WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 May 1918, Page 8

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

MAPJUED SOLDIERS. PAY AND ALLOWANCES. (Special Correspondent). Wellington, May 20. Mr B. A. Armstrong, the President of tho Second Division League, is by no means disposed to accept Sir James Allen's comparison of the pay and allowances of New Zealand soldiers with those of the other Dominions and tho Mother Country at its face value. Tlie Minister of Defence maintains that the married New Zealand soldiers are better treated than tlie fighting men of any other part of the Empire in respect to pay for themselves and allowances for their dependents, and he supports his contention with figures which so far as they no are irrefutable. Neither tho Canadian nor the Australian rates are as high as tlie New Zealand, and tho Imperial rates, of course, are substantially lower. Tlie figures set out in tabulated form suggest that this country is by comparison treating its. soldiers very well indeed.

DIFFERENT CONDITIONS. ■ But Mr Armstrong shows there is a good deal to say on the other side. He stated last night that Canada had not yet nia.de any demand upon married men. Married men had volunteered and gene to tho front, but presumably they were able to make shift with the pay and allowances provided for single men. Australia had no compulsory service and it was for the volunteer to say whether he would accept the conditions offered by the Government or not. In Great Britain the Government had nationalised industries or placed them under Stale Control and in this way had stopped profiteering and brought about nt least some measure of equality of

sacrifice. No fair comparison, lie insisted, could bo made between these countries and New Zealand. Canada and Australia had not yet, tackled the married men problem and the Mother Country bad taken some practical steps for the protection of the mciv's dependents. THE OREY ELECTORATE. 'Private led or.-? from Crevrnouth and other parts of the West Coast state -that the elector,-: of Cr:>y who do not sympathise with ]\L TT.' E. Holland's views on the military service question are very hopeful of returning Mr T. E. Coates as the representative of the constituency in Parliament. Mr Coates, it is reported, is contesting the seat very much against his own personal inclination, with the sole purpose of giving the electors an opportunity to express their dissent from Mr Holland's war views. He will not tie himself to either the Liberals or the Reformers a-id will not forego his right to criticise the admmisiratinn of the National Covernment, but ho will give his hearty support to every sane measure designed to bring about a satisfactory pence as speedily as possible. Willi a, platform of this character he is, of course, receiving the warm wishes of progressive electors in this part of the country.

Tin'] I.iQUOR 'JT.ADK. The recent cablegram from London refcrrin;; to the eli'ects of the drastic restrictions placed ii])on lire liquor trade at Home since the lie.niimiiif,' of tlie war lias inspired the iociil advocates of State Control with some hope of Parliament beimr induced in the near future to accept their p.inaeea for the evils of llio drink trafiic. The cost of such a reform in Xew Zealand would he immeasurably less than the four hundred millions mentioned as would he quite feasible, but the oflicial Prohibitionists are even more strongly opposed to State Control than the, licensed victuallers are and the two ]>odiP3 in combination would make an insurmountable obstacle in the way of lvi'tirri. There are, however, enthusiasts here who believe a lanre section of the 'Prohibitionists would welcome State Control as a step towards