WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 27 December 1917, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

, DEFENCE MATTERS. MAliyoSJCl) SOLMM-tS, (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, Dec. 2'< In view of recent happenings it is not surprising that the general public, as veil as the men immediately concerned, are disposed to be a little critical of even minor matters connected with the administration of the Defence Department. At the moment particular fault is being found with the Department's lack of method and foresight in making arrangements for the conveyance by rail and steamer of the men who are being sent out of camp for the Christmas holidays Scores of.soldiers have been shut out of the ferry boats going south, and fin deprived of a big slice of their holiday. to say nothing of the cost of lodging in Wellington, through the failure of the military authorities to take such ordinary precautions its would have occurred to the organisers of a .Sunday school picnic or a friendly society's carnival, Men are still here waiting for transport who came into town four or five days ago and the shipping people declare had they been properly advised there need have been not a single hour's delay. THE WHEAT SCHEME. The Hon. W. D. S. MaeDonald's official statement concerning the "Wheat Scheme" by which the price of flour has been kept down and a substantial increase in the area sown with wheat, secured is a frank reply to the criticism by which he and his colleagues havb been assailed in connection with this n.after during the last few months. The Mii.istcr has withheld nothing that is . -iential to a proper understanding of the position. Apparently when Mr. Massuv and Sir Joseph Ward were in London, where it was impossible to advise them fully of the critical nature of the filiation, there was some delay in giving effect to the decision of the Cabinet here and this may have afTectcd the price the Dominion ultimately had to pay for its supplies; but once a line of action was determined upon it seems to have been followed promptly and to the best advantage. Even if the Government has not accomplished the impossible by entirely satisfying the growers, the millers, the bakers and the consumers it at least has assured the country against a wheat famine during the nevt twelve months. SIX O'CLOCK CLOSING. Though the hotel-keepers for the most part are accepting the results nf six o'clock closing philosophically they have not yet experienced the recovery in their trade they were promised by their optimistic friends. Business was a little better last week, particularly in the bottle department, but this is attributed to the approach of the holidays and it may be continued during Christmas week. But the majority of the city licensees aj-e now satisfied that their "sales will he permanently reduced in normal times by from 2"> to 30 p<>r cent by the shorter hours the reduction in the country licensed houses will be much larger. The advocates of the experiment profess to be well pleased with the results and much more closely than they expected. 'Probably the police should share in this compliment, hut it is a matter of general remark lliat the bars ace very promptly. CHRISTMAS TRADE. The Wellington shop-keepers, reaping the year round a rich harvest from the military camps and the various activities connected- with the war, are probably much more fortunate than the business people in other centres of the Dominion; but their reports upon the Christmas trade, which was at its height 011 Saturday, are entirely satisfactory. Last Christmas there appeared to be an in< clination pn the part of buyers to spend their money more warily, to eschew costly presents and rich apparel and confine their gifts to immediate friends; but this year purchases have been as lavish as ever in their expenditure and as bounteous in their distribution of seasonable offerings. This liaa not lessened the donations to patriotic and charitable ftfiids and being, acccording to passing philosophy, a sign of the city's prosperity only the oynics are left to complain.