NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL.

Taranaki Daily News, 18 February 1916, Page 5

NOTES FROM THE CAPITAL.

THE BOARD OF TRADE, (From Our Own Correspondent.)) ■"".' Wellington, Feb. lft ■ The announcement of the riamoe of the three salaried members of the Boar 4 of Trade is still delayed, owing to the absence from Wellington of one of the selected men. Probably the names will be made public to-morrow. The Prime . Minister states, in the meantime, thai, the Board will begin work on March 1. The primary duty of the Board will be to protect the interests of consumers in the matter of prices, and it may be of j interest to quote what Sir Joseph Ward ] said on the subject last October, after i he had piloted the Cost of Living BUI through the House of Representative*:, * "The Cost of Living Bill was de« j signed to give full effect to the Com* mercial Trusts Act of 1914, and to | clear up several points which were not quite plain by those measures. Many j people in criticising the Bill appear to nave overlooked the fact that it haa j to be read with the la\\s already o:i the statute book. It sets up n Board of Trade, consisting of the Mil. " for Industries and Commerce kiiu three paid members, who will devote all their time to the duty of their office, Xo doubt capable men of wide experience and entirely freed from other interests will be selected, and with their assistance the Miniiter will make recommendations to the Government that can be put into operation at once. The whole machinery for the regulation of prices is now provided* and itVill be set in motion directly) the paid members of the Board are f,pi pointed." The weak part of the arrangement ap- ; pears to lie in the fact that the Board has no authority to act, its function* being purely advisory. The can do more than make rcconi.^enda*, tions to the Government. ' [The names of the members of >*<•, Board appear in another column.] V^ EXPORT OF WOOL. •--"- The Prime Minister stated to-day that "a communication had been received; from the Imperial Government request-; ; ing the New Zealand Government t« pre* vent any crossbred wool being shipped' to neutral countries, as it is urgently, ' required for Britain, and especially lor the British Army." There is roore>ip_ this statement than meets the eye. jf? will be remembered that the export of crossbred wool to neutral countries was prohibited some week,s ago, in con»equence of a request from the Imperial authorities. Since then the American buyers have not been bidding sir the various sales throughout the country.' But at the time the prohibition wae issued the representatives of American dealer)) and manufacturers had already bought or secured options over something like 2"),0Ti0 bales of New Zealand wool. A portion of this wool had bepa bought on the sheep's back, a most uV usual proceeding, and there is substMttl; al reason for believing that the Americans had anticipated the prohibition and made their arrangements accordingly. When the prohibition was announced, an agitation was begun for permission tp ship to America the wool that had been bousrhl on American account prior to the auiiuiiM cii.imu-. A great deal of pressure

appear-, in have been bronjrht to bear, and the Government was induced to make representation.-; on the point to the Imperial authorities. But tho Imperial Government ha.- .(noil fi'in. anil it the Americana want to ;,»'■ fie to their country, whence a :r.ud I'mii.v mtides leak into (Jermaiiy, I lev \- ■' *> • to take it to New Yuri: \i« London :>ntl i»et tl/e consent of the British Hoard of Trade en route,

WATERSIDE WORKERS AND THEIR PAY. < The position on tin- water-front,)* obscure. The important water'sidcra' unions have rejected the draft agreement prepared at the recent conference* itt Wellington, on the ground that it IWide provision for work after 10 p.m. The question is not one of pay. The men simply object to being required to work at night. When asked why they will not willingly undertake work on the wharves after 10 p.m. (and receive /special rates of pay) they talk generally of lost sleep and ilnpaire'd health,, ; They point, too, to the fact that a man who works from 10 p.m. to (i or 7 a.m. cannot take a job that day. If there is no night work for liim on the following night, lie lose? time for which lie, receives no recompense. Anyway, thi wateraiders are against night worls, and the question is, what will be their next move? They want the remaining clause* af the draft agreement, which make* substantial increases in pay, but tlia employers say the agreement ffiUlt b*> taken or rejected as a whole. One hear* talk on the Wellington wharves of something in the nature of a "alow strike,' work being delayed and hampered out being actually stopped. The evidence available here goes to show that there will r.ji be any actual strike. The unions have no funds, and the men realise how highly unpopular a strik| would be at the present junctor*