WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 31 January 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

WHEAT AND MEAT. Fixing prices. (Trom Our Special Correspondent). Wellington, January 2!). The Acting Minister of Industries and Commerce lias been kept busy during tile past week with his elTorts to settle the prices of wheat and moat on a basis acceptable to all parties. The wheat problem seems to be much the more puzzling of the two, and to-day its solution has been further postponed. The evidence, collected by the Hoard of Trade, including statements made a few weeks ago by peonle who are now clamoring for 63 and Gs 3d a bushel, all goes to show that 5% would be a good payable price, but Mr. Mad>onald has 110 authority to compel farmers to grow wheat even at a payable price, and it looks at the moment as if he would have to guarantee an outside figure to ensure sufficient land being put under crop to meet the requirements of the Dominion for local, consumption. Thanks to the action taken bv the Imperial authorities, the meat problem presents less difficulty, and apparently the Minister is on a fair way to its solution.

AN INOPPORTUNE MOVE. | The Hawera branch of the Farmers' Union has chosen' w'hat will seem to most people a rather inopportune time to urge upon the Dominion Conference, a proposal for a new political patty—a party of 'Country members in Parliament pledged to look after the interests of the producers. Already the country districts by the operation of the '2B per cent, "country quota" have a-consider-able preponderance of representation in Parliament, and in the -past they sewn to have had no reason to complain of the manner in which their members have looked after the interests of the farmers. But this is not the particular point that has to be considered just now. The National Government, whatever its shortcomings may have been, was formed for the purpose of putting an end to party strife during the course of the war, and to set up a new party now pledged to revive the old bitter -controversies would be utterly opposed to the spirit of patriotism by which the count*)' is animated.

NATIONAL STOCK-TAKING. A paragraph appearing in one of the local papers ,which reads as if it had been inspired by a Minister who had been allowed to have all his own way, implies that the national stock-taking, mentioned in this column on one or two occasions, was "temporarily shelved a short time ago through the Cabinet not deciding to adopt a scheme exactly as submitted bv the Aeting-'Prime Minister," but is being taken in hand again. The basis of the scheme, it is said, is that the productive resources and industrial operations of the Dominion shall be fully ascertained and' that investigations shall be made as to what is most esential in aiding the Empire to m the war.. It will then become the business of the Government through some agency like the Board of Trade to ascertain where workers are most wanted and make the necessary adjustments. This represents nearly enough what is being .attempted ,and at present it is only necessary to add that there has been no Cabinet crisis over the matter, and Mr. Allen has not dogmatised concerning the details. THE WATERSIDERS.

The published accounts of what occurred at the ■conference between the waterside; workers and the employers have not tended to reassure the .public mind in regard to the labor question. The employers held firmly to their determination to rely solely upon the Conciliation and Arbitration Act in the settlement of disputes, and the men just as firmly to their resolution to have nothing to do with either the Conciliation Council or the Arbitration Court. This would appear to mean inevitable trouble. The men are angry that their delegates should have been brought to Wellington and then denied an opportunity to put their case before the employers, 'but they are not losing their heads. Responsible men among them declare there is going to he no repetition -of the mistake eff three years ago. Public opinion ami organisation are going to accomplish what force failed to achieve, and the workers will be content to wait, but satisfied that the ultimate result will be in their favor.