WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 23 August 1918, Page 6

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE IMPERIAL CAiBINET. jf,

■DOMINION 'REPRESENTATION. (Special Correspondent). Wellington, August 19. The cablegram published recently to the effect that the Imperial War Cabinet Ins decided the Dominion shall each have a Minister permanently stationed in London has created no f,ur[:rise here. A development oi this sort has 'been foreshadowed for some time past, and the assumption that the message that the War <_Miiiiet has only to speak and the tiling is accomplished is characteristic of the news servic; on which this country depends- But a later message .showy that ill: Jiassey and Sir .Joseph Ward are fully alive to the fact that the Dominion Parliaments will have to be consulted about the appointment of pexmanent Ministers to represent the Dominions at Home, They I>oth have emphasised this point in the interviews they have granted to the Press, and may be trusted to place the whole nosition before the country when they ask the Jloi:.-e of Representatives for its endorsement of the proposal.

NI3YV ZEALAND'S REPRESENTATIVE. * Iu these circumstances it is a little premature to discuss who will be the Dominion's representative iu the Imperial Cabinet in the event of the proposal being approved. But the mention of 3ir Joseoh Ward's name 'by the London Times naturally has turned the public eye towards that gentleman, and there can be no doubt his social qualities and his long and intimate acquaintance with the afi'airs of the Dominion would give him a very special claim upon the otTie-,; if he were anxious to (ill it. It might also be urged in this connection that the discovery of another very capable financier in the Hon. A. 3J. Mvres has made it easier for the country to spare Sir Joseph than it would have hecn ; but for I his piece of good fortune. ITis intimate friends. howe\er. declare that: he would lie very reluctant to change his sphere of activity, and that he would do so only under a very strong sense o: duly.

THE LTCENiSJNTi ISSUE?. The National Council of Knv 7.ealand, flip supreme authority in the organisation of the licensed liquor trade, after some weeks of deliberation, has put forward a manifesto in which it declares that "a fair, ji'.st and reasonable solution of the question cannot he obtained until the present ballot papers have been revised so as ir> remove existing disabilities, and all electors have 'been given an opportnnitv to record a logical and eonsirt vote.." With this end in view it propose that the three is?nes placed before .the electors at the licensing poll shall be national continuance, national ownership and national prohibition, and pledges itself to support n petition to Parliament nvnvinsr for Ibc repeal of Ibe ex'stln? ha'lot paper and the substitution of one bearincr these three issues. Tt stipulates that onr vote onlv should be exercised hr each vfiter and that n bare majority of the total votes should decide the issue.

THE PROnJWTmviSTS' OBJECTION.

The proliihifiotiist®. us far as can lip fathered from hurried enquiries. would have no objection to f lie three issues sug-<*o--(P(f t>v the Kntional Council tipuiir submitted to iho electors. Thev admit, indeed. tbnf they would lie fair, just and rcvora'ile. "Rut thev ohicet verv strongly 1o elector? who would nrcfer either "ntionnl ownership or national prohibition to national continuance being provided with facilities for siolittinp their votes that would entire flic last !<wue 'hei>ic carried. Tlicv maintain that; the three issue* should lie submitted to the electors under thp preferential system of voting. that paeli issue should lie pitted cnr-li other i"ne and that; 111 this wav the real sense of (hp whole eoniminit.v should he obtained. It is unlikelv t'lp Council will nccept this arrangement, •■'lid in that ease no nprcoment between the parties will lie possible.