WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 2 April 1918, Page 2

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE GREAT OFFENSIVE. " PUBLIC CONFIDENCE. . ■ (Special Correspondent). Wellington, March 25. The news received from the front yesterday morning caused only a mild sensation here and no dismay. "Germans broken defences," "British retreating," "Paris under bombardment," were the startling epitomes of the first brief message that flew about the city, but the community thought only of the brave men holding the line and never doubted their ability to keep it intact at all essential points. The fuller messages this morning place the position in a, better light, and though the vast battle is still progressing, and may progress for many days to come, the opinions of the military authorities are adding to the con. fidence of the public. The Prime Minister, taking a broad view of the situation, has struck the right note in appealing to the people of New Zealand to remain steadfast in their courage, loyalty and endurance and to grudge no sacrifice that may hasten the victory of Britain and her Allies. The city remains quite unperturbed.

PRIVATE WEBB, MJP. After all Mr. P. C. Webb, of whom better things had Keen expected by many iK his personal friends, resolved to go to gaol rather than don the Ning's uniform. His resolution will not render his seat in Parliament vacant, the Crown. Law officers having advised the Government that his refusal to go into camp does not constitute a crime of the character contemplated by the Legislature Act, and probably one of his Labor colleagues will ask "the House to grant him leave of absence for the term of his in. carceration. The friends who have been pinning their faith to the members good common-sense, however, are now hoping he will not be a party to disfranchising his constituents for a couple of years. In any case they ought to be consulted and it is certain Mr. Webb will wish them to express their mind on a question which is rather their concern than his. •THE COAL STRIKES.

The Government, after waiting very patiently for the miners in the State coal mines to settle the troubles between themselves which had led to the cessation of work, has decided the law made and provided for snch cases must be set in motion if the force of one set of men attempting to compel another set to pay an illegal levy by throwing down their tools is continued. The strikers have no complaint against their wages or their conditions of employment, but, in order, as they declare, to bring their refractory fellows to their way of thinking on a matter altogether outside these material questions, they are stopping the supply of coal to the community. The men are guilty of a breach of the award under which they have been working and also of the War Regulations, and Mr. Massey has intimated to them very plainly their methods can be tolerated no longer.

THE WHEAT QUESTION. Should the Canterbury fanners persist in their demand for a guarantee of 7s a bushel for next season's wheat crop, they may" find the Government making other arrangements to secure a-n adequate supply of breadstuflfs. Wheat-growing in the North Island this year has not proved a success and the North Island farmers cannot be„expected to ally themselves with those of the South in asking for a higher guarantee. Even were the price raised to 7s few of the new growers would repeat last year's experience. The feeling is spreading, indeed, that Australia, with its enormous production of grain, would be a much more reliable source of supply than the new lands of the Dominion, and that the Commonwealth authorities would be glad enough to facilitate an arrangement by whicli it would get rid of a part of its surplus at a figure considerably below the price jnow suggested by the Canterbury growers.

THE DEFENCE DEP4RTMENT. Wellington, March 27Sir James Allen's attempt to conciliate Mr. Vigor Brown, the member for Napier, has signally failed. During the last four or five months Mr. Brown has been keeping up a continu ous fusilade of criticism against the administration of the Defence Department and a little while ago the Minsiter wrote to 'him pointing out what seemed to be some grave discrepancies between his statements and the actual facts. The fragments of his reply published in "".i'v V®Zealand Times this morning ] i ho critic is in ill. humor to be > n ne4'. "The patience of the average m ">?ho objects to the existing order ings," he tells Sir James, "is w<' jpmewhat threadbare by your denin.* ?"2?y way of illustration, as he puts it,"he drag 9 up half a dozen of the Minister's previous denials, which have not satisfied the public, and proclaims his intention to ■' , ''*=t,"ntiate hi 3 new charges on the of the House. Such are the n tij r >1 roubles that loom ahead for the abort *es«ion.

ALLEGED WASTE. Along the line of attack lie Las foreshadowed Mr. Brown is not likely to obtain support from any considerable number of the members of the HouseTlie time will not be regarded as 'opportune for the revival of "scandals" dating back to the very beginning of the war. But unless discussion is barred •by the existence of the Defence Expenditure Commission certain allegations I of a later date concerning departmental waste and extravagance are hound to be mentioned- It is reported, for instance, 011 what appears to be the ver# best authority, that one of the transports . which returned to the Dominion just the other day brought back several hundred men who must have been utterly unfit for service when they were sent away. One of them bad only one hand, the other having been amputated years ago, and quite a number were permanent cripples. The rejects must have cost the country at least £"25,000 by the time they were landed here and now many of them are applicants for pensions.

CITY MILK SUPPLY. After much labor the committeo appointed by the Wellington Council has brought forth its report on tile city milk supply. It suggests three methods .of dealing with the present intolerable state of affairs. The council might facilitate the promotion of a joint stock company, "or perhaps two companies," to take over the whole business; it might take over the supply of milk to the city and operate it under the control of a separate 'board, to hold office during the pleasure of the council, or it might take over the whole milk distribution problem and control it as a municipal trading department. The best and the worst that is being said of the report bo far is that it is just what might have been expected from a committee drawn from the ranks of the councillors. ' The committee favors the seeond suggestion, but it would not be surprising if a majority of the council, tempted by a subject for interminable discussion, inclined towards the third. In any case nothing practical is likely to' be done.

PILLAGING CARGO. The Burprise of the Stipendiary MaI gistrate at Lyttelton that a ship's officer should treat lightly a charge against two men for pillaging cargo is shared by shippers and by a great majority of the workers on the water front here. Pillaging had become so rampant in Wellington some months ago that the authorities were compelled to take very strong measures to check it, and though there has been a marked improvement [since then, there is scarcely a vessel |coming to the port with general cargo that does not suffer to some extent. !The wharf hands resent vejjy strongly the reflections cast upon them by the pilfering that goes on, but of course they can do nothing to control the members of the crews, and they feel that if cases of theft are condoned for the sake of retaining the services of men afloat their own position will 'be made even more uncomfortable than it is at present.