WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 30 January 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

MEAT SHOPS. •THE AUCKLAND EXPERIMENT. ' (Special Correspondent.)' _,, Wellington, Jan. 26 ine confident message addressed by the secretary of Hie Board M Trade to the Acting-Minister of Industries and Commerce, thoiujh it does not assure the Miccess of the State meat shops just opened in Auckland, suggests that the rouscn-ives of the northern city are looking favorably upon Mr MacDonalLs experiment, 'the only criticism offered here so far is that the Minister is taking no steps to initiate a similar experiment in the other large centres, and the nmver to this is that in none, of the oilier cities have meat prices soared to the level they have reached in Auckland. Mr. Mac Donald, whatever'his sympathy with State enterprise may bo, dies not wish to interfere with the private butchers so long as their charges boar a reasonable relation to the cost of stock. He lias taken action :n Auckland because the Board of T'ntl-c 1 as satisfied him that the retailers there are not observing this condition. SAMOA. Mr. Massey'? intention to fight hard at the Empire Council "on behalf of New Zealand"—as the cabled summary of his statement runs—against the restoration of Samba to Germany after the war is being generally acclaimcii here by both politicians and business if.en. The Imperial Government is r.ot likely to be supine over the fate of the is-lands, as it was thirty odd vcars ago v-hen Sir Robert Stout, instigated by the late Mr. John Lundon, in the hope ofyforestnlling the Germans, passed ,in Annexation Act through the New Zca land Parliament, only to have it vetoed by the authorities at Home. Unfortunately, Sir Robert did not remain in office long enough to overcome the inert : a ot Downing Street, and when Mr. Saldor.took up the fight in ISD4 the difficulties of the position had enormously increased. The system of had been practically established, and Germany had begun her plotting and scheming against British influence in thu Pacific. Now, however, the way is open again, and Mi-. Massey will bave the varm goodwill of all political parties in New Zealand in completing the work the two distinguished Liberal leaders began. , THE GAMBLING EVIL.\

It is understood that the notion taken | against certain bookmakers in Auckland is the first fruits of recent instructions ismed by the AttorneyGeneral for tho strictest enforcement of J.lie provisions of the Gaining Act. Tliere U no suggestion tliat the police, speaking generally, have been neglecting their duties, but the hundreds of bookmakers now infesting the country have so cleverly and cunningly got round the law that the Minister is determined to ascertain if further legislation is necessary to defoat thei'' machinations. If it >, Parliament probably will be asked to deal with the matter in a separate r.tasure, altogether apart from the Gaming Act, :i,nd to make professional betting of any kind an offence punishable by imprisonment without the option of a fine. Perhaps it may be permissible horn "o advise the patrons of the- bookmakers' to move very warily v.hilo this investigation is in progress.

FIXING PRICES. Wellington is in trouble with its milk again, but happily the trouble this time is one of price and not of quality. During the'last four or five years, the war appearing to make little difference, the dairymen have been supplying the retailers at from 7Jd to BJd a gallon, b.it at the beginning of this summer they (ixed the price at IOJd and a few week? ago announced their intention to raise it to 11 Id. The Board of Trade just tolerated the M'/ 2 d, but when the lMd was announced it stepped in and advifed the Acting Minister of Industrie.* irnd Commerce to veto tho rise. This Mr. MneDonnld did by proclamation the ether day, and now the dairymen have extracted fsom him a promise to have a public inquiry held into their prices. Li the meantime tho proclamation holds geed, and consumers are looking forward to learning all about tho milk trade. THE WAT INSIDE WORKERS. The progress of the negotiations between the Waterside Workers' Federal:on and the employers has been watch|od with a great deal of interest and Isome anxiety, which the announcement made this svening has not allayed. Early reports that the parties were making- some progress toNvards agree'.mrsnt seem to have been liaised on knowledge of the fact that each side was prepared to yield something. But the conference reached a deadlock over the question of referring the dispute to the Arbitration Court, and apparently the next move rests with the Federation, since the employers have decided not to discuss terms except through the Court. Representatives of the employer* waited upon tho Actins-'Prime Mini?ter last night and stated their case. They: .were told that the Government was lieutral and could take no part in the dispute at that stage. But to-night's development eh-.uigc-s the position and it may be mentioned t'lrat the Government. would lie disposed to take drastic e.teps rather than tolerate delay in the -handling of Imperial produce and the dcfpatch of transports. There wojild be precedent in the recent industrial history of the T.fnited Kingdom for tern, pcrary State control of a transport inilvstrv threatened with dislocation ow:ng to a dispute over wages and conditions. The Federation officers will consider the position to-morrow and nicet■iii"s of the union members may be called.

INDUSTRIAL ORGANISATION. The announcement 1 of some of the dotails of the Government's proposals for industrial organisation is waiting t!ie appointment of the four men who are to constitute the central Industrial Organisation Board. It. has not been easy to find four .men of the requisite attainments an<r experience who were prepared' to undertake the work, /but the Board is likely to come into existence within the next few days. The Government is not proposing any genera! i uenio of industrial organisation at I :is stage. Local committees will be ( seated throughout the Dominion and I *e committees' will inform the. Board I iriling local conditions. The Board i i turn will survey the 'whole position I ' make recommendations to the Goi II nmcnt as required for overcoming '.:•. r shortage's, The arrangements will b > ,'astic enough to' meet any conditions t:..i : ffl*y arise. The shortage, ej labor

owing to enlistments is bound to Tiecome more acute as the months pass ami the Board will be prepared to extend its' operations gradually. THE PRICE OF WHEAT, FLOUR AND BREAD. decision regarding the price to be paid the fanners for wheat during the coming season. It is certain that the Governirfent will guarantee a price to the growers, but the fixing of the exact figure appears to be causing the Minister for Agriculture a great deal of trouble. He has . received representations from all side*—growers, millers, bakers and consumers. The prices that are susgested to him range from 4s to fis fid per bushel, and the position is complicated from hjs point of view by the uncertainty that exists still regarding the new season's harvest, which ia now coming on to the market. The Minister informed your correspondent to-day that lie expected to have the question settled during the coming week. Tie would ask Cabinet to fix a. definite price at which' the Government would buy wheat. The prices of (lour and.bread naturally were dependent, to a. very larsre extent, on' the price of wheat, and he 'hoped to he able to cover the whole field in a way that would be satisfactory, or at least fair, to all the interests ironwrricd. Mr. Mac Donald added that the statements placed before him by wheat-growers and. millers regarding costs of production and so forth had been contradictory to a perplexing extent.