WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 5 December 1917, Page 8

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE "NO BREECHES'' REGULATION. (Special Correspondent). Wellington, Dec. 2. The ''no breeches" regulation, wliicli is regarded with increasing disfavor 'by the men in camp, seems likely to be relaxed. The Minister for Defence has been urged strongly .to reconsider the matter, and lie lias gone to the length of promising to consult with the Commandant. 'Some of the higher officers in camp are strongly opposed to the new rule. They like their men to look smart and they felir that the effect of compulsory ungainliness about the legs is going to be bad. The breeches, in the meantime, are still being worn by men on leave. A PLEA fIOR RETROSPECTIVE SEPARATION A LLOWANCE. Delegates of the Returned Soldiers' Association have been sitting in council in Wellington during the last day or two. One of their decisions is to urge the Government strongly to make the new separation allowances retrospective. They urge that' if. ballotted men are to get 3s a day for their wives and Is a day for their children, volunteers whose dependents have been drawing the old allowances of Is and Sd a day ought to have the difference made up. The Government is not likely to yield' orf'this point. The .hack pay would be ft Very large sum indeed. The new allowances will be paTd to all wives and children of soldiers aftnr Janttary 1, So that "it is only the married men already discharged who will fail to benefit: STX O'CT.OCK CLOPTSU. o'clock closing was inaugurated in Wellingtun most, peacefully. Some three thousand soldiers wers on leave in the city and there were rumors at the street corners during the early part of the dav that, the men in uniform were to show their disapproval of the new ortlcr of things after 6 p.m. Rut. nothing happened. The hotels closed quietly. Some of them did an unusually big dinner'trade and found, that they had thirsty diners, The Act makes provision .for liquor with bona fide evening meals. To-dav the police reported that for the first, lime within the memory of many constables there lmd been no arrests for drunkenness on Saturday night.