WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 April 1917, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

LAND FOR SOLDIERS. (From Our Own Correspondent). Wellington, April 13. Just how far Mr. G. k. Sykes, in discussing, soldier settlement, is justified in savin? "the people of Wairarapa are out to see io it that holders of suitable land for subdivision are made to do their duty" only time can tell: but there is- a growing 'feeling throughout the North island that the Government ought to ho displaying some of the zeal and vigilance the member for Masterton attributes to the electors of his own district. In normal times the land question is the most- controversial of all the problems tiiat divide the political parlies and Mr. Sykes himself—if sri'ch matters may ho mentioned at such a time as this—owes his seat in Parliament mainly to his espousal of a policy differing widely from the one he is now proclaiming. But politicians of all colours have had their eyes opened by the conditions created by the war anil are beginning to see that both the salvation of the returned soldier and the salvation of the country lie along the road that loads to close settlement and increased production. This being the case the party leaders associated in the National Cabinet ought to have no difficulty in devising a system of land settlement which would he acceptable to the great majority of their followers and go a long w.ay towards satisfying the crying needs of the country. THE DOMINION'S EXPORTS. The figures concerning the exports of the Dominion prepared bv the Government Statistician t'hrow'some instructive light on these questions of settlement and production. The monthly returns showing large increases in the values of the exports are apt to convey a impression of the country's progress in this direction. The ensnal render sees that the exports for the twelve month's ended February 28th, 1910, were nenrly two'million sterling more valuable than those for the twelve months ended February 28th, 1917, and his heart swells with pride over what he conceives to be proof of a great national expansion. But a closer examination would show him that the expansion was in the prices, not in the volume of products. The exports of wool', for instance, actually declined'between'the two periods by HO million pounds, of mutton by U'o,ooo' carcases, of lamb by 20.1,000 careases, of tallow by GOD "tons, and of butter by 85,000 Hundredweight. There may be compensations in, the eases of sheep and lambs in the conserved flocks, but the fact remains that the Dominion, with, all its new land brought into cultivation and its huge expenditure upon public works, has not materially increased its output for several years. The only feasible explanation of this unsatisfactory state of affairs is that many of the people holding land are not putting it to the best possible use. If the conditions arc allowed to continue tliey will mean after the war stagnation. KECULATIXG PRICES The members of the Board of Trade bav* returned from their northern trip •with a very creditable report of what has hcen accomplished in the way of cgulating the prices of moat in Auckland and in some of the provincial towns. The establishment of State meat depots has had an appreciable effect on both wholesale and retail prices in Dhe "Queen City,," and instead of ruining the private butchers has induced them to adopt better business methods. The depots are supplying over 2030 customers daily and their trade is rapidly increasing. The Board has also effected agreements with, the retail butcr.ers in Napier, Hastings, Pulmerston North and Masterton, and in,each of these towns has been able to check contemplated advances in prices. Its methods seem to bo giving general satisfaction and the regulations it has issued under the authority of tl\e Minister are evidently curbing the desire of interested parties to play fast and loose with the intentions of the Legislature as was done in the case of the regulations formed during the early days of the war. Of course, tho Board cannot reverse the operation of all the inexorable laws of economics, hut it certainly has dnno something towards ensuring the community against their distortion and unfair application.