WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 9 February 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE liOX. BR. McNAB. A LIFE OF SERVICE. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, February 5. His intimate ffiends were not unprepared for the sad ending of the illness with which Dr. McNab was stricken three weeks ago. On his admission to the private hospital in which lie died on Satimlny night no serious complications were apprehended, hut when pleurisy followed upon a slight cold a week later and heart trouble was discovered, his friends were not kept in ignorance, of the gravity of his condition. Unhappily the worst fears of the doctors have been realised. Only those very closely associated with Dr. McNab in bis work can understand the magnitude of the loss the public life of the country has suffered by bis death. Dilfidcnt to an extreme, conscientious almost to a fault, and perhaps a little distrustful of his own powers, lie was too easily discouraged and too ready to make way for less sensitive and more assertive men in the battle of politics. The very qualities that endeared him to bis friends — his high ideals, bis scrupulous loyalty, his generpiis forbearance—were often the occasion of offence to some of his smaller critics, but to-day they will be remembered by all those whoso opinion he would have valued to the lasting honor of a man who gave himself ungrudgingly to the service of his fellows and to posterity.

TEE VACANT SEAT. Of course tlio death of Dr. Mc-Nsb will entail the election of a new member to represent Tbiwke's Bay in Parliament, and probably the appointment of a new Minister to fill his place in the Cabinet. There was a tacit understanding between the party leaders when tiie National Cabinet was formed that during its continuance any vacancy occurring in the House of Representatives would be filled by a member of the same political color. This understanding was scrupulously observed so far as the party leaders were concerned at the Pahiatua byelection last year, and there is no reason to suppose it will be disturbed 011 the present occasion. The rnmnr. that Mr. 11. jr. Campbell, the former member so narrowly defeated by Br. McNab at tile last general election, will eontest the seat may be attributed to people who are not acquainted with that gentleman's nice sense of propriety. The mimes of several members have been mentioned in connection with the vacant seat in the Cabinet, but if the choice has to be confined to North Island representatives. in order to preserve the geographical balance, it will be narrowed down to a very small number, and torday Mr. Veitcli is most in favor.

TIIE NORTH AUCKLAND TOUR. The southern guests of the North Auckland Development Board who have returned from the great advertising torn, speak in highly appreciative terms or' the hospitatitv tliev received anil of much of the countrv they traversed. The commercial side of the enterprise was now and some of them say, a little too conspicuous, but the object of the promoters was frankly utilitarian and there is 110 ground for serious complaint upon.'his score. North Auckland wanted to be better known, and it adopted a very delightful way of achieving its purpose. The southerners, among whom must tie included visitors from Manawntu. Taranaki and Wellington, are enthusiastic ever the country tliev saw. "A second Taranaki in the makin™." is the verdict of n visitor from the butter province. ''A lot of the land U as good as any we have in Canterburv, and all of it Ims a better climate," is the opinion of another of the tourists, and without execution the travellers express surprise that the country should hive remained practically unknown for so long. The Development Board at" least has got the advertisement it sen<i!it. and it will be disappointed if its elTorts do not further accelerate the drift northward.

THE WATERFRONT. The trouble on the waterfront secm= to have resolved itself for the moment 'nto an oxclifingc of letters between the various parties concerned. The position is scarcely so hopeful as it appeared telle at the enil of last, week, hut the men ■ till profess a snirit of sweet rcr enableiiess and a desire to carrv on the work of the port to the best advantage, lliey have adopted, however, a rather unfortunate fashion of giving expression to their admirable sentiments, and (lie intervention of the Employers'. Farmers end Citizens' Defence Committee, so far from throwing oil upon the trouble! water s , has drawn from their union a letter that is anything bill conciliatory. The general feeling here is that, while there are faulis 011 both side-, the men have put themselves in the wronsr by reI'usins? the assistance of the toneilia--1 ion Council is settling the dispute, and that, in the ease of an open rupture they -would obtain little sympathy even from di.-'.utcrc-tcd people who stood by them in the unhappv alTair of three years aao. The public would have no natieiK'C with a strike over a trivial dilfcrcnce of opinion at such a time as

rRICK OF WHEAT AXD FLOUR. Wellington, February fl. Ministers, wlio have threshed out the wheat problem very thornn«hlv. art; of opinion that witli wheat nt an average lirice of 5s Hid per hti-ht-I (here should In; 110 dilliculty in liinitinj; the price of Hour to pi>r ton at smithcm ports. Tliis will not permit of any material induction in tin l price of broad, hut it will prevent, increases, and. apparentlv, ll'e Ministers believe that nothing more llian that could he nohievpd at the pre'sent time without danger of an actual | shortage arisinif. 11 is no secret that the members of the Hoard of Trade re commended the tkiii.2 of a lower price. They were of opinion that Canterbury ; farmers would grow all the wheat rammed if guaranteed a price in the neighborhood of as per bushel. but the Board of Agriculture was dellmtely of another opinion, and I lie Board of Trade's first recommendation to the (Invernment was referred bad; to it fur further consideration. rut: vacant rmiTFOuo WeHini'ton, February 7. The vacancy In the Cabinet rm-etl by the death of the lion. Dr. MeXab may not, he filled immediately The point has not '.et been di-Oussoil by the late Minister's crd'cairue?, nlio probably would It •milled ir-i-jrolv bv (lie wishes of Sir .liHeph Ward. Ilut even with two Minir.tir.-i iu Loudon and a heavy burden of war -work to be distributed aiuoiy

the remaining Ministers, there is no urgent need for the appointment of a new Minister just now, and the difficulties of such an appointment are obvious. There may lie special reasons known to Ministers themselves why the balance of party strength, in the Ministry should be maintained, but it certainly appears from tile outside that such a point might safely be waived, at least until the return of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward from London.

THE WATERSIDE DISPUTE. The important incident in connection with the waterside dispute to-day is recognised to be the use of free labor at Wanganui. Vessels that are licing loaded at Wanganui by free labor are reported to lie coming to Wellington, and their arrival for further loading here is expected to bring matters to a definite issue, ,'rhe parties naturally have nothing to say on the point at the present juncture. It has been stated in waterside circles during the last few days that till! use of-free labor for the loading of ships'would bring the seamen and firemen into the dispute, and there are indications this evening that the Seamen's Federation is taking an active interest in developments. Work has proceeded on the Wellington wharves in the meantime, but the temper of the men, as illustrated by several incidents, is uncertain. The refusal of some gangs to transfer to other ships owned by the same companies amounted to obstructions of n vexatious kind, and was not approved by responsible men on the union side.

THE BALLOT. | Tile big ballot was brought to a close soon after five o'clock this evening. The drawing of nearly 7000 names from the roll of the First Division was a very big task, but the machinery of the ballot runs very much more rapidly now than it did three months ago. The girls who handle the cards have acquired experience, and there are no delays or hesitations at any point. There 'will be complaints next week from rejected volunteers that their names are not starred iu the published lists. The fiovernmcnt Statistician explained to-day, ill this connection, that he 'had received several thousand letters from men of this class right on the eve of the ballot. It had been impossible to deal with them all in the time available, and so some of the names remained unstarred. He added that reservists who wished to have their names starred before the next ballot and who bad not already communicated with him should send in their proofs of enlistment at once.