WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 13 April 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

SPECIAL SESSION. A TAME OPENING. (Special Correspondent) Wellington, April, 10. The opening of the Special Session of Parliament, called, as the Governor explained in his Speech, to consider a proposal that the Prime Minister and the Minister of Finance should attend an Imperial Conference and a meeting of the Imperial War Cabinet, turned out rather a tame affair after all The great thing* happening on the Western front over-shadowed a merely ceremonial proceeding and the wretched weather prevented anything in the way of social display. The Speech, with the great merit of brevity, presented the obvious things in the obvious way and was as terse and business-like as the circumstances demanded. In a paragraph of less than a dozen lines His Excellency was made to 'express confidence that both branches of the Legislature would join with the Government to the utmost of its ability in the present crisis, and there all it was necessary to say ended.

THE SENTIMENT OF THE HOUSE, That His Excellency and his advisers are justified in counting upon the hearty co-operation of a large majority of the jnembors of both Houses in any effort to strengthen tihe hands of Britain and her Allies is already abundantly clear. Even those members who are loudest in their complaints against the Government's administration, have never a thought of impunging the underlying principle of its war policy. The last man and the last shilling, if required, is still the measure of the Dominion's service to the Empire. It is being whispered about the lobbies this morning, however, that New Zealand's immediate part la the

great struggle may not be the supply of> more men for the Western front. The difficulties of transport may preclude that service. But there is other work of a no less exacting nature to be done and for this the Dominion may be asked to Hold tself in readiness.

THE ETERNAL QUESTION. Opinions differ even among the Prohibitionists themselves as to whether or not the New Zealand Alliance lias chosen an opportune time for pressing its demand that the recommendation of the Nutional Efficiency Board for the suspension of the liquor traffic during* fclie course of the war should be submitted to u poll of the electors and decided upon a bare majority vote. On the one hand there is the section of ardent reformers who would put an end to the traffic at any price and on the other the less confident folk who would have deferred this new effort till a more convenient season. Probably the greater weight of public opinion is with the latter Six o'clock closing, so far as Wellington is concerned at any rate, has very materially lessened the more flagI rant evils of the traffic and it is easy to argue from this basis that .it would be wise to leave well alone. I doubtless, will he the view of the Gov- ' ernuicnt and of a majority of the memLbers of the House-

COST OF LIVING. The laugh raised in the House yesterday, by Mr. C. H. Poole's enquiry as to what steps the Government had taken to give effect to the recommendations of the Cost of Living Committee, was not directed against the member for Auckland West, but rather against the Government itself. The question was neither superfluous nor pointless. Since the committee was sitting last year there has been another enormous increase in the retail prices of commodities in common use. Between February I*l7 and February lftlS, the latest figures available for comparison, the average increase on pre-war prices advanced from 25.79 per cent to MM per

cent. The increase in dairy produce was from 23.05 per cent to 30.75 per cent, in meat from 27.35 per cent, to 36.50 per cent, and in groceries, from 25.5(5 per cent to 32.43. The most astounding increase is in the prices of groceries in Wellington which now exceed those in many of the small inland towns.