WELLINGTON TOPICS.

Taranaki Daily News, 6 September 1918, Page 7

WELLINGTON TOPICS.

THE POLITICAL POSITION. IMPENDING REVOLT. ' (Special Correspondent.) Wellington,, September 2. A North Island member of the House of Heps, who has just returned from a visit to Canterbury and Otago states that he found the people of Christchureh and Dunedin taking a much keener interest in domestic politics than are those of Wellington and Auckland. The old party bitterness seems to have disappeared from the southern constituencies as thoroughly as it has from those on this side of Cook Strait, but in its place there is an insistent demand for a reform of the whole system of legislation and the whole method of administration. There is a feeling abroad that the country is being ruled by two or three Ministers, the, intervention of Parliament having become more than ever a pretence, and it is to the removal of this evil tho southern constituencies, according to the talk of their spokesmen, are going to devote themselves at the iwixt general election. A GENERAL ELECTION. The visitor found in the South a feeling among peopje who give serious thought to such matters that a general election i 3 one of the possibilities of the near future. They argue that Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward must have been impressed by the attitude of Imperial Statesmen towards tiie further postponement of the general election at Homcand will be glad enough to make it an excuse of appealing to the constituencies here while the war is still on. Of course the election could not take place at the usual time in December, but there is no vital reason why it should not be held in March or April of next year. The general opinion here is that the rank and file of the parties would be less favorably disposed towards this course than their leaders would be and that in all probability the postponement till the end of next year will be allowed to run its course. STATE CONTROL OF LIQUOR. ' The Moderate League has officially endorsed the demand of the National Council of the Licensed Trade for an amendment of the licensing ballot paper in the direction of confirming the issues to national continuance, national ownership and national prohibition. It has reserved.to itself the right "of free criticism of all machinery proposals ' for achieving the object in view," but' it has indicated no disapproval of the National Council's scheme of voting, which already has brought from the Prohibition Party an announcement that if it is adopted by the Government there will be war to tiie knife. On this point the prohibitionists will think of no surrender or compromise. Many of them—or, at any rate, many people who vote "no license"—would be glad to see State ownership on the ballot paper, but they maintain that with three issues there must be preferential voting or flagrant injustice to their cause. STATE CONTROL OP COAL. The demand of State control of the mines still continues to be pressed by the Miners' Federation and by many of the other workers' organisations. In the absence of Mr Massey and Sir Joseph Ward the Cabinet has not given any official consideration to their proposal, but it is understood that several of the Ministers, including Mr McDonald, the Minister of Mines, are favorably inclined towards the principle of nationalisation. The State's experiments in this direction have not been consistently satisfactory from a financial point of view, but they have exercised a steadying influence upon the price of coal and have dissipated some of the popular prejudices against official management. The Government is hardly likely to tackle the proposition during the war, but when peace comes tho State controlists will renew their campaign with- increased confidence.

THE TAXI MEN. Most people who have visited Wellington have had experiences, moro or less unpleasant, with the taM-drivers of the capital city. The tram service here is so good in the essentials of frequency, regularity and cheapness that the taxidrivers and taxi-proprietors rind themselves up against very strong competition. Instead of meeting this by reducing their fares, the majority of them have resorted to the much less admirable method of obtaining all they can frbrn unwary travellers. Now they are seeking authority from the City Council to impose higher charges and the council seems disposed to meet them provided they undertake to adhere strictly to the regulation scale. -This note is by way of reminding visitors that they have a right to see the scale.