WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 April 1917, Page 4

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

WATERSIDE WORKERS. THE NEW AGREEMENT. '(Special Correspondent). Wellington, April W. The special "stop-work" meeting of tin Wellington Waterside Workers' Union held on Saturday morning to-eonsidci tlw ratification of the new agreement does not appear to have been in a parti« oularly conciliatory frame of mind. It finally 'decided that as the agreement affected the, whole of the workers a ball ■ot of all members of unions affiliated to the New Zealand Waterside Federation should be taken today and -to-morrow, and this is now in progress. As far as can be ascertained by an outsider the red less section of the local union has gathered some strength; from the demonstration by the coal-miners, but the general opinion is ■ that the agreement will he ratified and that, further trouble will be averted. A good deal will depend upon the result'of the Ministerial mission to Wcstport. and it is hoped (;ood news wtU .I>c received) from .Sir jame=. Allen and the Hon. W. D. S. Mac* Donald to-day.

PICTURE CENSORSHIP. The Xeiw Zealand Catholic Federation, which is mainly resronsible for the Inltiation of the present system of cinema film censorship, is dissatisfied, as it ha« some reason to h<\. with the working of the system, and is moving for a further conference of representative bodiea with a view to its improvement. One of tin reforms required is the appointment <A some body properly constituted with authority to appeal in tlft interests of the general public against the decisions of the censor. The 'pi'lure show proprietors already have the right of "appeal, and it is felt that this is a somewhat one-sided arrangement while no represcnfltive of the public has a, similar privilege. It is also desired to havrf some official supervision over picture show and theatrical posters which on occasions are even more unpleasantly suggestive than are the entertainment! they are intended to advertise. RAILWAY ECONOMIES. A complaint that comes from tlio South of fortunately-placed Government officials receiving more travelling facillties than are desirable in the interests of the revenue while drastic economies are in contemplation is not being very widely endorsed here. Railway employees and members of their families re given certain well-defined privilege! r.s also are members pf Parliament and members of their families, but these d« not seriously interfere With the general traffic, and State employees in other departments have to pay' their own fares except when they, travel on public busi* r.ess. There Is a feeling, however, among people who hove op|portunitle* to observe that, there is some lack of effective organisation in the railway service and that' the best use is not always made of nil the hands employed about the larger stations. It appears poMlble.or men who are keen about their duties to fill in eTght'or nine hours without doing a vast, amount of work. DODGING THE TAX-GATHERER. In consequence of representations made by one of its correspondents the "Dominion'' has obtained from the Commissioner of Taxes a statement concerning people who appear to have been doi'fiitP their liability to pay income tax. The Commissioner is aware that "a very large number of farmers who should have paid income tax have not sent in returns of their incomes, and bo have avoided pavmeni of taxes up to the" present," but it is not intended to allow these men to escape their obligft* tions altogether, and where they arc discovered'deliberately attempting to evado them they will be required to pay treble the amount that otherwise would havq ecu demanded from them. Of course, where the omission has been due to palnablc inadvertence this penalty will not he enforced! but farmers mid others in doubt will do well to send in their returns nt once and so avoid any further misunderstanding.