WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 26 October 1916, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

AN APPEAL TO CAESAR. ' THE PRIME MINISTER'S PREDICAMENT. • (From Our Own Correspondent.) Wellington. Oct. 2:i.' The Farmers' Union lias landed Mr. Masscy into a somewhat embarrassing position. As the representative of the butter producers it cabled to him protesting against what it called "the export tax of 3d per lb. on butter-fat imposed by Order-in-Council without the sanction of Parliament," and he has replied stating that he has communicated with his colleagues regaining . in the Dominion about the matter, just what the Prime Minister can do to relieve the dairymen from the injustice under which they believe themselves to be laboring, not even the officials of the Farmers' Union pretend to know. Though still a Minister of the Crown, and head of the Government, he holds for the lime being no portfolio arid enjoys no administrative authority. Even if he desired to do so he certainly could not veto the decision of the Cabinet in this or in any other matter, and if he could ho scarcely would risk bringing about a ministerial crisis at such a time as the present. It is known that when he left New Zealand a couple of months or so ago he yas not favorable to the policv that has since been adopted by his colleagues; but the situation has materially changed in the interval and the expressed views of the absent Ministers were very carefully considered by the Cabinet before it refused to allow the export of butter without an adequate guarantee that the local price would be kept at a reasonable rate. THE PRICE OF MEAT.

The announcement that Mr. Masscy and .Sir Joseph Ward have reached a settlement with the Home authorities in regard to the price to be paid by the Imperial Government for New Zealand meat has been followed by the intimation that the of Agriculture, Mr. D. S. Mac Donald, will shortly eonfci with, the representatives of the meat-producing industries with a view to adjusting local price:,, Whether the conference is to dis.euss merely prices for export or also prices for retail supplies is not quite clear, but having attacked the butter question in the interest:-, or the iocai consumer the Minister, if he wishes to be consistent, hardly can decline dealing with the meat question in the same way. That, at any rate, is Hie view expressed by the average man in the street, who, as he puts it himself, lias a good many ticekts on Mr, Mac Donald at the present time. Meat prices are not nearly so iiniform throughout the Dominion as the prices of most other commodities are, but speaking generally, the prices for home consumption are substantially higher than those for export, and from this fact people are arguing that thp butcher stands in even greater need of restraint than does the butter-man. The fact that the members of the Board of Trade are to attend the conference between the Ministers and the representatives of meat is accepted by the consumers as an assurance that their interests will not be neglected.

THE NATION'S TEETH. A report supplied to the newspapers by Lieut.-Gcneral Hunter, Director of Dental Services, while reassuring as to the attention being given to the men going to the front, makes it plain enough that the teeth of the mass of the people are in a deplorable condition. During the four months beginning with June and ending with September the dental staff in the camps supplied 24,043 fillings, made 9530 extractions, and fitted 2100 dentures, which are, it may be presumed, artificial teeth. The Tenth Reinforcements had 4501 fillings and 2131 extractions, the Eleventh 3508 and 1257, the Thirteenth 2533 and CM, and the Fourteenth 3102 and 10115. These figures do not represent nearly the whole of the work needed, as many men were treated outside the camps,

and many more, simply for lack of time and opportunity, 'Were sent away without all the attention they required. Tho most startling statement In the report is to the effect that out of about l&iOOO men examined in the Fcathorston Camp only fourteen have ])cen found to have perfect sets of natural teeth. Of this -happy taker's dozen five were 'born and raised in Scotland, three in Ireland, three in New Zealand, one in St. Helena, one in England' .arid . one in Canada, Amateur workers in this wide "field for reform will he discouraged on reading that "most" of the much-blessed friur- 1 tean ""have very rarely cleaned their teeth." Careless schoolboys will treasure the fact as a standing retort to reproving mothers. IMPATIENT LIBERALS. The rumors that have been on foot ■for some time concerning a .movement within the Liberal Party for the appointment of an independent leader during the continuance of the National Cabinet, are now taking definite shape, and it is possible to form some idea of wiiat is in the minds of the progressive politicians who are growing impatient of tiie restraints placed upon them by the ''party truce." The movement is in no way hostile to Sir Joseph Ward. On the contrary, its promoters believe that by appointing a temporary leader to look after the interest* of the Liberal Party in the meantime they wilt make Sir Joseph's task when he returns to his nnturgl place in politics all the easier. As„a precedent they quote the case of Mr. Bonar Law. who, -while putting his services unreservedly at the disposal of the Coalition Government at Home in everything directly appertaining to the war, reserves to himself all tile rights and privileges belonging to an independent leader of the Unionist Party in dealing with domestic affairs. Of course Sir Joseph Ward lias not been consulted -by the promoters of the movement and probably he would have given them little encouragement if he had been; but the other Liberal members of the Ministry, though insisting upon unanimity within the Cabinet, sea no cause for alarm on account of the impatient , spirits wishing to move the State coach along a little faster than it bar. been proceeding during the last two years.