WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 24 October 1916, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

IiUTTEH AGAIN. CHALLENGING THE REGULATIONS. (From Our Own Correspondent) Wellington.. October 20. It seems that the butter people, if one may be permitted to refer to a great body of producers, distributors and exporters in this colloquial way, are not going to submit meekly to the Government's decree that a limit shall be placed upon the local price of their commodity. Their representatives have decided that a case shall be stated for the consideration of the Supremo Court, and it shall be argued that the Government- 'lias no power to enforc? the scheme for the collection of a levy on butter-fat for the purpose of compensating those factories that sell within New Zealand below the export price. In the meantime a circular is being sent to the factories instructing them as to what they are to 'lo till the decision of the Supreme Court is known. They are to conform to the provisions of tTie proclamation by forthwith making application for licenses to export their butter in"order to avoid the dehty that would occur if they resisted the imposition of the tax at this stage. Those factories that do business on the local market are "to sell their butter at a rate to retailers corresponding with not more than Is id per lb to consumers" and "to maintain supplies for their usual business during the short time before the decision will be made." Of course the butter men know their Own business best, but apparently if they succeed in their appeal to the Supreme i Court their licenses to export will lapse and t'hey will be in a rather worse, position than tliey are now.

THE FACTS OF THE CASE.' It is an open secret hero that shortly atter it came into existence, as long ago, indeed, as March last, the Board of Trade advised the 'Minister of Industries anil Commerce to purchase at the rate ruling at that time. Is 2(1 or Is 3d per lb, all the butter that would be required for local consumption during the year. Mr. Massey did not see his way to do this, but some months later he announced in Parliament that if the local retail price exceeded Is 7d per lb he would piohibit exports. In this he was as good as his word, but he appears before the close of the session to have changed his viefw of the situation, as be joined with Sir Joseph Ward in declaring that during war time it was impossible to regulate prices by aAitary measures. The story now is that tiie absent Ministers have not changed their opinion on this point and when consulted by their colleagues here deprecated any interference with the open market, MOTOR PATROL. Cdmmander Armstrong gone south oil a mission which, beside attracting ■ considerable attention from the general public here, lifts fired the. imagination of many an adventurous youth who 'would like to find a short cut to opportunity and distinction. The Commander hua been sent out to the Dominion by the Imperial authorities to enrol recruits for the Motor Boat Patrol which has been doing such splendid work around the coasts of the, 'British Isles and,in the North Sea since the beginning of the war. The Minister of Defence is being criticised in some quarters for not having given more generous assistance to the mission, but really he i has been-placed in a somewhat difficult position. Had lie allowed recruiting for the patrol to proceed without placing any limitation upon the number of men to be enrolled the supply of mechanics and experts required for essential industries within the Dominion might have been seriously affected, and bad he agreed to make up the difference between Imperial pay and New- Zealand pay in. aH cases he would have committed the" country to a- very considerable expenditure for which Parliament has given no authority. That the mission lias Mr. Allen's entire goodwill is shown by the assistance the Minister is giving to Commander Armstrong, and that New Zealand- mill be well represented in the service is fully assured.

PROPORTIONAL REPRESENTATION.

Whether -the system of election popularly ■ known, as proportional representation 'would be a good I thing or a bad tiling for the people of New Zealand stilHus to be proved by actual experience. It 's not a subject that '.an be properly discussed in a note of this kind, but as an example of how a reform can lie condemned out of hand on the lear.t instructed evidence it may be permissible to mention a report presented to the Wellington City Council last night by the City Returning Officer. This gentleman has read the Proportional Representation'Agt and the Chief Electoral Ollicer's report on the Tasmanian system and he lias reached some amazing conclusions. Among other strange things, he. says that the system is "most ponderous'," that the electors would get "very much confused in dealing with the ballot papers," that "officers would require to have a proper grip of the law" to be able to advise electors, that the extra cost "would lie at. least from £-500 to £750.' and. that "the. final result would not .oe known tor several weeks." The advocates of proportional representation will scarcely know whether to laugh or to weep at this hopeless jumble, but in eitlici case they way take heart of grace from the fact that the Wellington City Council has decided not to discuss the proposal for a week. If there is any spirit at all among them they will offer the Council adequate guarantees that the adoption, of the system would increase neither the number of informal votes nor the cost of the election and that the result would, be announced within twelve hours of the closing of the poll.