WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 14 December 1916, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

COST OF LIVIXG. THE FLOUR QUESTION", (l'rom Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, December 11. ''This is a part of a general scheme which will be announced sifter r, conference with representatives of the wheat-gr.owers," the Minister of Agriculture stated when announcing the remission of the duty on flour The matter was urgent, in view of the increase in the price of bread that inevitably would follow upon the increase in the price of flour, but probably Mr. MacDonald would have saved himself from a good deal of adverse criticism had lie been able to announce all bis scheme at once. As it is he is being hauled over the coals by the millers, wlio are complaining, apparently with ■ some reason, that the Minister lias reversed the traditional policy of the 1 Dominion by remitting the duty on the manufactured article and keeping it on the raw material. It seems, however, from statistics that have been compiled by the Depart-nu-nt of; Agriculture, that'oi the 1,500,000 bushels of wheat in stock at the end of November, all but 250,000 bushels had pa; -vl out of the hands of the osumably into the hends, of „he before the price advanced. be- -■ ca=e and the figures have not bein so far challenged, the millerc are uot 'being p.aeed at such a disadvantage as they would have the public believe. It is reported from Auckland, however, .that .the Australian millers alreadv . l-.ive sized .up the positior and advanced theit price for export to New, Zealand to £l3.a ton, which will moan practically very little of the remission reaching the But Mr. Mac Donald can scarcely have overlooked this'contingency,'even if the Australian .millers are disposed to imperil the opportunity to get rid of their surplus stocks. REGULATING AND COMMAND BERING. .

Public opinion here is strongly behind Mr, Mac Donald in his efforts as ActingMinister of Industries and Commerce to keep down the cost of living, and even those "people who would not be greatly inconvenienced by the price of bread advancing another penny a loaf are commending the courage and firmness with , which lie is handling the problem, flicv realise that the chief cause of such labor unrest as we liaye in this country at the present time is the difficulty the working man lias in making a week's wages satisfy a week's c.ctds. Mr. ' Mac Donald's colleagues 'are evidently taking the same view of the question. They arc cordially supporting him in his various proposals, in spite* of ai;y exaggerated respect tliev -previously may have had for the law of supply and demand, and there is :ioi the slightest ground for the rumors, of Cabinet dissensions over his policy put about by-more or less interested people. The only serious fault found with the Government in connection with the matter is that it . did not take more drastic measures' in t'he public intorevts months ago. 4 MATTER 01' riEPOP/nxr;. Apparently one effect of his trip Home has been to make Mr. Massey much more rensitive over the reporting of his speeches than he was before hs left here. Few politicians in this . country -have suffered more than he has at the hands of the reporters, 1 and yet his complaints have been few and far between, and even then bave been made rather in sorrow than in anger. But now he has thought it worth while to cable all the way from London a correction of the brief summaries supplied by the Press Association of some casual remarks ho made there six or seven weeks ago on subjects of no pressing importance. But perhaps his repudiation of the statement attributed to him that "the repatriation of .00,0,01) soldier; >vill prevent N,e\v Zealand adopting an immigration .policy this year" is intended to conciliate public opinion at Home, .vhieh evidently expects the dominions to continue their services, to the Empire by opening their doors wide to immigrants from the Motherland after the ,var. Such a policy certainly would meet with no serious opposition in New Zealand, ' provided its people had,-some say in the class of immigrants admitted, and provided a Comprehensive land settlement schemo were inaugurated foi their Bpceil.v- natural , absorption. The Dominion still has millions' ot, Mires, calling out for hands, and the new democracy is going to raist no factious objection to their legitimate occupation. MILITARY SERVICE. Defence Headquarters announced . today that all the reservists of the First Division who are at present serving in the Royal Xcw Zealand Artillery and the New Zealand Permanent Staff. ar,c going into camp with the 25th Reinforcements at . the beginning of next month. The t order, of course, is subject to the men being passed by the doctors as fit for active service. Headquarters explains that these soldiers have not been free to join the Expeditionary Forces in the past, but they .ire being transferred for active service now Jiat the compulsory enlistment of reservists of the First Division has been begun.

■2oth REINFORCEMENTS. Voluntary enlistment is nqw proceeding for the 2Gth Reinforcements, due to enter camp early in February. The quotas for tius draft, assessed on the basis of the numbci of reservists of the Ist Division remaining in each of the recruiting districts, are as follows:—(1) Auckland City, 2!)7; (2) Hauraki, .>7; (3) North Auckland, 72; (4) Waikato, 09; (5) .Wellington. City, 220; ,'0) Mariawatu, 100; (7) Hawke's Bay S2; (S) Taranaki, 103; (fl) Christchurcli, 170; (1.1) South Canterbury, 104; (11) North Canterbury, -'o3j (12) Nelson, 74; (13) Dunedin, i 37; (14) Southland, 12!); (15) North Otago, 53; (1(>) C'lutba, 50; (17) Bay of Plenty, 37; (IS) Wairarapa, "55; (10) Poverty Bay, (Mi; (20) Wanganui, 78; (21) West Coast, CO. It may surprise some people to notice that districts which have done well un:der the voluntary system tend to have | their quotas increased, relatively, when new assessments are made. The operation of the recruiting system is automatic in this respect, owing to the fact that the quotas are based upon ;he number or 1 reservists of the First, Division remaining in each district. Full quotas appear to mean, generally, that the- districts providing them arc enlist: in.g a certain number ot Second Division wen, that is,'married nen. The quotas continue to be assessed on the remain: ing First Division men. The ballot takes First Division men only, and so tends to reduce the quotas in the district: where it operates . • •. . -