WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 29 May 1918, Page 3

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE SEQCfi® : KI3PATIBIAT3ON. (Spaial Correspondent ) Wellington, May 27. The postponement of the decision of Cabinet in regard to the demands of tha Second Division League till to-day has given rise to various prolbalble, improbable, and impossible rumors. One of the most improlbo/Me is that the Minister of Defence finds himself at variance with a majority of his colleagues in refusing to ineraase the separation allowance, and one of the most probalble that Ministers are looking favorably upon the repatriation proposal submitted to them by the league. Thougjh the etiquette of Cabinet rule doas not permit a Minister to expreaa pulblicly his dissent from a decis;on of a majority of his colleagues, such disagreements usually leak out, and on this occasion there is nothing but the street rumor to suggest Sir James Allen was not speaking <with the full authority he assumed.

But it is significant that the league's scheme for the repatriation of the soldiers after the war is being discussed at a second meeting of tlhe Cabinet to-day. The scheme, it is understood, provides for all paymentg to the men, including separation and dependents' allowances, being continued for three months after their arrival in the Dominion, whether they (Main employment earlier or not Its acceptance would be a recognition of the league's very reasonable contention thott at the present rates of pay and allowances only in very exceptional cases could the the Second Division or his wife be expected to save money towards tlise husiband making a fresh start in civilian life. Three months' pay would be a groat help in such circumstances, and the suggestion is known to have found favor with some of Sir James Allen's colleagues.

THE MAIN FUNCTION. In the course of an interview on Saturday, the Hon, W. D. S. Mac Donald, the acting leader of the Literal Party, while speaking very guardedly, of course, in view of big obligations to his colleagues, made it fairly dear that his personal inclination was towards the most generous treatment of the men and their dependants after the war. He deprecated the uninformed criticism of the National Government, which, he saiid, seemed to imply the soldiers were fighting for the classes and not for the people as a whole and their existence as a nation. But he was very glad, indeed, to see the £ulblic taking a keen personal intetrest in the present and future welfare of the soldiers, and he found no fault with the Second Division League emphoiiaing its demands with && the force at its command.

OiUR DUTY. "The burden of the war will remain with us for a generation and more," Mr. Mac Donald said this morning, in conversation with a representative of the Xews. "That is inevitable. But we have the best little country in the svorld, with endless undeveloped resources, and there ought to be no limit to our achievement. Those of ua who have l>een compelled to stay behind in this crisis must make the soldiers and dependents oor care, not merely now while the war is on, but after, when peace arrives and we set aibout the establishment of better industrial, social, and political conditions than ever we have had before. That is our sacred duty. There need be no doubt about our success in the struggle—that is assured —but posterity is going to judge us rather by our triumphs than by our victories of wax." THE DRIFT OF POLITICAL OPINION'. The presence in Wellington of a large numlber of delegates attending the conference of the Second Division League, and a considerable nuuriber of Laibor representatives taking part in the proceedings of the Agriculutural and Pastoral Workers' Union, has afforded the inquiring journalists quite an exceptional opportunity to leam something of the drift of political and party opinion throughout the country. The workers' representatives, it is scarcely necessary to say, are "agin the Government" to a man. Their hopes for the future are not very well defined, but They are pinning their faith to the "political revolution" Sir Joseph Ward nas foreshadowed without any very sanguine expectation of seeing either Mr. Massev or Sir Joseph at the head of the revival- The delegates to the Second Division conference are of more varied pclitieal color and less ready to express their opinion, but the majority of them are looking forward to radical dhanges and praying the country may be saved from the extremists of either side. Meanwhile, they accept the National Government as the least of possible evils.