WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 April 1917, Page 8

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

RECRUITING. THE BALLOTED MEN. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, March 30. ' Now that the machinery for the working of the compulsory clauses of the Military Service Act is in full operation, this authorities are able to take a much more confident view of the future of recruiting than they were a few months ago. They began on the assumption that one-third of the men drawn in the ballots would be available for service, ftlid at first their expectation seemed unlikely to be realised; but the latest figiires'show that their conservative estimate was rather below than above the mark, and that any anxiety that may have been entertained in regard to filling future reinforcements may be dismissed. The balloted men, with very few exceptions, are going into camp readily, and even those that have unsuccessfully appealed for exemption are Accepting the decision of the Military Service Board philosophically and very soon becoming undistinguishable from Ihoir voluntary comrades.

'' THE NEW BRIGADE. ' For the most part the formation of a further New Zealand brigade at the front from the reserves that had accumulated behind the firing line is regarded here as a matter for congratulation, but some of the critics., not altogether* unnaturally, are urging that advantage should have been taken of the presence of superfluous troops to relieve those men who have been in the trenches practically since the beginning, of the war. The Minister's answer to this is, of course, that New Zealand is not in-' creasing its obligations by the formation of the new brigade. Its contribution to the Imperial forces will be in no way increased. The reinforcements will bo =e'nt away in their regular order at just the same strength as was arranged in the first instance. As for the long service men, they certainly are entitled to very special consideration, but it is doubtful if any terse number of them would care to be withdrawn .at the present time. ELECTORAL REFORM.

The announcement that the Imperial government will introduce into the ■House of Commons a Bill to give effect to the recommendations of the Speaker's Conference in regard to electoral reform in the Mother Country is causing some little jubilation among the Social Democrats here, who have been trying for •years past to promote a similar movement in New Zealand. Of course, most of the reforms being sought at Home have been already effected in the Dominion, but the one the ultra-progressives consider the most important of all never has been seriously attempted. They are hoping tdat Mr Massey's and Sir Joseph Ward's support of proportional representation—piebald in one case, they say, and half-hearted in the other—will be concentrated and quickened bv what they see and hear in and that they will return to New Zealand determined that this country shall no longer be without what Mr Asquith calls a truly national Parliament.

THE ABSENT MINISTERS. The statements concerning the business of tiie Empire Council Cabinet, attributed to Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward in the cablegram from London tins morning, are held by many people to give color to the persistent rumor that Mr Masscy and Sir Joseph Ward have made arrangements for considerably prolonging their stay in London Mr Massey talks of the possibility of a lengthy investigatory visit to Ireland in connection with the Home Rule question, and Sir Joseph Ward declares the subject cannot be even discussed bv the Conference till the end of April. With these engagements in view, the Ministers cannot expect to leave before the end of May, and this would be too late to enable them to reach the Dominion in time for the opening of Parliament in the following month. The Ministers in town profess to have no further information on the subject.