WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 4 July 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS

PINCH OF PRICES. GLUT OF FOOD. (Special Correspondent.) Wellington, July 'i The deputation from the Timber Workers' Federation which waited upon Ministers on Saturday to protest against increasing coat of living came away with little more than very genuine expressions of sympathy from the Acting President of the Board of Trade. The spokesmen of the deputation pointed out that while the prices of foodstuffs were mounting up, the great stores at the shipping porta were overflowing with and butter and cheese, ajid argued from this fact that the consumers ought to be getting these commodities at much lower rates than they were paying. Mr McDonald, in replying to their representations, could only remind them that the stocks awaiting shipment had been purchased by the Imperial authorities at rates in harmony with the prices being charged hero and that the Government in fairness to the producers could not do more than it already had done to restrain the advance in the cost of living. (PRICES AND PROSPERITY. Every discussion of this question in Wellington takes a local turn, and though it is generally recognised that Mr McDonald and the Board of Trade urc doing their utmost to keep prices down throughout the country bitter complaints are made of their persistent advance in the capital city. The cost of living'in Wellington, including the three food groupß and rent, has advanced 41 per cent in Wellington since the beginning of the war, while in Auckland it has advanced <yily 25 per cent, in Christchurch 18 par cent and in Dunedin 21 per cent. Were ft not that the price of meat had been kept down to a lower rate in Wellington than in any other big centre the comparison would be still more unfavorable to the capital city, which actually charges more for its groceries in the aggregate than does any of {lie little coastal or inland towns it supplies with these commodities. The empty consolation the Mayor offers to the citizens in this respect is that supremacy in prices represent su- j premacy in prosperity.

THE SHIPPING POSITION. Though Ministers are not committing themselves definite statement on the subject, what they have said suggests that the shipping position tnia year is not likely to be more satisfactory than last year. The speeding up of America's entry into the war has necessarily diverted a large amount of shipping from distant ports, like those of Australia and New Zealand, to the Atlantic run, and the Commonwealth and the Dominion will have to do the best they can with such vessels as are available. This is the blunt truth that cannot be disguised by fair words. Relief will come when shipbuilding has definitely surpassed ship destruction and the American demand for space has been satisfied. The authorities, though reticent, are not pessimistic in regard to the outlook, and New Zealanders have the consolation of knowing the vessels they are not getting are doing excellent service for the Empire elsewhere.

THE LICENSING POLL. The official are still hopeful of bringing sufficient pressure upon the Government to compel it to take a licensing poll at the end of the present year, in spite of the life of Parliament having been extended, but a rough canvass of tho members of tin House of Reps, is said to show that a majority of them are opposed to inviting another controversy over the liquor question till the war is at an end. Six o'clock closing has worked so well, it is maintained, that there is no urgent need to plunge the country into the turmoil of a contest that would be even more productive of party strife than a general election would be. The "counting of heads" lias been quite unofficial, Ministers taking no part at all in the process, but a list of the names seems rather to give color to the prediction that no poll will be taken tilr the Empire's differences with the Central Powers have been settled.