WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 28 April 1917, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

INDUSTRIAL PEACE. THE COAL STRIKE OFF. ('From Our Own Correspondent). ! Wellington, April 25. ■ Hie unofficial announcement of the settlement o{ the coal strike has been received "with very general satisfaction throughout the community. It is iit\ofiiKal at the time of writing because there are certain formalities to be observed on both sides before the terms can be disclosed: but as most of the miners resumed work this morning there seems little ground for further anxiety. At a meeting of the Labor candidates Cor seats in the City Council held last night Mr. H. E. Holland read a telegram from the West Coast stating that the settlement provided for the exemption of essential workers in the coal and gold mining industries from military services, the abandonment of the 'goflow" policy and for such eonsideraotion as could 'be shown to the men who had been arrested on account 'of their participation in the policy. Ministers are not prepared to sny at the moment whether or not this message correctly represents the conditions of the settlement, but probably it will be found to be tolerably near the trutft. MINISTERIAL INTERVENTION. The Acting Prime Minister and the Minister of Mines are being warrnl" congratulated upon the success of the'" intervention. The Hon* W. D. S. -MVc Ronald had previously won a good d. 1 of popularity among the miners 011 t'n- , West Coast by hi? capable and ?.» | pathetic administration of the Mine: iU,oartment, but Sir James Allen hod to face tome political prejudice during the' early part of the mi;wnn and on this account his ultimate success was all the more creditable to him. Local reports Show that the Ministers made an excellent impression upon the strikers by their abaolute candour. They held out no hope of the provisions of the Military .Service Act being modified and refused to make any promises that could embarrass the Government in the administration of the linv. With all this, according to the men themselves, they were patient and tactful and their success may be fairy regarded as a personal triumph, THE FUTCHE, It is hoped that the settlement is so tvcll based that it will endure till long lifter the conclusion of the war, but the Government and the local authorities are not going to prematurely abandon the precautions they have taken against a coal famine. The limited railway service will bo continued in al! its essential features till the '''itiill'-saving" timetable comes into force at the beginning of next month and the tramways will not return to the old condition till they have repleted their stocks of fuel. The citizens still are being urged, somewhat fruitlessly it would seem, to exercise economy in the use of electric light and pas and some of the shops and offices *re continuing the measure of dny-ligl« saving they inaugurated last week. THE REDUCTION OF RACING. There have been several discussion* during the week between representatives of the Racing Conference and a committee of the Cabinet in regard to the proposa7*Tor the reduction of race meetings. .Vofching has been allowed to transpire concerning the proccdings, 'but it is understood the committee is now preparing a scheme for submission to the representatives of the Conference at a meeting to be held here in a fortnight's time. As far as can be gathered the delegates have agreed that it is desirable to effect some reduction trartng the couijie of the war. Otic of the main -problems before them is whether the metropolitan or the country programmes shall jjo cut down and on this point they are reported to be about equally divided. In tho meantime the Minister oi' Railways is simplifying the position by refusing travelling facilities to meetings (hat interfere with his own reduction scheme.