WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 January 1917, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

EDUCATION BOARDS. (From Our Own Correspondents), Wellington, Jan. 8. The annual conference of the Xew Zealand Educational Institute, which has been called, not improperly, the reach erf.' Parliament, handled the Education Boards very roughly at its sitting on Wednesday, and finally passed a remit, calling upon the Government to abolish the Boards, and set up a National Board of Education in their place. Tlie gentleman who moved the remit declared that the Boards were a hindrance rather than a help towards the efficiency of the education system, and that their administration was very unwise, and often wasteful; while the gentleman who seconded it supplemented this very grave indictment by saying that during the last twenty years they had "acted injudiciously, wastefully, anil even corruptly." This extravagant language has provoked the kind of comment that might have been expected'. It is being stated that the Minister's advisers are anxious to get rid of the Boards in order that the whole management of the education system may fill into their own hands, and that tliev are making use of disappointed and" disgruntled teachers towards achieving their end. The conference was by no means unanimous on the subject, there being 38 votes in favor of the remit, and 24 against it, and the friends of the Boards are urging, apparently with

some reason, that it is rather for the School Committee- a-; the representa-. tives of the public. than the teachers to determine the late of the local administrative bodies.

THE WATERSIDERS. Since the troubles of 15)13 the waterside worker., have considerably strengthened their position in the Labor world, and to-day they probably are the biggest factor in determining between industrial peace and industrial strife. Their agreement with the employers, I wveh gave the men substantial improve-1 ment in wages and conditions, expired' two or three v. ceks ago—on December 18, to be precise—and it is mainly uncertainty in regard to their fresh demands that is causing' the talk concerning an impending strike. The members of the union held a meeting last night, at which some 120*0 were present, and adopted the r.ew proposals it is intended to submit to the employers. These for the most part are in the direction of removing anomalies and ambiguities, but. probably it will be shown by the men's representative that the increase in the cost of living since the last agreement was made would justify a corresponding increase in the rates of pay. If the workers are met in the spirit the employers displayed at the last conference, there will be no didiiulty in reaching a satisfactory settlement. They are not looking for trouble, and tliey are hoping to obtain the concessions they are seeking by a irank statement of the facts. " ' 24th REINFORCEMENTS. The mobilisation of the 21th Reinforcements was completed yesterday, when the last of the district drafts reaefied camp. Official figures are riot yet available, but it is understood that there is a shortage of something- 'ike 700 recruits for the Dominion as a whole. The quotas for the various districts have been fixed high enough to cover the accumulated shortages of earlier Reinforcements, and the position now is that these shortages, have to bt carried forward again. Neither volunteers nor baliotted men were available in as large numbers as had been expected.

The mobilisation of the 2"ith Reinwill be undertaken this wee!;, and Ore military authorities hope that the position will have been improved considerably by the time the last draft reaches camp. Addition'.! ballotted men are becoming available, and the district lists show a large body of volunteers, set down for the present draft.

Voluntary recruiting for the 2Gth Reinforcements, to be taken into camp early next month, closed on Saturday, and a ballot is to be taken to-day by the Government Statistician in order to provide the recruits required to complete the draft. The number of volunteers available leaves a substantial deficiency, and a big draft will re(]uire to lie drawn from the Reservists of the First Division. The results of tlie ballot are likely to be available for publication about the end of the -week.