !for reform that have been put forth; Ifor a very long time. Miss Chaplin {spoke with the very highest creden-I itials. having obtained a signal mealsure of success in her profession, and ishe made her special appeal for the l“handicapped children,’-’ the little mites unhappily born and cast upon ‘the world with the pOol'eSt. possible equipment_ Her address, no doubt, nvill be printed and widely distributed," ‘but one fact she emphasised should be ‘iterated and re-iterated everywhere. IFift3r per cent. of ehildreii who ihad left a city school without passing Ithe fourth standard 7 ‘cl been traced‘. gas unemployable, under police surveil--. lance, or in re-fugephomes or training ‘farms. VVith facts like this staring iher in the face, Miss (lliaplin could {not regard the education system as {discharging half the duty the present generation owed to the children and to posterity.. ' THE LICENSING POLL. Though the Prohibitionists are en[tertaining no sanguine expectations of ithe licensing poll turning in their yfavour, they have not lost all hope. At present the Prohibition vote is 922 ‘behind the bare majority that is re--quired to turn the whole‘ Country “dl-2+2” but there still are some 12,000 votes to be counted. These comprise labsentees’ votes, sailors’ votes and lsoldiers’ votes, and though a majoriity of the soldiers’ votes are sure to go ifor Continuance or State Control, it is ‘just possible the absentees’ votes and the sailors’ votes may be sufficient to «tip the scale in favour of ProhibitionAt former polls the sailors’ votes have been fairly evenly divided, and »assum--: ing the absentee Voters followpthe‘ lead 0? the resident votes 8- 5139-m3‘”“‘ jority will ‘be on the side of Prohibi- . tion. Whatever the first result a. recount is pretty ccrtain to be demand-« ed; l ' A