WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 October 1916, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

MINISTERS AT HOME PURPOSE OF VISIT, (From Our Own Correspondent) Wellington, October U, The announcement of the arrival of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward in London lias freed the newspapers from the silence that was imposed upon ti:em in connection nvitli the Ministers' visit to the Mother Country, and the local journals, after their respective ways, are expressing their appreciation of the kind things being said of the Dominion's representatives by the British Press. The Dominion, just a little unfortunately and doubtless in pure inadvertence, stars the great event in its cable columns as "Mr. Massey in London," hut as a set-off against this the Post specially congratulates Sir Joseph Ward upon his felicitous assurance of New Zealand's devotion to the Imperial cause. Speculation as to what the Ministers are going to do while at Home and as to what is going to happen to them in the near future is taking various shapes, some of them highly [robalile and'some quite incredible. A remark dropped by Mr. Massey in casual conversation just before he left Wellington to the effect that his colleague might find it necessary to remain in London longer than he intended to remain himself ha 3 been taken in some quarters to indicate that Sir Joseph Ward may be absent from the Dominion for a lengthy period, but private information of"the most reliable and positive character shows that there is no likelihood of the Minister of Finance willingly prolonging his visit by a single day. The end of January is the time fixed in the original programme for the return of the party. THE REARRANGED CABINET. Now that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance are safely landed under the hospitable roof of the Hotel Cecil it is permissible to mention the Ministers who are carrying on their administrative duties during their absence. Mr. James .Allen, who wished nothins to be said of his promotion till his colleagues were out of the way of the enemy submarines is, of course, ActingPrime Minister. Sir Francis Bell has taken over the Lands Department, and Mr. W. D. S. Mac Donald is temporarily Minister of Industries and Commerce—to the entire satisfaction, it may lie said, of the Board of Trade—and Minister in Charge of the Meat f'mrchasing Department. The Labor Department is in the safe hands of Mr. Herriee. Sir Joseph Ward's offices entail even more work and greater responsibility than do those the Prime Minister has" laid down for the time, and it is much to the credit of Dr. McNab, as Acting-Postmaster-General, with half-a-dozen allied offices, ami Mr. Arthur Myers, as custodian of alll the financial departments, that the administrative machine is running with the utmost smoothness and efficiency. Mr. Myers particularly is to be congratulated. He possesses in an eminent degree the qualities for the positions he is now filling, and the country, as well 83 the National Cabinet, is extremely fortunate in having a Minister so well able to look after the Treasury during Sir Joseph Ward's absence. AMERICAN ENTERPRISE, The appearance of American buyers in the local meat market, prepared to pay substantially higher prices for mutton and lamb than the rates fixed by the Imperial Government seem to warrant, is occasioning much curiosity and discussion here. A gentleman closely connected with the local meat trade declares that the visitors must either have early information of an impending increase in the prices paid by the Imperial authorities or be in a position to secure a share of the huge retail profits that aro being made in the handling of New Zealand meat at Home. The latter is the more probable hypothesis. The commandeered meat not required for Army purposes is passed on to the agents of the shippers, who must sell to the wholesale dealers at an advance of not more than 2 per cent, upon the Government rates; but there is no restriction upon the prices the retailer may charge, and the American "trusts,'' ivith their endless ramifications would find little difficulty in picking up all the profits that arise between the wholesale store and the consumer's table. This is one of the matters Mr. Massey has undertaken to investigate during his visit to London, and it is hoped he may be able to give an early assurance that American speculators are not fattening on the New Zealand producers' readiness to supply the Mother Country with cheap meat.