NOTES FROM WELLINGTON.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 August 1915, Page 5

NOTES FROM WELLINGTON.

[ SUPPRESSING EXPLOITATKHS T . (By Telegraph—Special to Daily NewaJ f , I Wellington, Last Night. The debate upon the Financial State*. ment was to have been opened in tha House of Representatives to-monw, ■' but it seems likely now that tin* Gqv«.. eminent will give precedence to some ' other 'business of more importance.^ One :'; of the matters that demands immediate , ', attention is the exploitation of ■ lie in connection with the new Customs ' ' duties. Many merchants and retailers are adding the amount of the new dut* ies to the prices of articles that were , . in stock when the Budget made its «p. pearance; in other words, they aro making a very handsome profit out of the national necessity which lias brought about the increase of the dut< ; lea. When the matter was mentioned in ' the House on Friday, the Minister for Finance said emphatically that if the consumers were exploited in this way the Government would intervene, and the merchants and retailers will leant during thu next day or two that the threat was not an idle one. "The Government is going to taokla the subject," said Mr. Mafiaov this even* . lng. "The Attorney-General" has teen ■/. asked to look into the matter, and when ..C his report is received the Government •will act. We cannot allow 1 the '■ to be exploited." i

MUNITIONS. The Ministry of munitions, whloti came into being with the formation of tlit National Cabinet, ia beginning to make its influence felt. Already the J. 'Minister in charge has effected useful ■■• reforms ia connection with the pur> chasing 'branch of tho Defence .Depart* ment. In the direction of improving the organisation for the supply of the equipment and stores required for tho men in, camp, he is giving attention to the possibility of the manufacture of munitions in New Zealand, and has called a conference of engineering experts to he held in Wellington. New Zealand has, at least, one authority on the manufacture of munitions in tho person of Professor Scott, head of tlu engineering department of Canterbury, College. Proposals have not taken form yet, 'but the Minister is disposed to believe there is a chance that tile Dominion may be able to produce machine guns if tho 'barrel* can be imported, or (limit fur their manufacture procured. The barrel* <:innol be mode without special tools, but the other parts of tho gun arc comparatively simple forging? which could be produced in any w*Uequipped engineering shop, possessed of exact plans aud the proper raattriala. The Minister has not yet, received a reply (u bin inquiry, through the WW Office, whether Japan could supply New Zealand with machine-guns. Re- i\ ports from the front indicate plainly" ' that .the guns would be of enormous valur to the troops.