WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 14 November 1916, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS

j AN IDLE RUMOR. l (Special Correspondent.; Wellington, Nov. 10. The rumor recorded, in a cablegram from London regarding the High Commissionership need not be taken seriously. The political gossips have been busy appointingi successors to Sir Thos. Mackenzie fo- many months past, and they have used Ward's name freely. "It ii understood," says the London correspondent, "that Sir Joseph Ward is likely to succeed Sir Tljnmas Mackenzie, whe williiltiraotely return to New Zealand and re-enter politics,'"- A rumor in this font was in circulation long before the Dominion. Ministers loft for London, and the Liberal leader mentioned the matter at a conference of Libel al members prior to hi» departure He then aaid emphatically that he intended to return to New Zealanld, and hoped to lead the Liberal Party at the next general election. He had' not the slightest intention, lie ar.sured his friends, of remaining in the United Kingdom in any capacity. The future, of course, is a sealed' book, and it would be rash to predict what may happen or may not happen when Imperial a (fain aro being adjusted aftSr the conclusion of peace. But for the present it may be said confidently that Gir Joseph Ward's friend* expect him back in the Dominion with Mr. Massey in January or February.

A REHEARSAL A few Wellington peopJb had an opportunity this afternoon to witneea a trial of tli<f" ballotting system devised under the Military Service Act. The officers who art t»'.undertake the actual operations next week were all at their stations and the whole of the machinery appeared to rur, smoothly and effectively. The method of conducting the ballot should ensure absolute fairness.. Every member of the Hspeditionary Force Reserve (loss a few" men who have ■contrived so far to evade registration) is represented in the register by a card, numbertd and indexed. cards are arranged in boxer., Rnd the clerks, mostly women, have to lift the corresponding cards when a numbered marble is drawn from the barrel by the magistrate. There seems to bo no poctibiliiy «f fraud 0.of error at an? stage, since e>c;-y operation is checked and the rf«r*«' cannot see the names upon t»c or.ftls when drawing them. The Defence anOlorities have realised tin importance of pro-, viding no ground fur wen the least suspicion of iinfairiycss, and the precautions that I'ave been devised ought to .-ntisfy even the most distrustful reservist When an actt.nl ballot is in progress representatives of fcjur Wellington newspapers, the Dominion, the New Zealand Times; the Evening Post, mid the Maoriland Worker, are to be permitted to be present as spectators.

THE HOSPITAL SHIP. , The hospital ship Marama, after refitting at Port Chalmers and taking aboard a new staff, isyleaving Wellington this afternoon on her return voyage to the war zone. T !ie authority have not succeeded iii mailing it at a!l clear why the Marama, 1 ke the Muhor.a before her, came right round the world for her repairs and renovations. Ths official statement is that the ur.e of a hospital ship is necessary for the transport of some severely wounded mra to this country, but as a matter of fact the ship did not bring more than a handful of serious "cot cases." In fact, then seems no reason to doubt that all the men who returned to New Zealand on the Marama cculd have travelled with safety and comfort on an ordinary transport or liner. The relief of the old staff, after a period of strainer,s labor, admittedly was desirable, but the change could have been effected without *;ii.ing th? vessel away from European waters for four months or so, during the period of the big offensive on the West front. The fact seems to.be that the Mararas was commissioned for a fixed period in,the first instance, and was brought bvk to New Zealand at thc;""iisc of that commission merely becaui the ofiichl mind works in grooves. SIR ERNEST SHACKLETON

Sir Ernest Shackleton has cabled to a friend in Wellington that_ ho expects to reach the Dominion on November 20 from San Francisco. The situation with regard to th> Aurorp remairs, in the meantime, a trifle perplexing. Sir Ernest still is owner and master of the ship, which must leave Port Chalmers during December in order to leave the explorers at present on the Antarctic coast. The Governments, which have ,p----[pointed Captain J. K. Davis to command the ship, appear to have power to seize the Aurora, sines much public money has been spent on refitting her and preparing for the relief voyage. But they have not yet taken this extreme ;atep. Captain Davis has gone to Australia to select some members of his crow, but it is likely that he will take the opportunity to tell the Commonwealth Ministers that ho objects to being placed in a false position. He accepted the command of the Aurora at the direction of tlio Federal authorities, but In- certainly will not enter into a quarrel with his old leader and colleague. It appears on the face of it that the Governments have put themselves in a foolish situation by appointing Captain Davis without first consulting Sir Ernest Shackleton, Why should any attempt have been made to fin! a now master for the Aurora before Sir Ernest Shackleton had indicated whether or not he intended to go south himself?