WELLINGTON TOPICS

Taranaki Daily News, 23 October 1918, Page 5

WELLINGTON TOPICS

THE WAR NEWS, ' 1 'i WIXTNGTON KEEPS ITS (Special Correspondent.) 1 Wellington, Oct. 21. Though Wellington ia the political > 3 capital and the chief military centre of % the Dominion, it is not losing its head. \3 over the sensational war news of the Iwfc i| few days. It rang its bells and waved - J its flasg—a little prematurely -some V. t people thought—when Marshal Foch be. 'vl gan his offensive on the Western front, 'A and rang and waved again when he achieved some minor measure of success; i| hut now that he has practically the ") whole of the German armies in retreat J it remains outwardly quite unaffected '!-< There is intense satisfaction, of course,' v and a general feeling of relief, but there.. is no demonstrating- The city realises that the great crisis of the war is over, "'V that complete victory is now only a mat- 'J ter of months at most, and that its next jj jubilation must be reserved for the final ' s-i development. Both Mr Massey and Siy ''f •Joseph Ward have commented appreci- -\i atively upon its restraint. '. « THE LIQUOR QUESTION". • Since their return to the Dominion, ■' both the party leaders have been inter- ; viewed by representatives of the Moder- - fete League and of the New Zealand Alii- .' > ancei in regard to the proposed liquor £ referendum, and it is expected that in # a day or two, perhaps before these lines, ? appear in print, they will make independent announcements on the subject." i*. The question will be submitted to the ''>■ House as a non-party one, but at the moment it seems likely it will take the •' 1 shape demanded by the Alliance with to the issue of State Control added. Mr; | Massey was an opponent and Sir Joseph i % a supporter of the principle of State irS Control last session, but it is said that - g the Prime Minister's observation while ; Ja at Home has led him to modify his 'Jj views in this respect, and that he twill facilitate the three issues—Continuance, -|| National Prohibition, and State Qoo* w trol—being put Before the electors. 1 ■ SOLDIERS' SETTLEMENT, . Vill

It is understood thai the reports ;3 bo presented to Parliament during the jj approaching session will show that "Wei- ■j lington is the only land district in the is Dominion in which any substantial progress is being made with the ant work of settling returned soldiers on, the land. The actual figures ar? DOtj' '-A yet available, but people who haveheeu:| watching the progress of the work de- }J clare that when they are published they *' will show that more settlement of this kind, measured 'by the number of moa actually placed upon the land, lias - taken place in the Wellington district than in all the other districts put together. If this is so, it is not became land is better or cheaper or more fthiin" *i dant in Wellington than it is in other> districts, but because,the Oiiimi u ßioner here and his colleagues en, the Land, si Board have recognised more fullri than have the authorities elsewhere the *n> gency of making adequate provision for , the soldiers coming hack from tic »'ir THE SESSION. < vj Parliament will meet for the train- 3 action of business, as the stereotyped J phrase goes, on Thursday, but it is not « likely it will settle down to serious work J before the beginning of next week. After t the usual ceremonial proceedings, »i' ; ,ad- fs journment will he made as a irirt ot 'M respect to the members of both branches of the Legislature that, hiUi' paswd away during the recess Ministers still hoping they may he able to release '£ members before the Christmas holiday's, a hut the date of the prorosation will de- "3 pend very largely upon the attitude of g members themselves. If they are anxious to make a demonstration of zeal and $3 independence for the edification of their. constituents —which would be a very natural desire in. the circumstances— Ijj Ministers will accept the inevitable with, j j out. any attempt at driving tactics. 11l v** that case Parliament will adiourn over the holidays and resume work early in ' j the new year. 4