WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 October 1917, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

NATIONAL EFFIOIBNOYi

THE RECONSTRUCTED BOABD. (Special Correspondent). Wellington, Oct. 9. Tlie Prime Minister is satisfied the re* •constructed National' Efficiency Board -will avoid friction and do good work for the country. This was his pronouncement to the House of Representatives 011 Holiday night a few hours after the ■personnel of the Board liad been gaßetted. There is a feeling abroad, however, that Mr. Massey and Sir Joseph Ward have taken seats on the Board with the purpose of curbing the embarassing activities of the re-appointed members and that Uie introduction of the political element is going to make neither for effectiveness nor for harmony. Both the Ministers, as Mr. Masßcv himself admitted to the House, are too much occupied with other matters to take "a very miiicnt part in the business of tl& 'Board," and yet tliey will retain tho power to vote and be able to exercise it in a much more arbitrary way than they could under the old arrangement. That, at any rate, is the view expressed by many business men, who hold that the ■change means simply tho substitution of the judgment of the Primo Minißter and his colleague for the judgment of Parliament. . . . COST OF (LIVING. Representatives of the Press were not admitted to the interview between the' Prime Minister and a deputation from the Civil Servants anxious to obtain a reduction in tho cost of living, but from the accounts that have leaked out it would seem that the proceedings were of more than ordinary interest. Mr. All].ort, the secretary of Marine, who by leason of liis years and his good record is In some measure a privileged member of the service, acting 'as spokesman for jho deputation tool: the Government 'roundly to task for having "neglected to •deal effectively with the situation" and vas proceeding to still more daring lengths when he was sharply piilled up by the Minister and told the Civil Serlants would not bo permitted to dictate a policy to the Government. From this on the'atniosphere was distinctly »ultrv, the deputation making demands Mich Mr. Mftsscy regarded as ridiculous and bordering on the impertinent. The Minister was surprised and pained by the narrow view taken by Mr. Allport and 1 would not believe it represented tbf gca* oral foeling of the Civil Service. GERMANS!

The sinking of the Port 'Kembla has revived a number of old "German" stories and sot in circulation a number of now ones. The niost startling—startling because it lias u ilavor of probability—' is the statemeit made by Mr. Payne in the House to the effect that there ara soma forty Germans more or less regularly employed about the Wellington wharves. Mr. Massey made light of the story, declaring that every possible precaution was being taken to ensure tha safety of shipping, but unfortunately for this eh eery view counsel for the Crown in the Port Kembla enquiry is telling a very different tale. He is emphasising the neglect of the most ordinary, precautions by ship owners. But whatever the truth about this particular matter may be, it is certain that both public and private employers, in the usual British way, are far too ready to forgive enemy subjects the accident of their birth. Scores of Germans, stru»;;e :•* it may seem,, are escaping detection by professing to be Swedes or Swiss or oven Americans and no one in authority, except in very special instances, appear* to be asking questions.