WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 March 1918, Page 8

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

AFTER THE BY-ELECTION. LABOR'S VIEW. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, March 4. There was some "tall"' talk at the Labor meetings held here on Sunday night. The crowd was so great at the King's Theatre that an overflow meeting had to be held at, the Alexandra Hall, and at both places the speakers 'iet themselves go" to their hearts' content. They would not regard the result of the Wellington North by-election as a set-back to their party. On the contrary, they claimed it as a great moral victory, presaging a sweeping triumph at the general election. Their hardest words were reserved for the Prime Minister, who, they said, had thrown the dignity of his high oflice to the winds; and the most scathing for the hostile press, which had been foremost, in a campaign of ''misrepresentation, lies and dirt." That the speakers had the sympathy of a vast majority of, their audience goes without faying; that they gave point to the old story of the kettle reproaching the pot 011 account of its color was also plain. WINKING THE WAR. But for Mr. W. Maddison, the president of the Wellington Labor Representation Committee, who spoke in the I\mg's Theatre, it must be said lie did not allow his vehemence to run away l ! altogether with his coherency. "If we are to deal successfully with government by Orders-in-Council," he said, ''with the high cost of living, with the menace of trusts and monopolies, we can do so only by political action, and, if the workers are refused proper political representation, the country need not be surprised if they resort to industrial action." If the workers had made some sane and sustained effort to improve the electoral machinery upon which all the parties are dependent for their representation, Mr. Maddison's protest would have carried some weight, particularly as hitheri to he has deprecated industrial action, but their neglect of this all-important question deprives it of more than half its force. THE GERMAN COLONIES. The statement of the German Colonial Secretary of the determination of the Kaiser's Government to regain possession of its lost colonies in the South Pacific has not led the Prime Minister to modify his views upon this question in the slightest degree. It was not likely it would. But for v his desire to put the position forcibly before the Imperial authorities, probably Mr. Massey would not have made the trip to London this year, though, of course, there were difficulties in the way of his appointing a a delegate to voice his opinion at the mecoting of the War Cabinet. For one thing, Sir James Allen, wiio is next in precedence to the Prime Minister and Minister of Finance, resolutely refused to leave the Dominion, except 011 conditions that might, not have been altogether agreeable to other people concerned. Minor difficulties might have been overcome, but this one was insuperable. THE SHORT SESSION. Now that the Wellington North byelection is safely over, and a fullypledged supporter of the National Government has been returned to fill the seat vacated by the Hon. A. L. llerdrnan to take his place 011 the Supremo Court bench, the short session preliminary to the departure of the Dominion's delegates to the meeting of the War Cabinet is not expected to last more than a couple of weeks or so—if. as .Mr. Massey remarks, members are disposed to give their attention to the necessary business. Dr. Thacker's "Young New Zealand" party still consists only of its founder, and though it is possible for one member with an intimate acquaintance with the forms of the House to create a good deal of obstruction and delay, it is doubtful if Mr. Poison's leader in the recent campaign is yet sufficiently well equipped'to make a very brave display in any attempt of the kind. THE WAR PROPHETS. With the resumption of heavy fighting on the West front, and the cabled reports Of impending oll'ensives, the war prophets are getting busy again. They are a rather discredited class, and many readers of the newspapers are declining to base expectations 011 what they are told the cablegrams mean. Your correspondent is no prophet, but he would mention, for what the information is worth, that persons in authority, who are supposed to know more thau the man in the street, are hoping for big things from this year's fighting. Their attitude is one of hopeful expectancy. They do not believe, it seems, that the war is going to drag on indefinitelv.

\ /tfllE SECOND DIVISION. Despite ministerial statements 011 the subject, some are still saying that the Government does not intend to send Second Division men to the front.. Nothing is surer than that the married men will have to go if the filling of the reinforcements demands their services. But it is also certain that the Government will not take into camp the married men with, children a month earlier than is necessary. The class B men have been told they will not he wanted in camp until October. This means that the Government will know how this year's fighting on the West has gone before it takes the class B men from their homes. It has to be remembered in any calculation of probabilities in connection with reinforcements that when a recruit goes into camp lie is at least six months, and probably eight months away from the firing line. The Government may be able to stop taking men. into camp some time before the actual close of hostilities. The sensible course for the A, 1! aiul C men to pursue in the meantime is to make their plans 011 the assumption that they will be needed in the army.