WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 20 May 1918, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

MILITARY. SERVICE EXEMPTIONS. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, May 17. At last night's meeting of the Wellington City Council there was an animated discussion on Councillor L. McKenzie's motion for rescinding a resolution adopted at a previous meeting to < the effect that the Council would seek exemption from military service for none of its employees. The resolution bore particularly upon the case, of the City Solicitor, who was drawn in the recent ballot, and on further consideration some "Of ...the Councillors thought it too sweeping. Councillor McKenzie and his supporters urged that while the Council should be conservative, in its appeals it should reserve to itself liberty of action, but the Mayor 1 warmly contested this view, and advocated the retention of the resolution. Mr. Luke insisted that no man was indispensable and that such hands as were required could be picked up at any time;! but a narrow majority of the .Council were against him and the motion was carried by eight votes to seven. During the discussion a good deal of extraneous matter was introduced and Councillor M. F, Luekie raised the question as.to whether it was wise to" be taking so many troops from New Zealand when the ships required for their trans-: port could be much more profitably em-! ployed in carrying men from America.! This view has been so frequently express-! Ed of late that it would seem certain people are specu! iting on being able to congratulate themselves upon httving been instrumental in bringing about a change in the Government's policy. The Minister of Defence, naturally, is not talking of the matter, but when two and two are but together it • seems fairly obvious that the transport problem will present increasing difficulties for the rest of the year. It is 'not that, "shipping is scarcer than it was a few. months .ago, but that a large portion of America's great army is ready to take the field and will. require ■ every foot of tonnage that can be secured to place it there.

SHIPPING,. The question is one which is occasioning the producer some anxiety, Mr. Massey and Sir Jos. Ward having franlc ly stated before their departure 'for London that men from America Wottld have to take precedence of food from the Dominion if that were the determination of the War Council. It is one of the matters that will receive the close attention of the party leaders while they are at Home, but tliey will not be expected to urge the interests of the primary producer against the needs of the Empire. In the meantime the Ministers left behind are not inactive, and it is quite possible Reinforcements will be sent away in smaller drafts in vessels carrying, produce required by the Army and s by the civil population in the Old Country. But whatever the arrangement may be there must be considerable accumulation of stocks at this end and for this development shippers should be prepared. THE-SPIRIT OF THE NATION

An inspection of the hospital ship that arrived in Wellington yesterday with a large : number of sick and wounded men from the front Would bring every material comfort to the hearts of those good people >y.ho have. been depressed and saddened by the anti-militarists' stories of the treatment of the soldiers no longer fit for the firing line. Not one of the men seen by a civilian visitor immediately after the vessel was moored at the wharf was without words of warm appreciation of the care and kindness that had been bestowed upon him since he had become a burden to the Empire instead of a help. Many of the men were hopeful of getting back to tlie front again and the regret of those without hope was that they had been " knocked out"before they were through with their job. The attitude of the whole draft was an inspiration to those who still had to do their bit.