WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 17 January 1918, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

* WAR EXPENDITURE, '; *JM (Special Correspondent)'* ''.■'•(■ Wellington, Jan. 3t|£ jfiM A well-known business man, with "fdollH interests throughout the Wellington KiMcM vincial district, who has been a frank critic of the administration Defence Department, speaks in hitra.iMW proval of the appointment of Sir IwHrnH Anderson as chairman of the penditure Commission. "The iij)to|in|wß to the appointment on the Robert being an Australian," bjjt WMraH "are ridiculous. This very fact him beyond the reach of poUtioji?&|H ftuence and will enable him to t*M , .jJWB unbiased view of the facts &» them. He i» the sort of man that iisfl s|3B reither hoodwinked nor humbugged; -'-JjSM has done similar work before, know where to look for |tjf||9 has had banking and general fafoM§Mfflß experience, ,is a master of orgaftfißWMJß and knows how to get at the things. As far as he is concerned tWapM will be no delay in tho work of the.-Qwwiß mission or in the presentation of JMjfl port." This testimony from a BtWHfSM man who has had exceptional oppqgtimjfi§H ties to judge of Sir Robert'* qu*iffim|fl tions for the position he is to oKndH of special value just now in view WU9 persistent insinuations that the QolbhKimbH sion has been appointed merely toffoigfjS up the sins of commission and' '''Hft'iyJfjM of the Government. 'ffJiH THE IMPERIAL CONFEaBiqQK^IH The telegram from Dunedin !ntQtt|MMHH that Mr. Massey, after his v«y protestation to the contrary,-' it necessary to attend the fcrence to be held in London' InHIBIM course of a few months, has oil" here. For one tiling, Sir Jame»Aft3M has made it abundantly, clear has no wish to go to London ini.tiw|fß near future and entrust his portfol{o>-,t«ffiß a colleague who might not on exactly the same lines as has laid down for himself. 'T]»!jßatral ister's reluctance to leave v tho office even temporarily at the pTMerclfl stage is natural and well undetrtoci&'tefteM the members of the Cabinet. linp'i|kii(KfcJ less what has inftueuced tho ister more than anything else in ffCqiMgß sklering his first determination is a dejfiß sire to pluce before the Imperial thorities quite plainly the the Dominion towards the suggMtwoß that the. conquered German poasejs'jiMSfflH in the Pacific should be restored the war. Mr. Massey has expressed £«9 very strong opinion on this subject :ftOinf|l time to time, and he does not plate with any satisfaction the Pfottti&S of the Germans again becomtnlng neiglibors to New Zealand. ' -"TV!jjjß THE CIVIL SERVICE. ;.';■;, -JjjH Sir Joseph Ward's advice to thefaSjtitjß bers of the Civil Service to nuto|Mel9 best of the conditions brought by the war, rather than to seek h*ttg£JW conditions by placing additional tion upon the country during tie nrwntaH crisis, if) 'being received in good most of the people immediately oonc&nfin ed. The Minister's hint that,an Mon for bigger salaries might clamor for retrenchment of a Voiy dr&Jfcv-IS tic character has not been without dh&ln Though few members of the Service prepared to admit that their, own lieisffl partments are over-staffed, many of thW'll have confessed that a thorough," like reorganisation miglit result very Utttfll pleasantly for some of their nume*r( I ,IS Even a 3 it is, there arc zealots refcirmrf'SM ers urging that after the War turc Commission has concluded its Wo«'SB in connection with the IMenee twnt it might be directed, with much'-11l profit to the country, (o look? tato-'^ ? "tjl cost and administration of some vfo#sSm dopartmente. The mere suggestion oJ-ISB such a thing happening, with ; iutmwj#«,'3a of what occurred in ISBO, has own rilfuvj| cient to silence sonic noisy lQ&mberi ol \?8 THE LAST BALLOT. '' -/jfl The ballot list that has just b*Ml U>sm sued brings the total nnnir>r »f ttm'jSM called up in New Zealand un<W th« Mili-flB tarv Service Aet to shout n»,«W, inalwl-si9 ing some l:i,sno Second FKvfoion WIH in Class A. Tho'figure* arc'' hig. a#@J9 oven the opponents „f the Act have admit, that it Ims worked with ostraor'sll diiuiry smoothness. There lnve been >H little hitches, complaint* ami Jrievftncei *9 here and there, but the machine hftj **■ moved steadily on. -, M