WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 May 1917, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

DEPARTMENTAL BALLOT THE RAILWAY MEN. (From On: Own Correspondent.) Wellington, May 21. Another trouble, probably a comparatively small One, liaa- overtaken the Railway Department. At a recent sitting of the Military Appeal Board tlie assistant general manager announced that the Department had held a ballot of the men in its service who had been called up in the official ballot and who could bo spared, and had decided in this way Which of them should go into camp. The various branches of the men's union are objecting to this inethod of selection, which has no legal sanction, and a number of protests are being sent to the department and the Appeal Board. Of course, the men still have the right of appeal to their districts boards, but they feel their position has been prejudiced by the action of the department in discriminating between its employees without giving them an opportunity to be heard. NATIONAL EFFICIENCY.

From hintß that have been dropped here and there it seems that a great deal of criticism that has been heaped upon the National Efficiency Board should have been directed against the National Government. It is no secret that the Board lias submitted a number of reports and recommendations to the Government, but so far as the public iB concerned there has been much noise and labor without any tangible result.' People have been urged in a rather halfhearted fashion to grow potatoes and other vegetables in preparation for a possible shortage of other foodstuffs, but beyond this practically nothing has been done to maintain the budding enthusiasm for a national effort. It is suggested the Government is waiting for the return of Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward before disclosing its scheme, but the necessity for tlie delay is not explained. A KNOTTY PROBLEM, This week the Efficiency Board is going to enquire into the suggestion for curtailing the hours of the liquor trade during the course of the war, but as the acting-Prime Minister has stated that nothing can 'be done in this direction without the authority of Parliament expressed in legislation, probably a good deal of time will be occupied, and perhaps temper expended, to little purpose The Cabinet is divided, as the actingPrime Minister has admitted, on. the question of shortening the hours of sale, and probably if it were again submitted to a vote of the House a majority would decide for the maintenance of the status quo. The argument that there is no need in Now Zealand to follow the example of the Mother Country in this matter may.not be strikingly convincing, but people who have counted heads declare that in IParliament it will prove effective. SHORTAGE OF SHIPPING.

I Business men here, while nob taking a pessimistic view of the situation, admit , that the continued reduction of transport facilities may have a serious effect upon the trade of the country. They are chiefly concerned, of course, over the shortage of shipping, which is bringing about a grave' congestion of produce in BtoTe and to some extent discouraging farmers in their operations. The chairman of the Bank of New Zealand, in the course of an interview on Saturday, said that unless some relief were found shortly the outlook would be grave in the extreme. Against this there is the assurance of the 'Hon. A. M. Myers that the tonnage diuculty will 'be cleared up "in a few inonths"; but the difficulty will become more acute during those few months, and at the moment there is a distinct feeling of uneasiness in both commercial and agricultural circles.