NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 8 January 1916, Page 8

NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL.

THE MAHENO. (From Our Own Correspondent.)' Wellington, Jan. 6. The Evening Post asks, ; rather bluntly, why the hospital ship Maheno was brought back to New Zealand for re-commissioning, thus being removed from the war s-.ono for a period of at least four months just when her services arc required. The Maheno was commissioned originally for six months and nearly half of ithat time has been spe'nt going from New Zealand to the Mediterranean and coming back again. The Defence authorities stated originally that the Maheno was coming to New Zealand in order to convey sick and wounded soldiers who were classified as "cot cases" and could not travel in an ordinary transport, But the vessel brought very few cases of that character, the great majority of the men being vonvalescents. The Post is not likely to get a direct answer to its question. The two hospital ships are not the creations of the Defence Department. They represent an idea put forward by his Excellency ;lhe Governor, who lias personally supervised much of the work connected with them. And there are quarters in which a newspaper man may not press inquiries, at any rate under existing conditions. WATERSIDE WORKERS. A conference, of employers considered the demands of the waterside workers hero yesterday and the next step will be a conference between representatives of the employers and of ihe workers. The course of the negotiations is not being made public, but it is a fact that the employers have expressed their willingness ito make certain concessions in the matter of wages, in view of the increased cost of living and other factors introduced by the war. The men, though they arc pressing their claim for the increases that have been granted already in Australia, do not appear to be in an unreasonable mood. Several I members of the Waterside Workers' Union have stated in conversation tha/t they are anxious to secure a quick settlement and to avoid anything in tjie nature of friction. Their chief points arc that the increased cos # t of living bears heavily upon ithem, that their ranks have been thinnncd largely by enlistment, and that they are serving employers who have derived very great financial benefit from the war. The employers do not admit this last point, and they have no difficulty in showing that it would be unpatriotic in the last degree for any body of workers to interfere with the transport service at the pesent time. The workers realise the strength of that argument, and ithere is every indication of a friendly settlement being attained.